I Love This Country. And You.

I dithered for a long time before I went live with yesterday's post about my puzzlement concerning the Affordable Care Act. Then I muttered a quick prayer, took a deep breath, and hit "publish." Twelve hours later, my deepest beliefs had been confirmed: I have the most wonderful, compassionate, and thoughtful readers of any blog on the internet, and that includes all the readers of those heart-warming sagas of turning empty toilet paper rolls into wall decor.

The answers I received to my question of how we, as Americans, could oppose universal health care coverage made me say "Aha! Now I understand why you think that way."

One of the responses, for example, wasn't published as a comment but made an incredible amount of sense from a logical standpoint. It came from my very favorite Republican, the one who loves me even when I'm speaking my mind publicly and oppositionally. (Hi, Honey!)

"I don't think I've ever heard any Republicans say that there are segments of the population that should not have health care, but opposing ObamaCare doesn't mean one opposes health care for all," Husband wrote. "In my case, opposing ObamaCare has to do with the erroneous assumptions behind it, the fact it was forced down our country's throats in a partisan process (both parties get credit for that), that the true costs of it will eventually bankrupt the country since we'll get to the point that Medicare and healthcare will take 100% of the federal budget, and the creation of a government bureaucracy that will not improve our overall healthcare. Other than that and a number of other weaknesses, it's a dandy law. It will keep the accountants busy (can't imagine the work it'll create for lawyers) since we need to advise clients to start restructuring their investments to avoid the 3.8% tax on investment income, which was in an article in the Wall Street Journal today."

Perhaps the most gracious response came from the pastor whose comments prompted my own diatribe. This man (one of the most purely good people I know, and one with an unparalleled love for for the greatest Healer) commented on yesterday's post--go back there and read it--and the lightbulb finally went on in my brain.

In my post I blew off the abortion issue as a minor concern, but it is not. Not to my pastor, and not to millions of others. Pastor S didn't use this analogy, but it occurred to me that my saying "Except for the abortion issue, I don't see the problem," would be like 1930s-era Germans saying, "Well, except for the concentration camp issue, Hitler's on the right track." It is not an inconsequential concern, and I was wrong to dismiss it as that. "Take this provision out of the healthcare act and I would be more open to it, but I would still think it to be unwise, as it is so costly and will send our country down the tubes financially," S added.

So there you are. We have discussed the issue like grown-up human beings, and respected the views of others, and perhaps gotten some insight into other perspectives, and we've done it without shouting or calling names. Has anyone changed an opinion? Probably not, but I hope we at least see the faces across the political divide.

The timing of this is coincidental, but what a Fourth of July testimony to what is perhaps our nation's greatest strength: Open debate, without recrimination and without censorship.

I love this country.