Health Care Reform and, whatever

Quick, without looking this up (i.e. cheating): what are H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872 in reference to?  See how good your governmental knowledge is.

Give up?

Let me ask you this: Have you at any time in the past year spoken up, either in favor of, or opposed to, the proposed Health Care Reform efforts being battled over in the House and Senate?

Did you know what those two numbers in the first paragraph are about?

Have you read them?

Have you read EVERY SINGLE WORD in BOTH of them?

Do you make it a habit to form opinions of things you are not completely and directly informed about?  Do you make it a habit of forming your opinions based on what you absorb from TV, radio, the Internet, your co-workers, friends, family, neighbors, teammates, and roadside signage?

When you say “I have an open mind” and “I listen to the other side”, do you REALLY do that?  No, seriously.  Do you shut up and actually listen to every word the “other side” says?  Or do you listen to a few words and then start commenting over top of the rest of what they’re saying?

When someone disagrees with your views, do you internally shake your head in frustration over their inferior intellectual grasp of the situation?  Do you feel superior?

When was the last time you spent a Saturday or Sunday morning watching an entire opposing political interview, without interruption or distraction?

When was the last time you had a friendly conversation with someone you know is diametrically opposed to your political views, without it devolving into anger or resentment?  When was the last time you attempted to find a common ground?

I say this, because I have yet to meet ANYONE on this planet, even in my narrow travels, that truly exhibits what even they believe is having an “open mind”.

For example: I have yet to find anyone who has expressed either strong support for, or vehement rejection of, the Health Care Reform effort, who has actually read ANY PORTION of ANY of the bills being batted around.  I certainly have not met anyone that has honestly claimed to have read all of them (yes, it’s not in one cohesive piece).

I have personally (and painfully) read all of one of them, which is H.R. 3590.  When I first read it, it was around 1980 some-odd pages.  As of March 2010, it stands at roughly 2409 pages.  I have read portions of 4872 as well, which as of March 2010, it stands at around 153 pages.

Here they are.  If you have a brain, and prefer to use it, you might consider reading these documents with your very own God-given eyeballs.  Then again, maybe you prefer to be told what to think.  I’d bet that if you were “for” this effort beforehand, you’ll be “against” at least part of it after reading ALL of it.  And I’d bet if you were “against” it beforehand, you’d be “for” at least part of it, after reading ALL of it.  It is a mixed bag after all.

H.R. 4872 – PDF Document

H.R. 3590 – PDF Document

If you choose not to read these documents, and still intend to speak out in favor or rejection of them, I will simply remind you to simply STFU.  I get more intelligent information from a good bowel movement than from your speaking.

Conclusion

Because the first phase of this “bill” has passed, it now undergoes “reconciliation” to get it through the second approval phase.  That’s where the GOP will force it to be watered down and diluted into a meaningless shell of its original goal.  It will pass because the Dems will do anything to avoid it getting sent back to step 1, so they’ll cave into GOP pressures for revising it, and continue the “save face” appearance that it is unstoppable.

That’s about as much as I really care about this whole f-d up subject.