Most people who know me know that I'm one of the most liberal tree huggers out here. I joke with my family that I get emails from Presidents Clinton and Obama and often forward them to them for laughs (my very conservative family loves this). However, the health care reform issue really has my panties in a twist.
I think it is disgusting that the US is practically the only industrialized nation with no type of universal health care. The employer sponsored health care model we have is outdated, given that most people no longer stay with one company for their entire career. It is mind boggling to me that states do not have a group plan that uninsured people cannot buy into; not one that is funded by taxpayers, but, like an employer's group plan, just a health plan for people who are not offered coverage through their jobs or cannot afford an individual plan. Similar to the auto insurance one can get if they can't get private auto insurance. It seems to me there are also other "groups" of individuals who could pool together into a larger group. I know one of Indiana's landscaping associations has played with that idea - many companies who are part of their organization are small business and may not offer health care (or affordable health care) to their employees, so if they put them into the larger group, the costs would go down. I'm honestly not sure how it worked out, but the idea is there. Another group I'm thinking of, because I'm a runner, is the RRCA (Road Runners Club of America). It's a nationwide group that lots of people belong too. Maybe they could pool together into a group and offer health care to its member. I mean, the members are runners. They are probably pretty healthy! LOL I know there are lots of issues with those ideas, but surely someone smarter than me can figure them out. Those are just a few options off the top of my head. People get paid big money to figure this stuff out.
Anyway, like I said, I'm super liberal. I'm very pro-choice. (Not pro-abortion, but pro-choice.) Many people, including me, have been pissed at opponents of health care reform who are opposed because abortion is covered. People like me say, abortion is legal. We say, we're not promoting abortion, just making a legal option accessible. A large, very vocal opponent is the Catholic Church. To them we say, how can you want to deny healthcare to those in need just because a procedure is covered that you do not agree with? And honestly, still in my heart, I believe that. HOWEVER, maybe we need to look at our stance. If the abortion issue is the only thing that is keeping the Church from supporting this reform, (not that the church decides, but they do make up a big population and would give a boost to the politicians trying to pass this reform), and they do seem to be on the cusp of supporting a health care reform option without federally funded abortions, why are we balking at the idea of taking abortion out of the equation? Why are we, people like me, standing in the way of better health care for the people who need it the most? Let's say people are afforded health care, but abortion isn't covered. More people will likely have better education about birth control. Better access to birth control. No, it won't stop abortions, but it would likely lower the need. Perhaps there will be a trickle down effect. People like me, middle class small business owners who pay out the wazoo for health care and have little extra, will be able to give more to causes they support, and some of those causes may better educate people on sex education, or fund more Planned Parenthoods, which offers many health services, including abortions.
I know I'm ranting, but like I said, I'm disgusted, and I'm willing to take a step back and look at my motivations and my goals. I often think people are afraid to come off of their hard line stance because they think "if I give a little about not having federally funded abortions, Roe v. Wade will be overturned and women will be using coat hangers in the back alleys" or "If we support this, clinics will be handing out coupons for abortions at the local high school". I'm guilty of this thinking too, but I think it's important to step out of your own thoughts once in awhile and not just pay lip service to looking at the other side's perspective, but really giving it some thought. We might get to common ground quicker than we realize.
