Healthcare Reform

Change has come to American! Yes we can is now...... yes we did! Who do we thank? Barack Obama that's who. He made this a promise throughout his campaign, and he is now delivering on that promise. You see, this is important to those of us that has had to do without health care. Barack Obama knows what it is like to be poor, live on food stamps, and try to work your way out of that situation. That is also why I supported this health care reform. I had a man strike up a conversation with me one day on politics (at the casino again). I don't quite remember how it got started, but I ended it. He just caught me in the wrong mood. A lot had been on the news about the health care reform, and I was just sick of the "right wing" trying to stop this legislation. He asked me about something and when I answered he made an assumption. He said, "Oh, you must be a liberal?" That of which I responded, "Yes, very much so....how could you guess?" He then says, "So you voted for Obama?" and I responded, "Yes, I did." So he said, "How do you think he is doing?" I said, "I think he is doing fine, and if the right wing pundits would leave him to do his job and shut the hell up, he would be doing great." He was quite shocked at my forwardness, but the man had a set of balls, and continued asking me my opinion. The conversation continued as such:
Man: So, you must be in favor of this health care reform.
Me: Yes, I am.
Man: Do you think this is a "right" of all Americans?
Me: Absolutely.
Man: How so?
Me: We live in the United States of America. The richest nation on the planet. We send our air craft carriers and medical supply ships, our doctors, our nurses, our EMT's, and give untold amounts to nations when they are in need (I was referring to Haiti), but we have Americans dieing right here in this great nation because they do not have the insurance or money to go to the doctor. How the hell does that make a damn bit of sense? Now don't get me wrong, I am glad that we have the ability to help other nations. I am all for helping other nations, but when you help others while you let your people suffer, it makes the help seem fake....for show.
Man: O, well....I understand, but can we afford this? Our deficit is so high, we just can't afford it right now. I just don't want this to add to the deficit.
Me: Well, you can thank George Bush for that lovely deficit, but I look at it like having a baby. If you wait to have a baby until you can afford it, you will never have a baby. We cannot afford to wait any longer. Now is as good a time as any.
Man: O, I know, but Obama keeps adding to the deficit.
Me: He has no choice....he has to fix all the damn mess that was left by Bush. Besides, that deficit will not get any smaller without health care reform.
Man: So do you think the Constitution is still relevant today? (Note: Right Wingers love to bring up the constitution. I think he was waiting for me to say no....lol, but I fooled him.)
Me: Yes, I do. The original constitution is still relevant today, but remember, there has been so many amendments to the constitution that who knows these days. (I think he was trying jump on the band wagon of the "freedom to make your own choices".) But the health care reform is not taking away any of our freedoms, if the damn American people would get informed and stop listening to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. You will still get to choose your own doctor, hospital, etc.
Man: Oh, I didn't mean to make you mad, or start up an argument, but I see your point (no he didn't, he couldn't think of a comeback because I made too much sense.)

Not to long after that conversation, he got up and left.

You know, there are a lot of legitimate arguments out there against health care reform, but none of them trump the fact that people are dieing in America because they cannot afford health care. I have heard all the arguments, read all the cons, and I don't care what anyone says, if you are an American, you should not have decide between paying for food, rent, and utilities or your medicine and a doctor. France has the healthiest people, a health care system that is #1 in the world, and universal health care for all its people. The UK ranks 18th in the world for health care, and guess what the great United State of America ranks.....37th. How embarrassing. How disgusting that there are people against health care reform. Now I know that universal health care is not a part of this legislation, but it is a start. We will get it. The work has just begun. :)