Congress is about to take their summer recess and they are not moving forward on the issue of health care. This issue has not been acted on because the status quo is a powerful force. Habits, old ways, patterns, and keeping it the same are easier to maintain, where making changes takes more effort. Congress is made up of predominantly white males who want to keep their power and be re-elected. Therefore they don not want to offend their funding sources (insurance companies and other rich corporations) by upsetting the apple cart of privilege, and influence. That is understandable but not acceptable. The same is true for most of us. We prefer the ways things are, the familiar path, the easier and more affluent course.
Breaking from the status quo can be very challenging. The familiar is enticing. The rewards of the present system are numerous for those at the trough of abundance. Maybe our ways are working for us, yet we feel that our values have muddied with a loss of focus. The muddy ethics of government always seem in need of further repair, as is the way of the political process. Things tend to stay as they are because it takes more energy to change them and the uncertainty of something different can be overwhelming.
The health care debate is uncomfortable for everyone. Most want to move on and leave things more predictable. Profits for the insurance companies are thriving but good reasonable priced care is not. Some say the system is working ok, let's leave it as it easy. Others are loosing everything over their medical bills and they know the system is broken. Even supplemental coverage is failing.
Life does the same thing to us. We want people around us to be like we think they should be. We want our bodies to work just like they always have. We want to know what to expect. We get uncomfortable around change, yet it is inevitable and that makes many feel anxious. Let's not go there is the tendency and the hope is the challenges will disappear or nicely resolve themselves. They won't.
There is much to figure out and it is complicated by highly charge emotions, beliefs and much misinformation spread to cloud the debate. What is clear is change is needed and real alternatives to the present system are essential. Health care in this nation now only works well for the healthy and wealthy. It is not working for the majority of people.
It is time for us all to get out of our comfort zones and express our concerns and support real change. Real change involves moving away from an only for profit driven system to one where good quality of care is available to all. The fear mongering about government run is way off base here because private owned is doing well for only the shareholders not for those in real need. This is not right.
Now that Congress is in recess, they should be back home, so go to their offices and let them know what is on your mind. This is not the time to hide out in your comfort zone of the familiar. Now is the time to weather the rough waters of moving out of the ordinary into doing what is right, standing up, being heard, making a difference. Are you ready to take a stand for yourself, your family and your nations? Active citizens are needed today.
One last thought: When the people are engaged and informed, change is always for the positive.