Editorial cartoon drawn by Mishele Lamshing
In the attempt to pass highly controversial legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system, supporters on either side have been effectively polarized into two groups: liberal and conservative.
Tensions run high among those in the so-called tea party movement, where some simply shut out everything their opponents have to say because he or she many have an “R” beside their name.
Just last week, Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indiana, alleged that tea party protestors on Capitol Hill shouted racially charged epithets as he walked past them, one of which was the N-word, arguably the most offensive term used to refer to African-Americans.
Ultra-conservative factions such as the tea party may help when it comes to keeping checks on elected officials and preserving limited government, but recent events tend to present their political ideologies in a harmful light.
And then there are those who are dubbed “liberal,” who predominantly identify with the Democratic Party.
Many on this side of the political aisle hurl insults and names at their opponents. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow Democrats called town-hall protestors un-American when they expressed disagreement with the proposed health care legislation.
Democrats portrayed opponents of a public health insurance option as being in favor of maintaining the status quo and displayed blatant disregard toward the suggestions of Republicans and conservatives.
Not surprisingly, Democrats have attempted to pick apart the ideals of their political counterparts, instead of considering tort reform, tax credits and removal of state-line barriers in the health care insurance market as a collective set of measures to help extend coverage to the disadvantaged.
The word “liberal” has become so negatively charged that conservatives cringe upon hearing the word mentioned. The word “conservative” automatically implies that one is against any type of government whatsoever, and that he or she wishes to impose religious beliefs and principles on the masses through legislation.
A true American listens to their opponent and works with together with them to achieve the best compromise available. All people must maintain a mindset of impartiality and fairness in listening to the arguments of others.
It is detrimental to society when people allow adopted political belief systems to define them instead of defining it themselves.
Patrick Levy is a communication freshman and may be reached at [email protected]
Nancy Pelosi did not call demonstrators last summer un-American because they disapproved of health care reform. It was their methods of disagreement which she did not appreciate. The yelling and screaming, the extreme impoliteness, the immature method of communication, the references to Hitler.
and what method should they use… bend over and take it till next election… it would be wise for dems to remember they are held accountable for their actions… i smell revolution in the air.
Last night, the Democrat Party declared war on the American middle class. They are gambling on the forced creation of an entitlement we’ll be too exhausted and weary to reject– no matter how poor its quality, corrupt its inception, or unbearable its cost. We do have one last chance to strike this down. There is no reason any Democrat up for re-election in 2010 or 2012 needs to retain their seats. They don’t own those seats, any more than the Kennedys owned Massachussetts. There’s no reason the Democrats need to exist as a viable political party after 2012. Obama can be their last President.
The discussion of racial epithets being bandied about is a diversionary tactic in a debate that was never allowed to take place. It’s about the legislation, legislation only intended to bail out the insurance industry and the ailing medical industry, so far as I am convinced.
There is no debate when the media focus is on the obfuscation that has been tossed up to obscure the view of it, -racial epithets, indeed! This is a misplaced race-card in a debate that has yet to occur.
There has been almost NO debate about the practice of medicine in this country, and what should or should occurring, and should or should not be paid for. A very large proportion of medical cost and intervention is entirely uncalled for, unethical, simply waste of money, and detrimental to future populations.
Think about what is being made of our health that might lead anyone to think health care can solve these problems -when what is dragging down the health of this country, is poor lifestyle choices from cradle to grave.
By-in-large modern medicine is a poor lifestyle choice. And here comes government mandating everyone pay for it, -including those who would refuse to see a doctor for any reason on strong ethical grounds, stronger ethical grounds than the ethics of those who provide “medical care”.
Our kids don’t get gym class anymore, too expensive! The public swimming pools in this country have been forever shuttered against their use for exercise, too expensive!.
And everyone drives any distance further than a half of a city block, too lazy!
Most of the medical problems in this country only become medical problems because of poor lifestyle choices. End of debate.
I see your argument, and in some cases it’s true, but it is a great assumption. People can get various forms of cancer without any part of their lifestyle being at cause. I would like to see the actual numbers before I would declare the majority of our problems on lifestyle. Yes, our lessen activity is an issue but I’m not ready to declare it as the reason cause of most of our medical problems.
Don Robertson, you claim end of debate yet I don’t see any of your credentials, facts, or real substantiated proof to match up with your claims.
There are many diseases which have nothing to do with poor lifestyle choices that very much count as conditions for an insurance company to deny someone of coverage. Again I will repeat they do not necessarily have anything to do with lifestyle choices at all.
Feel free to provide statistics and FACTS, then I’ll consider your argument a little more seriously.
Though I agree with the idea that it is life style, there are many that chose a good life style and end up destitute because they cannot afford a health plan that covers their needs. Or worse, their provider gives them the boot just when they need it because it is “to costly!”.
I challenge anyone that is against a public health care plan to show me how the insurance providers have protected their customers that are now lucky to make minimum wages. Oh wait. If you make minimum wage, you cannot afford your premiums.
It is not a perfect bill. It still has limits in coverage but it is better than what was there before.
And of course schools are under funded and public sports facilities are closing down, people are to greedy to share some of their wealth for those that cannot afford it through taxes.
The Tea Partier’s (search the name on Urban dictionary [nice choice!]) are so against helping others that they remind me of (I won’t say as it isn’t nice).
The reason that this has been so divisive is that there is no common ground. You are either supportive of your fellow man or you are not. Taxes are supposed to be the reason to fight this bill but if the people really worked towards a decent system, the amount of money spent would be less. Many would actually save money through a decent public system. Even to the point of saving their homes.
Why can’t the US have the best healthcare system in the world for all its citizens?
This is so true. Automatic judging of folks on both sides of the spectrum hinders so much potential cooperation.
Good article, Pat.
It’s called freedom of speech. Maybe you should look it up some time while we still have it.
Hows the kool-aid taste?
So, when is billionaire progressive George Soros financing the unhinged Leftist rent-a-mob rally against ObaMao’s summary execution of three (un-Mirandized) Somali teens at sea? Afterall, that tactic was clearly more “extremist” than our moistening of KSM, et.al. The one year anniversary of ObaMao’s high seas shooting spree is fast approaching. Why don’t Leftist hate-mongers hold their ObaMao accountable to their (alleged) higher regard for minorities and human rights?
It’s always hard to know with student newspapers, but I’ll assume you aren’t a taxpayer yet. That means as a citizen right now you owe the government $40,000 (for being a citizen) to cover your share of the debt. When you become a federal income tax payer (and I hope you do someday)– and you can take away all the people that don’t pay taxes (because of their wages or ages)– then you find out you the federal taxpayer are really on the hook for $100k. That’s not a joke, that’s the number. Then if you kept our national accounting like GAAP accounting you would find that we (and one day you) have a liability of about $500,000 per tax payer when you look at future Medicare and Social Security liabilities. The health care reform didn’t mention that states have to pick up a portion of Medicade expense of all those people about to come onto the system, so our state taxes must go up or programs get cut …like more school cuts.
I feel like people don’t understand that this is real money that we are responsible for paying back to the holders of American Bonds. Unless they’re deluded enough to think Chinese bond holders will “forgive” this debt, please learn a trade your Chi-Com overlords will value to avoid the work camps.
Are we now in a world where there is absolutely no recourse to the tyranny of the majority? Republicans and other opponents of the bill did their job on this; they persuaded the country that they didn’t want this bill. And that mattered basically not at all. I hope that the Democrats take a beating at the ballot box and rethink their contempt for those mouth-breathing illiterates in the electorate. I hope Obama gets his wish to be a one-term president who passed health care. Not because I think I will like his opponent– I very much doubt that I will support much of anything Obama’s opponent says. But because politicians shouldn’t feel that the best route to electoral success is to lie to the voters, and then ignore them.
Nice cartoon!