Today, in an adult class at Church, a doctor -- one of the smartest of my friends -- stood up and told 20 of us that HR 3200 includes a requirement that medical schools admit 50% "people of color."
Of course, he's wrong. But a quick internet search indicates that for about a week that rumor has been circulating on medical sites. I photocopied pages 880 through 885 of the bill, highlighted the pertinent provisions, and have sent them to my doctor friend.
My wife says I'll offend him. I say that making up facts is not acceptable in a civil democratic discourse.
Of course the "racial quotas" myth pales in comparison to the illegal aliens myth and the euthanasia myth, but the point remains. Even smart people are relying on bad information. And people are making stuff up.
People who disagree with us are entitled to their own opinions. They are not entitled to their own facts. So I'm going to set the record straight every time I hear one of those insidious rumors; I hope you will, too.
I'm afraid, though, that progressives are wasting their energy on tilting at windmills. The crusade to get Congressmen and women to "take the pledge" not to vote for a bill without a public option took a great deal of energy and money. It failed to reach the goal of 40. However, a group of 57 progressive Representatives then wrote a one page letter making that pledge. They didn't need us chasing our tails to prompt them to do that.
Likewise, spending effort and money on ad campaigns against Democrats is not helpful. In fact, it is in the words of Rahm Emanuel, "F@cking stupid." There is so much positive to be said, so much error-correction and education to be done, that attacking other Democratic representatives is about the least useful way we can spend our time and money.
So let's be a truth squad. Let's become familiar with the text of the act... don't let the size intimidate you. And if you are intimidated by a 1,000 page bill, then just become familiar with the provisions that are being misconstrued, so you can set the record straight.