Random Summer Thoughts and Health Care Reform

     I couldn’t start a blog entitled “Random Summer Thoughts” without this comment – damn it’s been a hot summer in Fort Lauderdale. Is it global warming, a cyclical occurrence, or am I just getting old and cranky? The wife votes #3!

     There’s not too much local news to report. The Fort Lauderdale City Commission is on vacation, and most Fort Lauderdalians are either holed up in their air conditioned home, office, and car – keeping a low profile, or are off to some exotic cool locale themselves (can we say hello Rodstroms!).
                                                             
                                                        hello Rodstroms!

     But the most fevered part of this summer hasn’t included meteorology at all. It’s the steamy Health Care / Health Insurance Reform controversy.  Like many of you, I’ve been glued to the screen, captive of the car radio, reading all the papers I can find. I am fascinated. Here are some of the more common comments we’ve witnessed:

               …………   we’re losing our liberty
               …………   the country is going communist/socialist
               …………   no government control of health insurance/ keep your hands off my Medicare!
               …………   Obama  doesn’t care about you, only about control
               …………   They want to pull the plug on Grandma!
     
     But I think much of the opposition to reform is rooted in a deeper psychological place than those superficial sound bites would portray. Here’s what I mean:

 The bulk of the people yelling at the town hall meetings look quite alike – kinda like me – older,  quite white, and basically crabby!

                                                                      
                                                                older mad white guy

     Yes, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of the angst and consternation we are witnessing is because the country is changing it’s flavor, it’s complexion, it’s make-up, and there might lie the rub.
      As I was growing up pure WASP, it was pretty clear to me that I would have a leg up when I reached my current ripe old age of 53 years-old. I would be in charge, on the top, competition restricted.

     After all, woman weren’t equal to us guys just a decade or two ago. Hell, back in the day, woman stayed home, had babies, cooked dinner! Now they are running corporations, demanding equal pay!

     And  blacks, hispanics, asians, foreign borners, homosexuals, even the disabled knew their place.

     Soon, if I live long enough, I’ll be the minority!  And yes, there just might lie the rub.