Editorial: Two Americas? President Obama Signs Historic Health Care Reform

24-03-2010

The President ended this entire signing ceremony with these words "We are done." We are far from done.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The room was filled with exceedingly happy people. Clearly, this was a celebratory moment for those in attendance. However, there was not one Republican elected representative in the room for what constitutes the largest expansion of Federal Government oversight in decades. The room was filled with only Democrats. It was almost a Democratic Party Pep Rally.

The Vice President and President were announced with great fanfare "Ladies and Gentlemen the President and Vice President of the United States". The applause and ovations began, continuing throughout the entire affair. Vice President Biden´s praise of President Barack Obama was effusive and bordered on adulation. He began with the obvious "...Mr. President, I think we´ve got a happy room...I state the obvious, this is an historic day." However, he then turned to this adulation of the President.

Here are some examples of the praise, "...Mr. President, you´re the guy who made it happen... Mr. President, you´ve done what generations of great men and women have tried to do ...and fallen short.... Mr. President, you have turned the right of every American to decent health care into a reality... Our children and grandchildren are going to grow up knowing that a man named "Barack Obama put the final girder...." in America´s social contract. He went so far as to quote the poet Virgil in his effusive praise of the President exclaiming that "...the greatest wealth is health". This all finally ended when he actually introduced the President.

The President stepped forward to a standing ovation from a near frenzied crowd. He said "Thank you Joe" and smiled broadly. He was in good form, confident, ebullient, and obviously quite pleased. He began, "Today after almost a century of trying....today after almost a year of debate... today after all the votes have been tallied, Health Insurance Reform becomes law in America". He opined prosaically that the "turning of Spring marks a new season" and then claimed "When I sign this legislation, the overheated rhetoric of reform will meet the reality of reform.... ."

After claiming that the Bill would "...set in motion what generations fought for and marched for..." he listed a litany of popular concerns. He insisted they would all be remedied "this year" by this legislation. That is even though it will only be fully phased in over ten years. For example he mentioned tax credits to small businesses, the end of pre-existing conditions exclusions, the end of dropped coverage when people are seriously ill, free preventive care, extension of dependent care till the age of 26, the end of limits on coverage ... and others. He assured seniors that the legislation would not diminish their coverage. He said that once implemented "Health Insurance Exchanges would be available to all." Finally he insisted that all of this would come along with a deficit reduction of over one trillion dollars!

As he persevered through the frequent ovations, he turned to thank those whom he acknowledged as having made the legislation possible. He said the legislation was a "testament to the persistence of the American people" and the "historic leadership of the men and women of the United States Congress´ whom he acknowledged had "taken their lumps during this debate." That resulted in laughter and one voice heard responding "yes we did".

He praised "...one of the best Speakers the House of Representatives has ever had, Nancy Pelosi´. The cheerleading crowd began to cry out "Nan - cy", Nan-cy". He thanked "...one of the best Majority Leader´s the Senate has ever had, Mr. Harry Reid" and he then heaped praise on his "outstanding Secretary of Health and human Services, Kathleen Sebelius." She will oversee the largest expansion of the federal government in our lifetime, occasioned by this legislation.

Finally, in his characteristic style, he brought in those who were invited in order to symbolically stand for what he claimed the Legislation would alleviate - those who have been harmed by some of the injustices in the current system of delivering health care services. His favorite was Marcelas Owens, the little boy who lost his mom. He has been a part of the advance team for selling the Reform legislation for weeks now. In addition, he referred to the sister of Natoma Canfield who had to give up her insurance or lose her house.

Next, he turned to history, implying his own place in it.He acknowledged that this effort had been tried before. He mentioned Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson, Bill and Hillary Clinton and John Dingell. Of course, he saved until last the late "Liberal Lion" who had championed Nationalized Health Care, Ted Kennedy. He told the enthusiastic crowd that his widow Vickie and two of his children were in the assembly.. He noted that he remembered "...seeing Ted walk through that door a year ago". He implied that this legislation was a fulfillment of the Kennedy cause.

Finally, with rhetorical flourish,the President told the crowd "...It´s easy to succumb to the sense of cynicism" in Washington D.C. but insisted that "...we are not a Nation that scales back its aspirations....Here in this nation we make our own destiny." As he prepared to sign the Legislation he invited up to surround him members of Congress and Americans who "made it possible". Prominently placed right next to the seated President and under the shadow of a smiling Vice President, was little 11 year old Marcelas Owens, dressed in near identical shirt and powder blue silk tie to his hero, President Obama. It was a shot made for the camera.

The President ended this signing ceremony with these words "We are done." We are far from done.

First, the fact that there were no Republicans present in this historic signing reveals a serious divide in this Nation. During the last Presidential campaign now disgraced candidate John Edwards, repeated a theme he had used at the 2004 Democratic Convention. He claimed there are "Two America´s". When Vice President Joe Biden gave his introduction I could not help but think of the unfinished business of protecting all Americans, including our youngest neighbors, children in the womb. There are two America´s, but in a manner quite different than what John Edwards implied.

There is the America which recognizes that we all have a fundamental Right to Life from conception to natural death and that any other authentic human right is derived from it. Then there is the America that does not. Legal Abortion has relegated an entire segment of our American family to the status of property to be disposed of at will. What is most frightening in all of this fanfare over this legislation is that amidst all the smiles and claims of compassion for the poor- this Legislation may open up the floodgates to killing the poorest of the poor, our first neighbors in the womb, in the name of "health care" with our tax dollars.

During the primary campaign, I wrote an article in which I addressed health care reform, which was a hot topic in the Democratic primary in particular. It was entitled "Include Children in the Womb in National Health Care Reform." In it I wrote these words: "...I suggest to President Obama and the US Congress a new framework. I invite them not only to exclude the killing of children (abortion) but to include our youngest neighbors under the plan! Yes, that is what I propose; include Children in the womb in any reform of Health Care."

Sadly, with all the claims of caring for children raised during that enthusiastic pep rally of a bill signing, no-one addressed the smallest children who have no voice but our own. Many Americans can - and do - object to the idea that there really is a "right to health care" funded by the Federal government. However, addressing those who claim there is, it is most certainly a derivative right. It is derived from the Real Fundamental Human Right, the Right to Life.

With all of the multiple dangers lurking within this current Health Care Reform Legislation (and there are many) nothing rivals the fundamental violation of the first Human Right it portends - without serious amendment to ensure that tax dollars do not pay for abortion. This reality looms as a dark cloud over this entire affair.That reality reveals that there are indeed Two Americas, when it comes to concern for the Right to Life of children in the womb.They are a part of our National family as well. A truly just Nation must hear their cry.

http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=35910&page=2