Because it feels like a very important day, I must try to express it, however feebly. The health care bill signing ceremony at the White House is the occasion for my full heart.
Almost 5 years ago I started writing my blog, South by Southwest. I had a lot to say then, not so much now. And much of what I had to say about politics and the circumstances of my country was pretty negative. I came to learn the meaning of the blogosphere term "rant."
In recent years I haven't had nearly as much reason to rant, because my party captured the leadership roles in Congress and the White House. For whatever reason, I developed an internal calm about the potential well-being of our country with Democrats in power.
Today marks one of the reasons I had confidence. It is the day that health care for all Americans becomes a right and no longer a privilege for the "haves." It will need to wait on Senate reconciliation action this week to be in its more proper form. But, even if it has to go back to the House for another vote, it will happen, because it was supposed to happen. It is now high time.
On this bright morning President Obama dedicated the occasion to his late mother. He also recognized many others from the past and present who had helped to make the long awaited new health care law possible. It came too late, however, to help his mom and others in attendance who had lost loved ones before this momentous signing day. Let us hope that it has not come too late for "Natoma," who came to symbolize the plight of thousands of very ill people who do have not the benefit of health care insurance.
At last change has come however. The promised change will happen incrementally, and with fits and starts. It will be accompanied with hand wringing "No!"s by those motivated by loss of power, anger at "others" and fear of change. Narrow visioned pundits will spend countless hours examining the miniscule bits of so-called "news," casting everything in the light of politics. And members of my party will make many more mistakes as they try to do the right things and hold on to power at the same time.
In time, in other words, everyone will be exposed as merely human. God bless us all.
[Post date - March 23, 2010. Image credit: Wordle.net]
See also Behind the Links, for further info on this subject.
Blogs: My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. My creative website is at Making Good Mondays. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for all my websites.
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