The Black Von Scrolls

After last night’s Democrat defeat in Massachusetts and Scott Brown’s vow to vote down health reform, I’ve been wondering what the hell voters are thinking. Am gutted that Coakley couldn’t run an efficient campaign and the Dem. machine wasn’t able to fill the shoes of Ted Kennedy (it’s not like they didn’t have plenty of notice regarding TK’s deteriorating health to prepare for a good replacement).

But when voters went to the polls and voted FOR someone who vowed against health reform for the entire country - they voted against humanitarianism. While the Red Cross has seen record donations to help our neighbors in Haiti, the same people, happy to text $10 or more, went to the polls yesterday and made the statement that our own citizens don’t matter. I just don’t get it.

Could it possibly be that during an economic downturn (1 in 10 people unemployed), the American reaction to is to panic and run into the sea? I just spent the morning listening to New Yorkers call into WNYC’s Brian Lehrer show rambling off 100 reasons why they are unhappy with Obama, yet few of them made any logical sense. Instead there was simple panic and random baseless complaints. Of course there are sound reasons to be upset with the administration, but I heard less of that and more of “I can’t afford to pay more taxes”. Huh? Is Obama raising taxes?

Maybe the Massholes really don’t care whether the kid with cancer down the street gets decent treatment, and if he survives - is ever eligible to be insured again. Or the 22 year old college grad who finds it impossible to get a job, and paying for health insurance is about 10th down on the list of financial priorities. Oh wait, they all have insurance. MA residents are required by law to have insurance since the “Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority” was set in place in 2006. Are Massholes just making a statement they’re protecting “me, myself & I”? Seems like it. Those other 49 states can sink.

I don’t want a line item in health reform which has negative effects for abortions and the pro-choice movement. It worries me a lot. But what worries me MORE, are the people I know with pre-existing conditions who are not eligible for health care. America is not taking care of it’s sick people, how has it become a crime to be ill? Even in a recession, this is still one of the richest countries in the world, yet we treat our fellow citizens like dirt for something which should be a basic right. Most other countries on earth “get it”, why is America still in the dark ages?

So although the health reform bill is not perfect, it’s a start. It’s a message to insurance and drug companies that capitalism does not dictate health care. This is for everyone, yet somehow the Democrats have been put on the defensive like it’s a bad thing - mainly thanks to Republicans spinning it as such. And the scared, panicky Mass. voters for Scott Brown cling on to fear and ME FIRST while ignoring the bigger picture and leave the rest of the country in the balance. I’m totally boycotting Cape Cod this summer.