When you're getting ready to buy a car, it happens. When you're trying to have a baby, it happens. And apparently when a presidential election is about to occur, it happens.
You see what you want EVERYWHERE.
Perhaps you decide on a Honda. Guaranteed you will see more Civics on the road than ever before. Want to have a child? Your office will flood with pregnant women. Want health care? Every political discussion will taper back to your topic.
While I knew health care was going to be one of the political footballs used for punting in this election, I still find myself frustrated.
For the kick off -the political ad about the man who lost his job and then his wife passed away from cancer. The return- if that patient had lived in Massachusetts she wouldn't have died. The tackle- the person who put the Massachusetts law in place wants to repeal the federal equivalent. New line of scrimmage-- the little girl's father whose company let him go because his daughter needed a transplant.
These stories are hard to hear, and they seem to fire up both political parties. However, they are not new, they're not even unique. They happen every day, in every state.
Why is it that we are only interested in hearing about these horror stories when an election is on the horizon? We should be outraged and concerned even when political ads are not invading our favorite evening television program.
Did you hear the one about the 90 year old in the nursing home? How her coverage ran out? Probably not. It's not as powerful when we're talking about Grandma.
These political teams pick and choose the most effective stories to "expose" and while it is supposed to serve as an example of what is going on in our country, it seems like we as viewers get tunnel vision.
"This is the story I heard about, it's a fluke."
The "fluke" is that we are only hearing about a very small number of people struggling daily and until we decide health care is not a political football and make sure everyone in this country is adequately cared for, we just keep playing a game.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1139799717/the-malformation-of-health-care
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