And I'm ranting...

I’m in a pissy mood about the whole healthcare reform thing. No, I’m really more upset that everyone is so busy trying to ‘help’ me (I’m one of those uninsured Americans) but none of its supporters is willing to listen to me. I wrote my representatives in the House and the Senate. The one representative’s office sent back a respectful letter that implied that whoever the staff member was had actually read it (a Republican) and the other (a Democrat) sent a letter that basically said, ‘I’m glad you’re interested in the healthcare issue, here is what I’m doing to pass the President’s bill’. This response would have made sense except I wrote to say that I am strongly opposed to mandated health insurance (if we can’t opt out then we have problems… if you want to know more, I’ll be happy to share), I’m opposed to increasing the debt by another TRILLION dollars and I sent a couple of suggestions on how to really help Americans with their healthcare costs (since I do have some experience). I am an Independent, I have voted both red and blue depending on the year and sometimes the for Libertarian Party—it just so happens that right now the Dems are on my last nerve with their persistent dismissal of anything but enthusiastic agreement. And unfortunately, most journalists lean left (they say they stay objective about the news but I have to disagree quite strongly—sometimes they run so blue during actual news reports I have to check the program because I swear it must be an op-ed show—then they bitch about actual op-ed shows whose hosts admit they to lean towards the right) which means that the news programming on CNN (and they are representative of the majority) about the unsettled Town Hall meetings either reports confusion about these ‘strange rabble rousers’ or insists that this is some plot by Rush Limbaugh, but none of these reports seriously consider that a decent percentage of Americans don’t want the legislation—which is their openly stated opinion. Let me say this another way, one president ago, when a few loud (and sometimes disruptive) protesters against the war in Iraq in a public address were discussed on the news, it was usually with the slant that the politicians were trying to ‘shut down free speech’ and ignore these representatives of ‘general public opinion.’ Now, when a large group of loud (and sometimes disruptive) protesters against this healthcare bill show up in a Town Hall meeting (which is typically where people are expected to present concerns and opinions), the slant is that this fringe group is trying to manipulate the system and that this obviously doesn’t represent the majority view. I’m a little annoyed with the news shows—it’s probably good we cut the cable, but I still read the on-line news reports…

Part of me wants to laugh it off. I am Gen X, we never had a chance at shouting down the Baby Boomers (and we weren’t all that into shouting anyway) so I’m used to the notion that I can lodge a protest but that no one really wants to hear it. But, ultimately I think this is a rant about one of my personal issues—that is I want to be seen, understood, valued, encouraged, etc. And I’m deeply bothered when I feel ignored, misunderstood, dismissed, judged, especially when I’m left holding the bag—which is how I interpret an expensive mandatory healthcare bill that leaves the country profoundly in debt.

So I will send/have sent the official letters, lodging my protest, and pray that what we get is better than what I fear. And thank you for letting me complain.