Holding up our end of the bargain

One of the great things about living in the United States is that we as Americans, thanks to the First Amendment to the Constitution, have the freedom to express ourselves through speech and action.

I can't remember a time in my personal history when that freedom has been expressed more often and with such vigor and emotion than we're seeing now as the nation becomes embroiled in the national health care debate.

Most Americans seem to agree that the system we have now, one that some estimate leaves more than 45 million Americans without the benefit of health insurance and the medical care that might imply, isn't working and really needs to be fixed. What we can't seem to agree on, however, is how that fix should come about.

We are fortunate because we can ask questions of our elected officials and hold them accountable for the decisions they make. We can debate the loftier issues of whether health care is a right or a privilege. We can ask how a new health care system, if one is enacted, will work. We can demand answers as to how we, as individuals, will be affected and if we can expect our health to be compromised as a result.

But we must also uphold our end of the bargain, too. Americans have, no doubt, heard so many things about health care reform that it's difficult to form an opinion as so much of what is being bandied about is little more than rumor, conjecture or outright mythology.

Because of this, we have an obligation to read the facts that are available and ask the pertinent questions. The Waxman bill, or H.R. 3200 as it's known, with all of it 1,000 pages, is by no means bedside reading, but it helps to be armed with the right information before getting into a heated debate. And let's not forget the other two pieces of legislation, one in the House and one in the Senate, that also deal with this issue but have yet to garner the attention of the Waxman bill.

Paring this - and all other massive bills - down to size would be a gesture most of us would appreciate, especially now. I don't know any Americans, insured or otherwise, who wouldn't like to see some of that legal jargon removed and the issues stated plainly and in layman's terms.

As this is not likely to happen any time soon, the best thing any of us can do is arm ourselves with knowledge in order to be the informed Americans our Constitution allows us to be.

Michelle Eubanks can be reached at 740-5745 or michelle.eubanks@TimesDaily.com.