Opinion: Who's right, who's wrong in health care debate?

Editor's note: This conversation began on Springfield Business Journal's newsroom blog, The Fine Print, at thefineprintsbj.wordpress.com.

It's ironic how people can act so inhumane when talking about the personal care that separates us from other creations.

I'm talking about health care reform.

It occurred to me last week that those three words represent a match, a wick and a stick of dynamite. Two of those three items were inside Gillioz Theatre on Aug. 31, where U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., held a lively town hall meeting on the hot-button topic.

As I stood in the balcony sidestepping verbal missiles headed toward the stage, I thought, McCaskill is the wick, passionate citizens hold a match, and Congress, well, that's our dynamite.

This time, McCaskill got lit up. And I commend her for, essentially, taking the heat for all those in the powerful Congress. She's traveling Missouri to - as she stressed - listen to the citizens. What I think she could discern amid the hooting and hollering was:

"Government is the problem."

"Stay away!"

"Stop government takeovers."

The point is well taken, but it wasn't a day to be proud of our fellow Ozarks citizens. You'd think the Ringling Bros. had entered the theater.

The place erupted when a questioner cited a Rasmussen poll that said 57 percent of Americans would like to replace the entire Congress.

Really? Is a new team of political players the answer? This crowd thought so and made it known.

At this point, I asked Gillioz volunteer Elise Crain if she'd ever seen anything like this in the theater. She shook her head right-to-left and said with a smile, "I thought the (Ozark Mountain) Daredevils reaction was loud."

McCaskill handled the tough crowd well, and at one point had to hush them like a kindergarten teacher would a noisy classroom. She agreed government should not run the country's health care and received some applause when she stressed preventive care and personal responsibility to bring down costs.

"That means your lifestyle," she said. "It ought to cost you more to get insurance if you smoke."

At the same time smoke alarms were sounding inside the Springfield theater, the polarizing health care reform was publicly discussed at the University of Arkansas. U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., told students he didn't think final legislation would include a public option.

That'd be welcome news for the bunch in Springfield, who basically said don't mess with what we've got, even if it is broken.

Finally, McCaskill was asked to cast her vote before she left the Gillioz - an impossible task when there are five bills circulating and none of them is finished. I walked out when the "Yes or No!" chants began.

On the way to the exit, someone who recognized me as a journalist said, "Get it right."

Sure thing. I'm just not sure what was right and what was wrong.

Is it effective to communicate right ideas with wrong behavior? I yearn for civility in this matter; enough of the tantrums.

For those who want a good place to weigh the real issues, search "Rx for Reform" on www.pbs.org. The site lists Rep. Roy Blunt and former Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius among 17 key players in the reform debate. Blunt runs weekly meetings by the GOP's Health Care Solutions Group, and Sebelius was President Obama's (second) choice as director of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Stay tuned. Obama is scheduled to update a joint session of Congress on Sept. 9 about his plans for health care reform.

The blog elicited the following response by Jack Burke of Sound Marketing Inc. in Branson:

"In conflict resolution, the first lesson is to let the person vent before moving into resolution. It sounds like our Ozarks residents were in the venting process. Despite being a government by the people and for the people, many Americans are feeling powerless in the health care debate and filled with the fears of not getting what they want (affordable health care) or losing what they have (health care of choice).

"I don't believe that the President, nor any senator or congressman, knows exactly what the solution to our health care dilemma is. I am also afraid that positive discussions have been replaced by partisan interests. For any possibility of true and positive change, everyone needs to set aside partisan differences, political agendas and selfish interests, to seek a solution in the best interest of the American citizens. Our leaders need to serve rather than be served.

"Based on the present scenario, viable change and/or reform is not likely to happen. As a result, millions of Americans will remain without health care insurance - shortening their lives due to untreated illness or bankrupting their families due to massive medical debt. All the while, our politicians will continue to enjoy five-star health care and insurance.

"Perhaps, as has been done in the past, we need to set aside all arguments for at least one day of national prayer seeking guidance from the power above in reaching a just and fair consensus and direction for the reinvention of our health care system."

How do you feel about the health care debate? I invite you to write a letter to the editor or post a comment at thefineprintsbj.wordpress.com.[[In-content Ad]]