I few nights ago, Ferris, our buddy, and I were enjoying a lovely sidewalk dinner at Ribolita's when the topic of health care reform entered the conversation. Serious Debby Downer. I listened to everyone give their take on things and realized I had already made my take very clear and very well documented. What I had neglected to do, however, is explain why I feel the way I do. Context always sheds light.
Ferris asked us why Americans find ourselves in such a crushing depression (economically and emotionally). We've been in rough spots before, but most people will admit that this recession 'feels' much more crushing than previous tough times. It's a very complicated question with all kinds of potential answers, but I would argue that the truth of the matter (from my point of view, obviously) is very simple.
Before I jump up on my soap box, I should state that I come to this conclusion based on my work as a health care social worker. Social work, in my practice, has absolutely nothing to do with psycho-analysis or bleeding heart liberalism. I don't feel like I owe anyone anything because I am privileged and others are not. I believe strongly in the healing art of relationships. I believe in empowerment through trust and commitment. I come to the table with everything I have and expect my patients to do the same.
From that perspective, I would argue that most of the problems we face as a nation come from the theory of seeing ourselves as individuals instead of seeing ourselves as part of a collective. Let me explain.
Four years ago, I spent some time in South Africa. I did plenty of playing, but the reason for my visit was to learn from South African social workers and HIV counselors. I visited sprawling townships on the outskirts of Cape Town where people, literally, had nothing. I spent an afternoon at a make-shift women's health clinic which was funded by The Gate's Foundation. It was held in two broken, sweltering, train cars near the local community health center. Women were there to get exams and HIV testing, some for the first time. There wasn't much to do with the counselors, so I jumped in the waiting room trailer to hang with some of the ladies. There were 11 women aged 18-40, some with babies strapped to their backs waiting the entire day to be seen. These women had nothing, and I can't stress that enough. Their husbands were often absent, they endured a scarcity of food and clean water, and many had several other mouths to feed. It was as dire a situation as I have ever seen.
One would think these women would be crushed by their lot, but there was an energy in the room that superseded their troubles. After talking with them for a bit, I learned that these women considered themselves to be part of a collective, they were in it together, they had a strong sense of community...they were sisters. Instead of seeing themselves as needing to carry the burden on one set of shoulders, they understood that there was an entire community of women prepared to help shoulder that burden. When you understand...I mean, truly understand that you're not alone, their are no troubles too great to survive.
I left that broken trailer unable to speak. There I was, a healthy, privileged, American girl realizing that I was the one with nothing. These women, these beautifully lucky women, had everything.
This is the foundation from which I approach health care in our country. I believe, strongly, that we are all connected. If one of us is sick and vulnerable, all of us are sick and vulnerable. We are only as strong as our weakest partner. I am a proponent of a single payer system, but I also avidly support a public option to compete with private insurances. I have no desire to strip anyone of their individual liberties, but I also believe that one can only enjoy their liberties if everyone is allowed the same right. When you are born into a situation where you have nothing and you feel as though you are neglected and overlooked by the elite, there are no individual liberties to be found there. You are alone, which is the worst feeling in the world.
We need change, we need progress, we need to understand that we are all in this together.
We need to shoulder this burden as a collective.
p.s. The majority of this post was sent to my Senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. Crossing fingers.
Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 07:38PM 
