Up until recently, I didn’t really give healthcare much of a thought. I took for granted that healthcare in this country was a privilege. But this past November, when my mother lost her job and consequently medical coverage for our family, it weighed heavily on my mind. A runny nose or cough caused great worry for me. I did not want to incur unnecessary costs for doctors visits or treatments. I became scared to seek out professional medical help, even in cases when I knew it was necessary. Once when I fell ill, I grabbed leftover antibiotics from my roommate. To me, it just seemed the more practical and cost effective option.

In May, upon graduating from college, I lost my student insurance. So now, instead of just having expensive insurance, I have none at all. It’s a bit terrifying for me. Even when studying abroad in London my second year of college, I was guaranteed medical coverage in the event that I needed it. Now in a country where I am a citizen, I have no means of preventative health care and no safety net if serious illness befalls me.

It’s difficult for me to understand all the jargon surrounding the healthcare debate that is currently taking place. But from my elementary understanding, I agree with the idea of government-supported healthcare coverage. The government already provides Medicare for adults over 65 years of age. Further regulation of the system would help keep costs down for most Americans. It would ensure that the industry is not one driven solely by profit.

In a nation as wealthy and technologically advanced as ours, it’s a shame that our life expectancy falls #30th on the list. We are a nation filled with the ability to promise better livelihoods for our citizens. This current moment is filled with opportunity. People all around the country should not be using the emergency room as the last resort for medical attention. It is important that opportunities for preventative care are made available. Americans do not deserve to live in fear of runny noses.

-Emerald Maravilla

Back in May, I attended a rally here in Seattle that was for health care reform.

It was estimated that at least 3,000 people showed up to march on a hot day for a few miles.

Since then health care has constantly been in the news, with even President Obama’s former doctor weighing in.

As someone who has great health care through a job that I adore, I’ve always said that my interest in this issue isn’t about me, it is about a basic right that everyone in America should have.

I went to a candidate forum on Tuesday, where 15 City Council candidates gathered. There was a portion of the show were you went to one side of the stage if your answer was “yes” and to the other side if it was “no”. They were asked both serious and silly questions (“Have you ever done pot?”, “Have you ever skinny dipped”, etc), but one question really drove everything home for me.

The question was “Who doesn’t have healthcare?” The 15 candidates-some incumbents, some newbies-were of all ages, but the youngest was 25. After a few seconds of shuffling from one side of the stage to the other, it was clear that out of everyone, only the 25-year-old didn’t have health care coverage.

The audience of this event was mixed as well, but it was put on by an organization that had the goal of getting young people involved in politics, so there were a lot of teens there.

The audience roared with sympathetic approval that this one candidate didn’t have health care. It was an applause-filled acknowledgement by a crowd that also wanted better health care for themselves and their friends.

That one defining moment-out of a 2 hour event-said a lot to me. Health care reform is very important and I hope soon that everyone has an option that works for them, whether they are a young 18-year-old just starting to figure out life, or a 25 year old City Council candidate.

For all of the clamor around the issue of universal healthcare, it’s easy to forget that we already have universal coverage in this country… sort of. Every American over the age of 65 is eligible for health coverage via the federal government’s single payer system.

Medicare is hugely popular amongst its constituents and the system benefits from a powerful lobbying force (the AARP). It has friends on both ends of the political spectrum and from all over the country. Even George W. Bush put some political capital on the line to extend prescription drug benefits to seniors in 2005.

Of course, seniors have little to gain from supporting Obama’s health care reform proposals, they already have what they need. And young people just don’t seem to think Medicare is such a great idea. What’s behind the discrepancy in opinion? Kevin Drum suggests that seniors love Medicare because they experience it first hand, but young people have had to listen to years of conservative pundits and politicians trash Medicare and everything like it. It’s certainly a plausible theory.

Consider asking yourself why Grandpa and Grandma are entitled to universal health care while Generation O is not. Part of me thinks they just want it a lot more.

-Rob

[Note to readers: the remarks made here are not in reaction to the proposed bill(s), but to commentary I hear from others around me.]

Health care is easy to consider a right because it is essential to maintaining life, which is one of our most basic and easily understood rights. However, this does not make it one. Health care is a combination of simple commodities (the drugs, treatments, and other tangible, purchasable goods), professional and patient interaction (time with doctors, nurses, and other caretakers), and myriad other aspects that make it too complex a concept to be dealt with in one simple change. Rather than simply deciding to “make health care free for everyone” (as so many want to do), why not find a more sensible - if more complicated - solution? (This is not to say that my ideas are absolutely right; I’m not a professional in any of the fields related to this debate, other than my excellent ability to use my chosen healthcare plan.)

It is true that each community has a right to maintain the safety of its members. This safety certainly includes good health for everyone involved, and the protection that good health brings from dangerous viruses and infections.  I can personally vouch for the wisdom of free vaccinations. Living in upstate New York, where the winters last about 9 months and are absolutely brutal, does plenty for your respiratory system (and it isn’t fun). The addition of crowded quarters at school makes for an exceptionally unpleasant flu season. My school has a program that offers free flu vaccinations to anyone who shows up to specifically appointed hours, and I make a point to take advantage of them (and force anyone I spend more than 20 minutes a day with to do so as well). While it seems that the private sector has free vaccinations in hand (some companies provide for their employees, and some pharmacies offer free seasonal vaccinations to customers), I’d like to see the government get a little more involved. Children whose parents can’t afford health care shouldn’t be denied a chance at success by the simple fact that they never got their first chicken pox shots.

What about a multi-level healthcare system? I know I’m not the only person that thinks this is a feasible option- in fact, I think I’m pretty late in the game. If the government provided hospitals and other facilities to anyone who asked, but there was still a private insurance option, and further still a private practice option as well, wouldn’t we all get some kind of healthcare? This can be paid for through local taxes (in a system similar to education taxes; you pay for the schools in your area, even if you don’t use it). Additionally, someone recently suggested to me a ROTC-style program for medical schools. The government finances a medical student’s education, and in turn gets his or her commitment to work in a government-run facility for a certain amount of time.

I have only skimmed the surface here, in part because I am clearly out of my depth (in terms of policy-making, healthcare, taxation, and statistical knowledge) and in part because I am honestly not sure what will work the best for the American people as a whole. I do feel it is fairly obvious that some of the radical healthcare options being proposed will not be accepted by most Americans; to me, it makes more sense to find another answer than to keep hammering away with this impractical idea.

-Michelle

The controversy surrounding Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is interesting, especially when I take into consideration what various friends have said about it. To see different reactions to the same situation isn’t something already happening in general no matter the subject-but still thinking about their responses has taught me a lot about my friends.

I had African American friends that were happy—overjoyed even—that President Obama defended his friend, speaking from the perspective of someone interested in highlighting the injustices that minorities face on a day-to-day basis from police. One friend felt that after “beating up” on African American men in his Father’s Day speech in 2008 (I said it was constructive criticism and was meant to serve as inspiration) and more recently again taking the “tough love” approach during his speech at NAACP’s 100th Anniversary dinner (same), to speak from that perspective was a welcome change.

A different friend was quicker to believe Sgt. James Crowley, saying that he did nothing wrong. She theorized that Professor Gates probably was jet lagged from his long overseas flight and was unreasonably agitated, therefore it was his own fault that he was arrested. When I pointed out that the charges were dropped the next day, lending credence to the idea that the arrest was unjustified, the friend pointed out that it was nothing more than a PR move due to the national spotlight negatively beaming down on the Cambridge police.

Finally, I had a friend that couldn’t for the life of him understand why the media didn’t decide to focus on the more important topics of the world, especially given the fact that President Obama’s answer came at the end of a press conference overwhelmingly focused on health care.

I am more inclined to concur with my last friend. In the end, it is interesting that such a hot topic gripped the nation. Perhaps soon instead of Skipgate, we’ll hear more about Laura Ling and Euna Lee finally getting out of their North Korean prison, or about maybe Twitter will have a top trending topic having to do with a good health care plan for America finally passing.

-Mica

It’s hard to imagine a more hopeful time than when you were a kid; especially the age at which you started to develop some talents, a personality, and a sense that all was possible.  When I was young I wanted to be lots of things.  I wanted to be a lawyer, a singer, a teacher, and maybe a doctor, although I wasn’t a big fan of cuts and scrapes. 

This week 16 young music students from the 5th Congressional District of Virginia received a special treat from their Congressman, Tom Perriello.  Representative Periello arranged for these students to attend The White House Music Series.  This event was the second in a series of musical events that Michelle Obama has coordinated, celebrating American Music in an effort to bring the arts into the White House.  This event featured Country Music stars Allison Krauss and Brad Paisley.

In order to allow more children the opportunity to attend, we were chosen to chaperone the group.  It was a great honor, and we got a kick out of the seeing these kids enjoy such a special opportunity.  We arrived at The White House and were taken in through the South East Entrance, as we waited in a hallway surrounded by portraits of former Presidents, Tom Periello came in to greet the kids.  They were all so excited and seemed to grasp what a special opportunity they had been given by Representative Periello. 

The White House staff escorted us to The Blue Room and described the reason for the oval shaped rooms of The White House.  We took some pictures with Representative Periello, and had the chance to check out some of the amazing views from The White House windows!  Since Secret Service had recommended that cameras and cell phones be left with family, so Tom Periello allowed us to hold on to his digital camera for the rest of the event.  What a guy!

After visiting the Blue Room, we were escorted to the East Dining Room where 150 music students anxiously awaited the start of the workshop.  Allison Krauss and Brad Paisley were introduced and talked about the beginnings of their musical careers.  Both of these very talented individuals began playing music at a young age and were clearly supported by their families in pursuit of their dreams.  After the two performers talked a little about their musical backgrounds, the music students were invited to ask questions.  This was an inspiring day for many children, and as musicians, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the First Lady’s commitment to feature the arts in The White House, and offer hope and inspiration to music students across America.

- Doug & Telisha Williams

As President Obama held his news conference on Wednesday night regarding the status of health care reform, all the major networks covered the hour-long event except for one: Fox.

Now, some are outraged, but I understand why a network would make this decision. Fox has a popular show, So You Think You Can Dance, that Americans want to watch; and as long as all the other networks are giving airtime to the President, Fox has a virtual monopoly on non-President primetime programming. If they opted to show the press conference, they would be sharing programming with every other major network and a handful of cable stations.

Of course, Fox’s decision also illustrates the fact that there are a significant number of Americans who prefer to watch a reality show about a dancing competition than President Obama discuss one of the most important and pressing issues of the time. Some might be apathetic, others burned out from all of the health care coverage, plenty might find the press conference plain boring.

Do networks have a responsibility or an obligation to devote themselves to covering the President? I don’t know. It would be nice if enough Americans cared about these issues (and they should, considering that tens of millions are either uninsured or underinsured) that networks wanted to provide the coverage in response to demand. It’s the middle of the summer, so most networks don’t have anything good to put on the air anyway. I imagine the temptation should grow even stronger as the fall television season begins in a few months.

-Rob