The Weekly Ringer

The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper

Letter to the Editor: Healthcare Reform Needs Action

2 min read

Dear Editor:

Over the last few months, this nation has seen a divisive struggle over the concerns of healthcare reform. On one side, we see a group of concerned Americans who believe it is not only our moral responsibility as the leaders of the free world to provide inexpensive health care for all our citizens; it is the only way to financially save this nation’s economy.
On the other side, we have a group of people who believe… well… nobody knows exactly what they believe because they don’t know what they believe.

Now, I can sit here and attempt to educate them, attempt to reach beyond those imaginary, stubborn barriers that are sealing off rational thought from entering their thick skulls; however, I’ve concluded that not only is it a waste of time, it is unnecessary if the rest of America takes the right steps.

Fact: The side that opposes healthcare reform with all its disreputable motives is a minority that makes up between 30 and 35 percent of America.

We do not need those individuals at all in order to pass the healthcare reform this nation so desperately needs.

I’d like for us to take the origin of Medicare into consideration. That plan faced the same amount of desperate opposition as this reform does today, but it was passed with no sympathy to what that minority wanted. Today, it is accepted and championed on both sides of the aisle.

So why are we, the same majority of America, not able to pass this reform, not able to grow a pair and say to hell with what that side wants?

It comes down to one thing: apathy. The sane side doesn’t seem to care. While the other side sends thousand of people to rally Capitol Hill, disrupt town hall meetings, and seize the debate with idiotic notions of “death panels,” the sane side argues the issues in coffee shops and on Twitter. Being loud, angry, and virtually crazy always wins the debate.

My prescription: the sane majority needs a healthy dose of insanity.

Sean Vina is a junior.