In which I (surprise, surprise) have an opinion about healthcare reform

I have been making judicious use of my Unfollow option on Twitter and of the Hide button for my Facebook friends this week, particularly yesterday. We have completely stopped watching any American news channels for the same reason.

Why?

Because in another country they had a vote on health care reform.

It strikes me as ridiculous that my life is bothered by that. But it's true. And it's not because my husband is American and therefore is up in arms himself. (He's not.)

It's because of the unmitigated ANGER. Raging, white hot, unreasonable anger. The complete loss of civility is astounding.

The tone of the debate seems absolutely full of rage. I've never seen anything like it. I have friends - ones that I know are good, decent people, that wouldn't hurt a flea - screaming obscenities at each other, raging at government to the extent that one, not knowing them, would be concerned that there would be a mass domestic terrorism incident.

Over health care?

Seriously?

I could understand the rage over child abuse, child soldiers, starvation, genocide, sex trafficking. Every day, in our work at Mercy, we hear the most horrific stories from women that are battling terrifying abuses that were inflicted on them - sometimes by their fathers. Now that gets me angry.

But over health care?

I know Americans love to debate and figure things out. I know that they don't like to be told what to do. I know that they are an independent, proud and passionate country.

But this is not debate. This is not passion. This is not healthy. This is pure anger, hatred, fear, gloating, finger pointing, sarcasm, bitterness, judgment, misrepresentation (and, frankly, it's on both sides, but I am more stunned by the people that profess to be Christians and yet feel that they somehow get a pass about the whole "walking in love" thing when they're dealing with politics).

I mentioned something on my profiles about the tone and was inundated with people that felt the same way and others that were still lit up and perceived my comments as an attack. And then got a lot of private messages asking my opinion, as a Canadian, of health care overall.

(So if you want to know what I think: here is what I've said. If you don't care, skip this part in italics.)

About the HCR thing, I don't really have an opinion about the Big Bad Bill in particular. I haven't read it and don't really follow the intricacies of the American system much anymore. I did when we lived down there (obviously it affected my life much more then) but after the last election, I simply opened my hand and let it all go. I don't follow American news any longer. So I have no opinion about this bill in specifics. Ask me what I think about the HST in BC and that's a different story, of course.

Overall though, I am strongly in favour of universal health care. I have been in our system my entire life with the exception of the 8 years I spent in the States.

I don't think our system is perfect. By any stretch. But it's moral and it's right and we run a pretty darn good system. There is no one between me and my doctor. I get procedures when I need them. I haven't experienced unreal wait times or anything. I chose my doctor. Almost everything is covered including a home birth or midwife or chiropractor etc. It's not just old-school medicine or sub-par doctors.

Personally, I have found our system more focused on health and preventative care. And don't even get me started on the inhumane treatment of mothers and children behind the American maternity leaves - I get 12 months off here after my babies, with benefits and pay, to encourage bonding, breastfeeding etc. Meanwhile, the American mothers have to leave their 8 week old babies at the daycare centre. So much for family values. My husband (born and raised American in the heartland) is appalled by it and often remarks that for a nation that talks so much about family values, their legislation sure doesn't prove it with health care and maternity leaves etc.

The big thing I notice is that the quality of care is phenomenal here. When I was in the States, we suffered a couple of miscarriages. Once I wasn't a cash cow any longer to the system, I was persona nongrata. On the other hand, because money isn't a factor in my care, when I had another miscarriage here, I went to emergency, got in fairly quickly and then had the doctor sit with us for a good while, explaining, consoling, crying with us. Every nurse gave me such love and compassion and TIME. It was amazing.

Then when I had my two babies finally, we received excellent care. No one pushing for c-sections, no thoughts of liabilities or anything. Just what is best for the mother and the baby. Very pro-breastfeeding and maternal bonding, seeing childbirth not as an illness to be cured but an exciting natural occurence. All of my grandparents have passed and their end-of-life care was phenomenal - humane, gentle, kind and comprehensive.

The big thing for me isn't even those things. Those are the details that eventually work themselves out if you're committed to the end result - health care for everyone. If you really believe that it is a pro-life issue - like I do - then you will find a way to make it work. The first iterations might not look fabulous - our system has gone through many changes over the years as we seek the best way to meet the needs of the country - but it evolves and reforms over time.

A quick story and I'm done. Our "socialist" system actually had its origins in a born-again small town pastor in Saskatchewan. In the 60s, he saw the toll of the profit system of the least of these, the poorest and the hard working middle class. He organized and eventually ran for government and put in universal health care in their province. It was a huge deal and the doctors even went on strike for a piece. But it calmed down once everyone saw how well it worked and suddenly it spread across the entire nation. We had a national contest that really captured the imagination of the country to choose the Greatest Canadian. The guy that won was Tommy Douglas - that small town prairie preacher.

Even the pragmatists realized that it's in my best interest for more people to be healthy - because then they go to work! Same thing with education - it's in my best interest for people to be well-educated and healthy, right? Health care will never be a deficit reducer. But to our way of thinking, we'd rather spend the money on keeping people healthy and getting them educated (because then they work! They pay taxes! They make money! They change the world! etc.) than leaving them sick, broke and/or in prison. Either way you're spending money, it's just where you want to spend it. People that are healthy are productive.

No one should profit from the health of a person. No one should profit from anyone else's misfortune; in my opinion, that completely goes against the message of Jesus.

Ultimately, I don't think that America is in any major danger of disintegrating over a health care bill. Even if it is a disaster from start to finish (which I don't even know if it is!). Americans, as I said before, are a very strong, passionate, proud people. It would take more than that to wreck the country - it's too bad that many have such a poor view of their ability to rise above.

I found these guidelines for Christian civility very useful:

1. We Christians should be in the pocket of no political party, but should evaluate both candidates and parties by our biblically-based moral compass.
2. We don’t vote on only one issue, but see biblical foundations for our concerns over many issues.
3. We advocate for a consistent ethic of life from womb to tomb, and one that challenges the selective moralities of both the left and the right.
4. We will respect the integrity of our Christian brothers and sisters in their sincere efforts to apply Christian commitments to the important decisions of this election, knowing that people of faith and conscience will be voting both ways in this election year.
5. We will not attack our fellow Christians as Democratic or Republican partisans, but rather will expect and respect the practice of putting our faith first, even if we reach different conclusions.

Many of us all over the world are continuing to pray for America. (Obviously, Brian is American so he follows it a bit more closely.)

But my status update and comments there - as well as this blog post - are much more about the tone of the debate than the content.

I know many of you disagree with my opinion about universal healthcare. And you know what? That's okay. I don't mind being disagreed with (much) nor do I think less of anyone who has come to a different conclusion. I respect you and your opinions and conclusions.

So all of that to say - I'll be mighty glad when it's done, one way or another.