Until this morning, I struggled to understand why so many (white) Americans are seething about the plan to offer health care benefits to all Americans. I thought about a photo, showing an older white man screaming at Sen. Arlen Specter (who looked like he just ate something that left a very bad taste in his mouth, which cracked me up, but that's another point) that ran last week on the cover of The New York Times. The enraged man shouted, "One day, God is going to stand before you and he's going to judge you!"
This morning, however, when I looked at a NYT headline that announced that the public option would likely be dropped from whatever plan passes, Maurice (the hamster who runs on the wheel that powers my brain), dropped the seed he was eating and jumped on his wheel. Really, is not America founded on the idea that some people have rights, and they will protect those rights and do everything they can to prevent others from obtaining them? Those self-righteous colonists, shouting at King George, were essentially the same angry white men who then turned around and made sure that women, people of color, and white men without property could not vote or hold public office. In addition, a good portion of the public could not go to school, work in certain fields, marry who they pleased, observe their religion without being harassed, or in the most extreme cases, be considered human beings. They said Jews could not serve in the Continental Army (although they were happy to get Jewish money to pay for it, while insisting that Jews were unpatriotic for not serving in the army). Etc, etc.
The real problem with America is that it is utterly un-American to believe that all people are equal. When people fight to preserve a system that benefits only a few at the expense of others, they are upholding the true American way. There may be better opportunity here for people than in many other places in the world, but really, that's just saying how truly awful many places in the world are. And how wonderful it is that there are so many un-American Americans who want to extend rights and freedoms to all.
Monday, August 17, 2009
American as Apple Pie
Labels:
Asshole idiots,
epiphanies,
evil,
irony,
other rants,
What is wrong with people?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I also love how the mainstream media neglects to report that many of these "grass roots protesters" are actually hired by the insurance industry and bused from event-to-event. They're not even "protesting" in their home districts and they're blocking civil debate and the dissemination of real and vital information, not to mention making unrelated claims, usually based on lies. Aaauuurrrggh.
ReplyDeleteThe whole situation is beyond infuriating!!! Just like in Ye Olde Dayes - the interests of the few trump the needs of the many.
ReplyDeleteYes. And while we're ranting... I'm tired of people invoking the founding fathers and their documents as the be-all end-all of wonderful government. They wouldn't have even let me vote due to my lack of penis. Although I suppose as you point out, that was very American of them.
ReplyDeleteWho really needs health insurance anyway? I mean, seriously, if everyone would just go easy on the McDonald's, work out, and spend some time out of doors, all catastrophic events like getting hit by a drunk driver or getting cancer, could be avoided. Right? Right?!!! I'm gonna go birth a baby in a rice paddy now.
ReplyDeleteHeh - you are so right! My bad.
ReplyDelete