Waking the giant

Sleepy summer? Not quite. I've been running an experiment: Summer classes. Take five hot weeks of a Texas summer and pack fifteen weeks' worth of university-level coursework into them, then multiply by two, and you've got a year's worth of credit at the end of ten weeks PLUS one crazy mom (and two bored kids.)

Physics I and II. With a side of research assistance. Turned out it was a much bigger bite than I (or my family) could chew. The research was voluntary, so I dropped it after the first summer semester. Don't worry, I plan to return in the spring.

When I emerged last week after the last test for the summer, my country was fully embroiled in health care reform debate. Well, one side was calling the other side anything from organized thugs and Nazis to just plain rude, and the other side was loudly raising concerns of Socialism, government-subsidized abortion and assisted suicide. Needless to say, my interest is piqued. And so it should be, if for no other reason but the selfish: my future is intimately interwoven with and impacted by this legislation.

I know full well there are half-truths and exaggerations on both ends of the spectrum. I am not naive enough to believe that the government is all good or all evil -- nor are the people all making educated statements and stands. I can't believe everything I'm hearing from any media outlet, whether the source is "state-run news" or a "fair-and-balanced" cable network.

So I've taken the challenge to actually read the bill myself. I know I'm far from the first citizen to accept this challenge. I'm not even the first member of my household to do this; my husband has already started sharing his insights after doing some reading. I'll put his influential words on the back burner, however, while I look into it myself. Incidentally, Congress is populated by a bunch of windbags that like to write as much as they talk. My back and rear end are already sore from sitting here in front of my laptop, and I've only started. (It might be a long day.) And while I know that my views won't change the world, I feel I have a unique opportunity and responsibility to add my voice to the conversation. It is a pre-med student's voice, after all, and one that should have some knowledgeable words to share.

I've already formed some opinions, but won't share until I have the let them bake with the facts and solidify into truly beneficial viewpoints.

I will, however, say this. It is apparent from the well-attended town meetings occurring all over the nation that the American people are concerned enough to finally participate in our democracy. We're no longer content with drowsily settling with whatever our government decides is best for us, which is really what massive lobbying firms convince them, through lavish spending and pampering, is best for their big-industry clients. If nothing else, this issue has awakened the sleeping giant, and we're not likely to be lulled back to slumber anytime soon.

At any rate, more to come...