Seeing beyond people's fears

All throughout the history of man, we've challenged ourselves to be better human beings...inventing democracy, establishing and promoting human rights, creating free and universal education, abolishing slavery, and outlawing discrimination based on race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.

Last night, our country took an important step forward toward greater democratization and prosperity, with the Senate passing the health care reform bill, bringing us one step closer to having millions join the ranks of the insured and helping the United States catch up to the standards of all first-world countries.

To me, this issue isn't about politics: it is about how you treat your fellow human beings -- with dignity and respect or as a profit center where their health is expendable. And despite all their rhetoric about protecting liberty and choice, Republicans are more wedded to their "free market" ideology, where the great "wisdom" of the markets always reigns supreme, rather than common sense and the common good. (See where the unfettered markets took us in the fall of 2008.) Yes, Democrats can rely too much on government programs for all social ills, which is also a problem. But the reason I am a progressive, in all senses of the word, is that I believe in the power of people and that we all need each other, being interdependent. I also believe in individual initiative and the creativity of people to solve problems, big and small, and thereby extension, the power of the markets. I love the efficiency of markets but I believe the social inequities they produce must also be readdressed in order to create the best possible society.

In watching TV over the weekend, I was struck by the utter lack of compassion in conservatives like George Will, who treat health care reform like a dispassionate debating society topic. This is in contrast to Ted Kennedy, who had no personal reason to care about the poor and working class, other than it was the moral and right thing to do. Despite all his personal problems, he cared for people, even his fellow Republican senators who came to appreciate and love the man (while maybe not endorsing his policies). I am inspired by Ted's example, and I loathe George Will's. (Frankly, I think all conservative commentators should spend a week as a receptionist at an inner city health clinic for the poor before they utter another heartless word.)

As I mentioned to a friend the other day, I have never seriously dated a Republican, conservative, or libertarian, because if my boyfriend or partner doesn't have any compassion for other people and their suffering, how confident can I be that they will be there for me when my situation is difficult, inconvenient, and unprofitable. This is why the GOP has got this health care issue all wrong: they have made this into an ideological litmus test when most people, including same politicians, military service people, and anyone over 65 see health care -- in addition to education, national defense, financial and environmental safeguards -- as part of the "basics" provided by a government of and for the people.

I am encouraged by the Senate's passage of the health care bill, knowing that the GOP will eventually embrace these reforms as their own just like they did with the passage of Social Security and Medicare. While I am open to meeting Republicans who value people (and not just their immediate families) as much as they do their free market principles, I am not holding my breath nor I am expecting to marry a Republican in this lifetime. But you never know, there is that small chance the Party of Palin may modernize and rediscover its heart and compassion (like the Conservative Party in the UK has done) and become the Party of Lincoln again (even though I suspect most Southerners would hate that!) In the meantime, I am going to keep advocating for the basic human rights and responsibilities, seeing beyond people's fears, including my own.