The US health care system now equals about 17% of the US economy.

With that in mind, there is little reason to wonder why so many people feel so passionately about any possible changes.

 

It appears that the greatest single factor in whether one does, or does not support attempts to change legislation; is whether or not you currently have insurance. The key explanation is that people in the US are for the most part happy with the level of care they receive, creating a chiasm between the “Have’s and the Have not’s.” This leads to those who are happy with the status quo speaking about the upper-end care available at the finest collection of hospitals in the world. While those “Outside of the system” find themselves waiting in long lines at the E. R. and a times having to make the choice between buying food or paying for meds.

 

The cynic in me might say that the private sector typically better run, but often is filled with organized greed, whereas the public sector is filled with bureaucracy, and disorganized corruption. This reality makes is exceedingly easy for either side to point fingers at the opposition. I must state that I happen to believe that there is more right with our system then wrong, but the dramatic rise in costs, and ever increasing number of uninsured’s demand that some changes take place. With the US health care system now hovering near 17% of the US economy, even small changes will have a significant impact. With that fact in mind common sense seems to demand that we, the voters and consumers of health care listen carefully to any possible changes. But in order to listen one must be able to hear. It is with that in mind it is upsetting to find TownHall meetings dissolving into shouting matches rather then forms where voters can get the facts they need to make a rational decision.

 

As I said, I understand the passion, but feel strongly that we must step back and bring some civility to the process. Yesterday a sign in front of Rep. David Scott’s office was found defaced with a large painted swastika. 

 

“This reflects an increasingly hateful and racist debate over health care and should serve as a reminder for people to tone down their rhetoric”, said  Scott, a  Georgia Democrat.

The long time Republican recently-turned-Democrat, Specter found that his attempt to hold a town hall meeting of over 400 people sandwiched into a University ballroom at Penn State, occasionally drowned out by a vocal few that seemed determined close the meeting down.  

“There’s more anger out there now than I have ever seen before,” he said. “And I think the anger is caused by so many people having lost their jobs and (being) worried about losing their health insurance.” said Specter.

 

At Urban Insurance we specialize in Car Insurance; so I do not have a “Dog in the fight”, it just seems to make sense that we seek more light and less heat. We need to do what American’s do best, to allow all to speak. to embrace Justice Oliver Wendell Holme’s notion of The “marketplace of ideas” I am not sure what the correct combination of changes should be, I just would like to be able hear all sides, and have a debate of which we can all be proud.