The Verdict on Health Care Reform (the jury is still out)

It’s finally happened: I’m serving on a jury.

Disruptive? Sure – I’m a busy guy; most of us are. So I’ve quickly compiled a list of things that, as United States Citizens, we don’t have to do:

1. Vote
2. Join the Military (not now, anyway)
3. Belong to a political party
4. Pledge allegiance to the flag
5. Worship one way or another
6. Pay taxes (you can live in your buddy’s warehouse and eat burritos every day. Believe me – I know)
7. Say only nice things about the government
8. Limit the number of kids we have

I could make this list longer, but you get the point: About the only thing we MUST do, when called, is serve on a jury. That’s a pretty good deal, so as I try not to complain I also try not to be too angry with fellow prospective jurors who are obviously trying to get bounced.  After all, we’ve gotten used to a lot of free will in this great country.

And this may be why so many folks are still steamed up about Obama’s health care reforms. Some parts of them sound compulsory, like everyone paying into an insurance product of some kind…a lot of people heard that and freaked out, because it sounded MANDATORY. Americans don’t like mandatory.

But after reading today’s LA Times Op-Ed piece, it became clear about what also is mandatory: Cancer. If you have it, you can’t opt out. You can’t say “As an American, I choose not to have this disease.” As the author found out, sometimes your choices are terrifyingly limited…and that’s when options on health coverage and treatment start to sound a lot less political and a lot more life-saving.

The author apologizes to the President, which of course she didn’t have to do. If you have an opinion, feel free to share it. Or not; it’s a free country. I’ll reply, once I catch up after my service.