OK, here I go with more politics. Just so you’re warned.

Also: If you’re here to validate your own health care reform opinions or you just want to tear me down for mine, I’m sorry, that’s not gonna happen.

I do believe the cost of health care is out of control, and whether there’s a public plan or not, regardless of what comes from Congress this is an issue that warrants discussion. I went to see what Webster’s said was the definition of discussion, and they say:

1 : consideration of a question in open and usually informal debate
2 : a formal treatment of a topic in speech or writing

I say that seems about right. However, just to be clear, I looked up the word debate, and that definition was discussion, so I looked up discussion and got:

Discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con (discussed the need for a new highway)

See? Presenting considerations pro and con. Nowhere in any of these definitions did I find the following phrases:
Yell inflammatory comments to bring debate to a halt
Scream your fool head off as soon as someone speaks civilly
Invoke Godwin’s Law for attention only
Contribute nothing but decibels

So if you are against the contents of the bills Congress is considering, that’s fine. I am interested in what it is THOSE BILLS ACTUALLY SAY that you disagree with. If you can’t quote me the bill and can only quote me what you heard on the TV, well, I’m not interested. Same goes for “saw it on Facebook” and “I got an email…” and “JimBob down at the truck stop says..” and any other place you saw/heard/read something and are now all worked up. I’m happy to engage in conversation and debate with anyone (even you!) as long as your stance is thoughtful and based in reality.

At first I was excited about Town Halls and people wanting to go and be involved in the process (you know, “Yes We Can” and all of that). Then I found out there were people going for the sake of halting the process, not for the sake of learning or CIVIL discourse, just going to gum up the works.

If I had my way I would ask one question of the people going to Town Hall meetings and screeching about the end of America, and that question is:

Where were you before?

I want to know why it is terrible NOW that government is addressing an issue that needs to be addressed. Why weren’t you screaming bloody murder over tax cuts that contributed to the economic mess (which caused people to lose jobs and therefore health insurance)? Why wasn’t it so bad that under the previous administration, government spending continually went up disproportionately to the rest of the US economy? Now that we have an administration who is interested in what America has to say you are complaining about the opportunity? Why wasn’t that a tragedy when the last guy ignored every statistic that said “America thinks you’re doing it wrong”?

I admit the answer to my question scares me a little. But I really do want to hear it.

(EDITED TO ADD: My friend PAgent whipped up a comic strip on this very issue. hee hee hee!)