WHERE ARE THE YOUNG PEOPLE?
In the 2008 election, my fellow youth came out to vote in droves for Obama. Despite flexing our political muscle and demonstrating that we are ready to take part in this country's civic and political life, young people have been noticeably absent from the healthcare dialog. In fact, the dialog has not been as inclusive as it should be-- making young people feel as though healthcare reform will not benefit us, leading many of us to watch this fight play out while we watch on the sidelines.
...Which is a shame, because healthcare reform most certainly benefits young people. Young people are the single most uninsured age group in the country and represent nearly one-third of all uninsured people. And even if young people are generally more fortunate to not go through a catastrophic illness, our generation will inevitably bear the costs and burdens of a broken healthcare system-- we have much more at stake than politicians who are worried about the next election. And we should be included in the fight.
Plus, how awesome would it be for young people to call out the immature tactics of old people who draw mustaches on images of Obama and act uncivilly during discussions between adults?
Young people should be front and center in this debate, and we should all make an effort to continue to reach out to youth. Many of us walked precincts for Obama and traveled across the country and waited in long lines to caucus. Young people were crucial components of strategic campaign operations-- and we should be just as useful in the fight for healthcare reform.
If you're hosting events in your neighborhood, don't forget to remind the young folks. Reach out! Student groups on university campuses will gladly help make calls and canvass neighborhoods to spread information about healthcare reform AND gin up enthusiasm. And also, please make sure young people in your neighborhoods are aware of townhall meetings and attend them.
Health Reform is for Children, Too!
We all remember how Obama supported mandatory healthcare for children, and we all remember how callous Republicans came off during the debate about S-CHIP expansion (Michelle Malkin practically drove herself crazy examining the counter tops of Graeme Frost). Let's get the discussion back to how healthcare reform would benefit kids and ensure that all children have healthcare. If Republicans reiterate the issue of cost, which they have (successfully) been doing thus far, they'll most likely be perceived as being mean spirited. Any politician willing to deny health coverage specifically for children will bear the political cost of doing so.
Personal Anecdotes Show the Truth is On Our Side
There's a reason why rhetoric regarding healthcare was so powerful during the Democratic primary and the general election: it's simply because there is a real healthcare crisis. We know it because many of us continue to experience the consequences of a failed healthcare system first-hand-- just a glance at the rec list will tell heartbreaking accounts of losing a loved one or being denied crucial tests because an insurance bureaucrat profits from denying coverage.
In the midst of this healthcare debate, we've heard a lot about medical liability reform, socialism, England, France, Canada, death panels, the public option, and etc. All of this is politicking part of the sausage-making process, but it has allowed people to lose site of the most dire consequence of our healthcare system: our outcomes suck. We are not a healthy country. So instead of focusing on words that are confusing and easily demagogued by our opponents, let's focus on individual Americans.
Our opponents can berate Obama all they want, but they can't smear ordinary Americans going through personal tragedy as easily. We must continue to share personal stories-- now more than ever. All of us remember the story of Nataline Sarkisyan because it struck a chord in our collective consciousness: a young woman whose life was cut short because Cigna refused to cover the costs of her liver transplant until it was too late. Hers is a name that is emblazoned on our hearts because she is the very reason why we must have healthcare reform.
***With a renewed spirit, let's fight on and achieve meaningful healthcare reform. The last few days were especially difficult for me, but then I realized that that there was more that I and all of us could do to get this done. So let's get it.