I've had an account on Dailykos for quite a while, but I don't think I've ever commented, much less posted a diary. I just need to get some words out regarding healthcare reform; please bear with me.
I've always felt, in the abstract, that health care is something that should be affordable to everyone; it doesn't seem fair to me that in a country where most people have so much, and where the very wealthy have much, much more, some people should be left behind in an area as essential to wellbeing as healthcare.
I've also always heard that many families in America are one paycheck way from homelessness, or poverty. To me, this has always rung true in the abstract, but never affected me concretely. I've been lucky enough so far (I'm only 20) to never have had to deal with ruinous healthcare costs, or living paycheck to paycheck. I've always chalked this up to the fact that my parents work very hard, and are very responsible financially.
I realize now that we've simply been very, very lucky. My father was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He has worked as a mechanic for 18 years. Despite the fact that he has saved to his 401(k) faithfully, if something goes wrong before retirement, my parents are essentially screwed. Frankly, we're ill equipped to deal with such a scenario. My brother and I are in college, and won't be making any substantial money for at least 4 more years. If something happens to my father, my mother will have to take care of him, but will also have to work. We literally have no idea what we will do if my father loses his job or has to stop working. What happens if he gets injured on the job?
The uncertainty of this is terrifying. I've recently argued with people about healthcare reform; I adamantly supported it, despite not truly believing that I would benefit greatly from it. Circumstances have changed. In the blink of an eye, I've realized exactly how important healthcare reform really is.