Why I believe in healthcare reform - A response

A friend of mine sent me an email in response to my post on healthcare reform, and I wanted to share some of her thoughts here:

Watching HCR pass is one of those moments that I will be able to say I know where I was and what I was doing when the House made that final vote and tears came to my eyes as I watched Stupak stand up and make the argument for HCR that I had been waiting for for months now; that if Republicans want to block this bill on an pro-life platform, then that defies logic, because this whole bill is pro-life in the sense that it is saving lives.

As I watched President Obama sign the bill into law on Tuesday, I again teared as I thought about the people I know that are now going to be able to afford health care. While I can't say I think this law will fix everything, it puts us on the path to remembering that change can happen and that we can stand up and say that Americans believe health care is a right.

I can't say this whole debate hasn't frustrated the hell out of me. It has. The fear mongering that is occurring in our country right now and the anger that it has incited scares me for where this country is headed in an ultra-partisan climate. HCR became not about the basic right of health, but about two sides of the aisle.

--M.S.