Over the past few weeks, I have been, like many people, fascinated and perplexed by the debate surrounding health care reform. I understand why people would be passionate over such a personal issue, but the vitriol and ignorance have often been shocking. And not just from the cable news crazies. I've also had decent conversations with a few friends and been surprised at people's reluctance for a public option. So when the opportunity came this week, like the good health policy student that I am, I thought I'd see the action for myself go hear what the politicians and activists are saying as well as try to spot some crazies. I missed a couple of town hall meetings earlier in the week with senators, but managed to join a rally on the Commons this morning.
(for Nicole and Katy)What I forgot, was that I live in Boston. Look up "Preaching to the Choir" in the dictionary and I'm sure you'll spot one of these pictures. There were no counter rallies. Nobody shouted about America. In the state that brought you MassHealth, there were no reservations about a public option, just frustration that there wouldn't be enough done to insure it (and of course, vague notions of what all this would entail). And while it's nice to find a crowd of people that sort of think like me on a few issues, the lack of crazies (for or against, I wasn't being picky), smooth rhetoric of politicians, and heartwarming tale of a janitor from the union... made the whole rally a dud. Way to be boring, democracy.
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