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I have to apologize for a break in my usual writing, which focuses on collected and rational discussion of political issues. This is not that article.
There is no excuse for the passing of the AHCA by House Republicans. This wasn’t about America, this wasn’t about health care.
This wasn’t even about money.
This was about winning. This was about defeating the person of Barack Obama, not about the agenda of a President. But Republican voters didn’t win here; there are no winners here. There’s only loss.
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No one knows what is in the bill—not you, not me—certainly not the 435 men and women who voted on it.
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Since it’s passing in 2010, the Affordable Care Act has faced a baker’s dozen attempts to repeal leading to a Supreme Court case announcing that the ACA was the law of the land, but still … they persisted. Their constituency balked at another ACA fight, they warned their representatives, but still … they persisted.
I would rant and rave about the replacement bill, the freedom fry lovingly named American Health Care Act, but after the better part of a decade of being told the ACA was “rammed down America’s throat”, I have no idea what’s in the AHCA.
And that makes sense, for a bill whose sole purpose it is to “repeal and replace” another bill, apparently written, researched and voted on within a month. No one has time to read it.
No one knows what is in the bill—not you, not me—certainly not the 435 men and women who voted on it this afternoon.
Here’s what I do know, however.
This is our fault, America. This is the fault of each and every one of us:
• Every person who voted for “the lesser of two evils” for President, but didn’t know who their current representative was.
• Every person who continued to call the ACA, “Obamacare,” emboldening the hatred for the man.
• Every person refused to vote for President because their candidate didn’t clinch the nomination.
• Every person who said their vote doesn’t matter, so they weren’t going to bother.
This is all of our faults. When we abandon the future greater good for our immediate preferred team’s win, we don’t fail our government, we fail ourselves.
But the blood on the hands of Trump’s agenda is very real, and for those who will undoubtedly die in the immediacy, there is no future. I’m more than “mildly nauseous” watching proud Republicans try and wipe away the blood like Lady MacBeth. For what need they fear who knows it, when none can call their power to account.
We have a duty now, all of us who have failed America. A call as important as taking up arms to serve our country.
There are no more excuses, we have to pay attention! We have to break their siege on government by running for office ourselves. It’s not enough to donate your 15 dollars against a sea of Citizens United corporate campaign donations—we’ve got to get up and physically challenge.
Three initial steps YOU can take:
• March in the streets, but don’t stop there. Protests aren’t selfie opportunities. Attend your city council meetings.
• Post your anger on Facebook, but don’t stop there. Screaming into a void of similar thought only adds to the problem, instead, start writing for an online market.
• Make calls, attend meetings, do whatever you need to do to stay informed, but don’t stop there. The very existence of democracy requires the participation of an informed electorate, otherwise, it’s only a democracy for those who show up.
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