::A Call to Arms!::

If this resonates with you, visit the link at the bottom and follow directions; pretty please!

I was gently snoozing away during my Saturday mid-afternoon nap when the stream of consciousness parsing all the important data while I slumbered began toying with health care reform.  Don’t you just love the dream state?  It can be so cathartic, and in this case, eye-opening (figuratively and literally).

My favorite political Salon contributors, to include Joan Walsh and David Sirota and new friends Norwonk, thewickedspear, Saturn Smith and Tim4Change (just to name a sliver of the beautiful political authorship here) since braving the blog world (Open Salon), are all right regarding this policy bottle neck on many levels.  The far right, and I mean to say far because I do believe in dissenting opinions to keep the governing process honest as well as keeping critical thought in the mix to create progressive solutions, and it’s pundits are holding hostage a very critical piece of legislation.  The left, and it’s way-too-slouchy middle are inadvertently caving to the GOP’s agenda for their own individual political gain – where is the Democratic leadership?  I don’t know many Americans, from both sides of the political party equation, who wouldn’t agree we have gotten way, way off course from the ideal of  “a government for the people, by the people, of the people.”  As my dear friend Renee says, it is now “a government for the market, by the market, of the market.”

So what are we, Obama supporters, or as not to mischaracterize, “health care reform advocates” (a neutral term we can agree on), “right” about?  Is the far right reaching into the hearts of the deep-seeded racist and pulling out their fear (masked as hate) for their own political gain (Walsh)?  Are corporations running congress on both sides of the aisle, subverting the value of the average American’s vote, or potentially even rendering it obsolete (me)?  Have the grass-roots movements been, well, up-rooted by their own strategic tactics to garner power in congressional parties rather than stay focused on the movement they set out to create ( Sirota)?  Is President Obama doing his job in a manner consistent to the change he promised to bring to Washington?  Are the likes of Senator Blanche Lincoln D-Ark so out of touch with the reality of what it means to be a member of the Democratic Party that she is willing to undercut a national agenda for personal political gain (with more to likely follow in their stead)?  

The likely answer to all of the above is a resounding “yes.”  Yes to it all.  These are likely large pieces to an intricate puzzle to why this maze called health care reform is not only stalled, it’s divisive.  Whew, there, it’s settled. We’re “right”…

Right.  It’s such a short-term gain at times, isn’t it?  I’m not trying to minimize the benefit of the purview of our political horizon as it is essential to taking stock of where we are stand.  Remember, I’m including my own work and hard-earned insights in this remonstrance.  My frustration lies in my own, any maybe your, repeated expectation that, “this time it will be different.”  I know I’m not alone here.  I heard my new friend Grif say he’s lost hope in Congress.  Are we losing hope?

I began a dialogue with a gentleman by the name of thewickedspear.  His blog tagline reads “confessions of a recovering conservative.”  This intrigued me.  We began to chat after he left a comment about one of my political pieces.  After a few email exchanges, he said the following to me in private (printed with permission):

“For most of my life I've been a conservative and a member of the GOP. I've completely abandoned the GOP. I've not abandoned my conservative roots, only the GOP. There are so many people out there that are so nice and wonderful, and I've excluded the possibility of knowing them because of my ideological staleness. How sad for me.”

His words measured a sum of bravery I could not equate.  If he could reach across the aisle, why can’t I?  So we have begun a conversation.  We are trying to understand one another’s point of view, and it’s not too tough when you just listen a little and bite your tongue a lot.  Now, if we can do it, how hard can it be for these elected officials?  Ah, you see, we don’t have the corporate hand in our pocket waiting for the favor card to be pulled.  We have the freedom to conduct the conversation.  This helped me realize we are more powerful than Congress in one significant way – our vote is still “free.”  Its power may currently be compromised,  however, it is not purchased (thanks Tim4Change).

This is the conclusive point of my piece – if we, as Americans, don’t start doing this with one another, than I don’t think there is any hope for change.  Congress has had the opportunity, repeatedly, and was certainly primed for an exceptional opportunity this past January.  They are failing. Truly, if we can’t do it, why are we expecting Congress to do it for us?  It is time for round two; we did it last November and we can do it again!

Will there still be the lunatic fringe trying to get their message “over” heard?   Of course, they are scared.  However, this fear is mostly irrational and when a voice of reason and force comes from within our nation, we will overcome.  What does someone do when they are afraid AND they don’t understand?  Generally, they start shouting, hence all the anger we’ve seen and felt.

So, how can we change the conversational tone?  First, it’s time to put down any hints of a wise attitude and talk in simple terms.  Let’s state what we need, not what’s wrong.  Let’s talk, not demand.  Let’s divert the attention back to the change we need, not the fears we can’t conquer.  Let’s work together to send a message to Congress that America will not be duped so easily – we can prevail.

HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO AWAKEN AMERICA’S VOICE:  A Facebook page has been created named “America Chats”.  It is an invitation to voice a civil note to our elected officials from both political sides of American society on what we need done for health care reform. 

Could this turn out to be a complete idealistic flop?  Yes or No.  Or, how about…No or Yes?  I believe this is the grass, grass roots effort we need to send a message of solidarity to the White House and Congress before the President’s speech Wednesday. 

Once you post a message on Facebook, please share with your “friends” to get the momentum going.  This is a talented and informed audience, let’s lead the way!

America Chats

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