Fear & Loathing on St. Patrick's Day

Fear & Loathing on St. Patrick’s Day 2010

The last day of the three-day furlough is an unofficial holiday, an excuse for drunken revelry that’s manna for any bar owner.
I’ve stayed away from the huddled masses chugging green beer this year in favor of a quiet night listening to a high school girls basketball playoff game and then Laura Ingram, one of the few people who I actually despise on this world. I think her exhalations contribute a lot to global warming, but I listen to get my dander up.
The whines of the conservatives now that they are no longer in power is becoming annoying. Especially those of Ms. Ingram, who’s artfully-edited sound bites were funny at one time, but have become cliched.
The amount of misinformation that’s been spread over the last year about health care reform has been enough to make me sick.
What boggles my mind is that we’re even debating this, as the richest and most powerful nation in the world.
I can agree with many conservative ideals (and truth be told don’t identify myself with any particular political party or philosophy) but what I can’t understand is the conservatives' apparent complete disregard to offer help to their fellow man, especially those who are worse off than themselves.
I’m all for individual responsibility, but in today’s America there are scores of people who are set up for failure because of the environment in which they are raised.
And that some people think it’s OK for those of us who are better off to tell these people that it’s their fault they aren’t in a better position is inhumane.
Compassion and giving a damn about others is what makes us humans and selfish disregard for those less fortunate makes me sick to my stomach.
I do agree with many of the folks who are sick and tired of our political system and the people who populate it: we have far too much lobbying and other political machinations in today’s government.
But the problem won’t be solved by gathering together to hold signs and listen to speeches. The problem is that most people in these United States fail to vote come Election Day.
Who knows, maybe this will change in coming elections, but as long as fewer than half of voting-age Americans fail to vote, it’s all for naught.
As for comparing meaningful healthcare reform to a plunge into socialism: get off it.
Our country runs on socialistic principals. The very idea of insurance of any sort is socialism: a group of people band together and pool their cash to protect themselves from emergency expenses they couldn’t afford otherwise.
But it’s an easy rallying cry for conservative politicians to speak about and is sure to rile up people who are blinded by patriotism.
I’m proud that in America we have such diverse differences of opinion and live to argue another day, but when the arguments get in the way of progress it’s sickening.
Ms. Ingram is particularly annoying tonight. I can’t believe she actually has fans. But as an American, I’m in favor of letting her continue to spew her nonsense.
It’s my hope that the government and the people wake up and realize just how important guaranteeing affordable health care is to the future of America.
It’s interesting that the Japanese constitution – written by all-American soldier and statesmen Douglas McArthur – contains a provision that guarantees health care as a fundamental right.
Yet it’s something that’s too much for America to swallow, as if treating the sick and allowing those with chronic diseases that require continual, expensive medication to be able to afford to live is somehow an encroachment on our collective freedom.
Again, to use a computer abbreviation, WTF?
So that’s what St. Patrick’s Day has been about this year: a losing basketball game, politically-biased talk radio drivel and my thoughts on health care reform.
The best thing to come out of the holiday was the pistachio-flavored milkshake I bought to mark the day. How sweet it was!