Saturday, March 20, 2010

The Big Sunday Vote

True to my word, I have managed to send a letter to my representatives every single day this week. They weren't all lengthy, some in fact simply told them to vote no on Obamacare, but the point in my sending such a quantity of letters was to make obvious I wasn't going to forget this issue and become indifferent to how my representatives voted on the matter. Here's the letter I sent off today, which I believe will be the last one this week:

Dear [representative],

Tomorrow is the big day: The vote for Obamacare. As you know, I am against it in every form and degree. Are you still dedicated to a "yes" vote? If so, then you have lost any further consideration from me towards you as a future candidate.

I only have one life to live, and I won't be having any people deciding for me how it should be lived. What goes on with my insurance plan is between me and my insurance company, not me, them, and some bureaucrats. What goes on in my doctor's office is between me and my doctor, not me, my doctor, and some bureaucrats. I should be free to cooperate with them on mutually beneficial terms -- or to not deal with them at all if I so wish. I eternally resent that you and other politicians in Washington believe it's alright to force me to buy a product I may not want or may be unable to afford (insurance) and to **dictate** the terms on which I am allowed to cooperate with insurance companies and doctors. This is not merely impractical in regards to health issues, but also IMMORAL. To live my life I need to live according to my own judgment, and you guys right now are working to nullify and make it useless in regards to medical-economical matters. I will never forgive nor endorse what is going on. Believing morality to be on MY side I will have motivation and resolve to ever dispute this legislation if it comes to pass, for however long it remains in effect. Again, I only have one life to live and I'm not going to let YOU waste it.

So what's your vote going to be? Remember, you are, right now, responsible for what happens to not merely your constituents, but the millions of people that make up the United States. If you vote with the majority, then you are equally responsible as the other politicians in bringing forth whatever consequences may arise. Think wisely, and make sure your vote is something you can take credit for, rather than blame.

Vote no on Obamacare. It's immoral that it violates individual rights by *forcing* people to buy products, join programs, pay money, and adopt procedures against their will. It's impractical in that this legislation is merely a variation of medical care systems we have seen fail so many times in other countries, resulting in longer waits, higher mortality, and increased suffering.

Regards,
Benjamin


From what I understand, tomorrow is supposed to be the day for the big vote. As far as I can tell, things are still up in the air as to how it will turn out, so take the time to contact your representatives!

Furthermore, it's still uncertain as to what would result in either of the alternate outcomes. If the legislation is passed, then it's still not the end of the world since the overwhelming public opposition will certainly not lead to the nation acquiescing to the outcome; it's probable, if not certain, quite a spectacle could occur if the legislation passed, and that would be a stellar opportunity for activism. But if the legislation should fail then it's must be made clear not to consider it too big a success, since a man who truly believes that his actions are condoned by morality will take a greater effort than the mere defeat of a bill to make him lose his resolve, and since American culture is currently saturated with the kind of morality that is being used to justify this bill there is little to stop it from being resurrected and brought to vote again. In either situation, our work to support a rational culture is neither lost nor finished.

1 comment:

mtnrunner2 said...

>I have managed to send a letter to my representatives every single day this week.

I did too, spurred on mainly by the awful email messages I was getting from the White House all week (paid for by you and me). When I got one, I fired off a response using their contact form.

The whole health care thing is incredibly frustrating.

On the plus side, Objectivist activism is really only getting geared up. There is still a lot of cultural work to be done educating people, so we should be glad we had the impact we did have, even if it was only to force a temporary delay. But we'll see how it plays out.