Hey, Obamanation: WTH R U?? or Why Young People MUST Enter the HealthCare Debate
I'm 33. Wife, Kid, house, and (thank god) job. During the presidential election I was impressed with the level of activity of those my age and of those (just slightly) younger than me. The Obama Nation. A new generation of activists fighting for change. I dug it.
Now President Obama is in the fight of his life over health care reform, and the nay-sayers are drowning out reason. While these detractors seem to come from a very small percentage of American society, they are screaming their red-faced heads off while everyone else is trying to behave - thereby making YouTube and the major news networks, amplify their message. The conservative elite are stoking the fires, and our representatives are starting to doubt their own logic and conviction. The idea that Obama may remove the public option speaks to how the loud minority is having an impact over the majority.
So where are the masses of young folk that powered the Obama machine? Why was my town hall full of scared retirees and nut jobs, and not recent grads and young employees? The few rational comments i heard there came from a young teacher and a nurse. Everyone else sounded like they were reading Glenn Beck's talking points.
This health care issue affects young people too. Recent grads and college kids may be considered "immortals" but they still get sick. Accidents are common, and the cost of treating them is astronomical, especially when doctors engage in "defensive" care, screening for everything under the sun so they won't get sued.
But beyond the obvious, there are many reasons for young people to feel equal ownership of this debate. Unlike our parents, our generations (X, Y, Millennials, etc) are more likely to change jobs and careers multiple times. Because of this economy, we are more likely to experience a lay off or downsizing. Long gone is the time when you could count on staying with a company for 30 years through thick and thin. Most of the time, if you are laid off, you are offered a really expensive individual health care option (COBRA) that most people can't afford, especially if they no longer have a steady paycheck. If you quit, go back to school or move, you don't even get that.
These changes can happen just as young adults are in their most vulnerable positions financially: new marriages, first homes, young children, etc. The idea of health care portability is serious progress from what is currently available to young people starting out.
And let's be direct for a second here. Young people DO need to see doctors. Even if it's just for birth control, or check ups, or to treat carpal tunnel. The ailments may not be the same as our older compatriots, but nevertheless, many young people put themselves in more danger by not going if they think they can't afford the bill.
I know a colleague of mine who was laid off and had a chronic condition despite being in her 20s. I've seen young men get laid off whose wives are pregnant with their first babies.
I know a young mother who stays at a job she absolutely hates simply to have health care while her and her husband run a family business. As entrepreneurs, they are stuck because they can't commit fully to their dreams due to the need of being covered.
I know a freelance cameraman who doesn't qualify for company benefits or any government program, who must pay $45,000.00 for his wife's high risk pregnancy.
now both sides are all doom and gloom, and it's a contest of who can scare the other side into submission. One of the best things about having more young people in the debate is the level of creativity they bring, the energy and the boldness to confront ignorance without being confrontational. Rather than the dangerous gun-totting lunatics who are stealing focus, young people can lighten up the mood while making serious points. Best example I've seen is the gentleman in the picture .
Young people - you helped changed the course of history by electing President Obama. You have the power to also change this debate. Take ownership of your future and get involved.
Now President Obama is in the fight of his life over health care reform, and the nay-sayers are drowning out reason. While these detractors seem to come from a very small percentage of American society, they are screaming their red-faced heads off while everyone else is trying to behave - thereby making YouTube and the major news networks, amplify their message. The conservative elite are stoking the fires, and our representatives are starting to doubt their own logic and conviction. The idea that Obama may remove the public option speaks to how the loud minority is having an impact over the majority.
So where are the masses of young folk that powered the Obama machine? Why was my town hall full of scared retirees and nut jobs, and not recent grads and young employees? The few rational comments i heard there came from a young teacher and a nurse. Everyone else sounded like they were reading Glenn Beck's talking points.
This health care issue affects young people too. Recent grads and college kids may be considered "immortals" but they still get sick. Accidents are common, and the cost of treating them is astronomical, especially when doctors engage in "defensive" care, screening for everything under the sun so they won't get sued.
But beyond the obvious, there are many reasons for young people to feel equal ownership of this debate. Unlike our parents, our generations (X, Y, Millennials, etc) are more likely to change jobs and careers multiple times. Because of this economy, we are more likely to experience a lay off or downsizing. Long gone is the time when you could count on staying with a company for 30 years through thick and thin. Most of the time, if you are laid off, you are offered a really expensive individual health care option (COBRA) that most people can't afford, especially if they no longer have a steady paycheck. If you quit, go back to school or move, you don't even get that.
These changes can happen just as young adults are in their most vulnerable positions financially: new marriages, first homes, young children, etc. The idea of health care portability is serious progress from what is currently available to young people starting out.
And let's be direct for a second here. Young people DO need to see doctors. Even if it's just for birth control, or check ups, or to treat carpal tunnel. The ailments may not be the same as our older compatriots, but nevertheless, many young people put themselves in more danger by not going if they think they can't afford the bill.
I know a colleague of mine who was laid off and had a chronic condition despite being in her 20s. I've seen young men get laid off whose wives are pregnant with their first babies.
I know a young mother who stays at a job she absolutely hates simply to have health care while her and her husband run a family business. As entrepreneurs, they are stuck because they can't commit fully to their dreams due to the need of being covered.
I know a freelance cameraman who doesn't qualify for company benefits or any government program, who must pay $45,000.00 for his wife's high risk pregnancy.
Having corporate coverage as the only way young people can get health care is as much an injustice as it is to deny coverage to older folks. but to change this injustice, they must make their voices to be heard.
From a different perspective, having young people enter the debate livens things up a bit. Rightnow both sides are all doom and gloom, and it's a contest of who can scare the other side into submission. One of the best things about having more young people in the debate is the level of creativity they bring, the energy and the boldness to confront ignorance without being confrontational. Rather than the dangerous gun-totting lunatics who are stealing focus, young people can lighten up the mood while making serious points. Best example I've seen is the gentleman in the picture . Young people - you helped changed the course of history by electing President Obama. You have the power to also change this debate. Take ownership of your future and get involved.
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