When President Obama pressed for and eventually signed the Affordable Healthcare Act I thought, Great, it's about time. What a wonderful thing that more people will have health insurance, that insurance companies can't deny you coverage for pre-existing conditions, and that, somehow, the White House crafted the bill so that over time it will lower the deficit.
Good news, right? Apparently not. From former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's lies about eugenic death panels to shrieks about socialized medicine, our brothers and sisters on the right still bemoan the Act. Obamacare, candidates Romney (!), Santorum, and Gingrich say with a sneer, like it's a step down for them to even have to utter so vile a phrase. Promising to dismantle it on their first day as president is a sure- fire applause line at their rallies.
How could something so obviously beneficial to the country be seen as something sinister to be stamped out?
Yes, there are the insurance companies who stand to lose some profits under fairer rules; naturally they will instruct their pols to scream bloody murder. And of course there are people who yearn for the Obama presidency to fail on all fronts (hi Senator McConnell!).
What about everyday folks who claim to hate the law? What's their beef?
I think there's a large demographic of Americans suffering from mercy-Ahobia--a paralyzing, crazy-making terror that someone, somewhere may receive a benefit that he or she does not deserve.
From Ronald Reagan's (afterwards deified) welfare queens and young bucks to today's women being called horrible names just for demanding their employers offer the full gamut of benefits, mercy-phobes see themselves under attack by sub-human parasites.
Mercy-phobes would rather go without universal health care, excellent public schools, or, say, four weeks mandatory vacations if it means the great undeserving "they" would get these things, too.
At some level mercy-phobes are correct. Out of 100 people certainly a handful will try to game the system, will not "deserve" easier access to healthcare, would have "derserved" to go bankrupt after a self- induced illness.
Another handfull out of the 100 will reach a great old age without ever spending one night in a hospital.
The great majority, though, will surely benefit from The Affordable Health Care Act's fair, responsible, and quite sensible health care reforms.
It's time to let go of the dead-weight burden of mercy- phobia. If you suffer from it, try spending one day without it. Feel the lightness. Enjoy the new energy you have from not lugging it around.
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