Hear no evil

At the Republican National Convention, Gov. Sara Palin made a off handed remark about community organizers stating that being a mayor of small a city is like being a community organizer with responsibility. This remark incurred the ire of community organizers and their lobby. Apologies were demanded. Some actually referred to this as an "atrocity". A letter writing campaign to major news papers and media protesting Palin's remarks was urged by organization leaders. Understandably liberals may have good reason to be upset about Palin's nomination. Win or lose in this November election, Palin emergence on the political scene now positions her to be in the running for the first woman president? Ironically we may have a woman president within a few years but it might or might not be the woman most people expected. Clinton backers may feel outmaneuvered once again. But outraged about her community organizing remark? Really!

Now of course conservatives are no better. Try making some liberal remarks on a conservative social network or talk radio. However at least when I was growing up the term liberal stood for freedom of expression and tolerance. Nowadays however many liberals display about as much tolerance as Cotton Mather or the Taliban.

Sadly, liberal or conservative we are increasingly unable to listen to a divergent point of view. Many of us seriously believe we have some constitutional right never to be hear a discouraging word. If forced to hear opposing views we selectively hunt for a sound-bite and try our best to turn it into a gotcha wherever possible. Michelle Obama's proud to be an American comment comes to mind; Palin's community organizer comment is simply the latest. Imagine if Hillary Clinton said being First Lady or a senator or working on health care reform was like community organizing. She would be nominated for an award by some of the same people who are so outraged by Palin's remarks.

It goes beyond political campaigns. Many of us believe that whenever we are upset by anyone's remarks we are entitled to an apology. Recently a friend of mine spoofed McCain's position on health care in a satirical left leaning blog . See http://whirlednewstonight.blogspot.com/2008/08/mccain-responds-to-obama.html He said, the more people are insured the more it will lead to dependence upon insurance and we already have a form on universal health insurance in that anyone can go to an emergency room. A rather innocuous comment however when mentioned on a social network of ultra liberal mental health professionals it incurred sufficient indignation the writer felt compelled to proclaim his liberal bonafides and that his words were tongue in cheek. Nevertheless some still found the remarks too distasteful for a liberal social network. Imagine if he were a true conservative wishing to present an actual alternative to a government run single payer system.

The US is moving slowly towards some from of universal health care. Do we really want a government run system like Canada or managed by the private sector? Liberals who fear exorbitant corporate greed want it government contorted while conservative who fear big government do not.

But even if we resolve that thorny issue there are still many other details that need to be trashed out. What conditions, procedures and providers will be covered?

These are merely some of the questions that need to be resolved in order to get some form of universal health care implemented. Compromises are necessary to achieve any public policy in a democracy. That means we might actually have to dialog which of course means we might need to listen to the other side's positions. Some of what we hear might upset us; outrage us and even offend us. But if we're adults surely we can learn to deal with it. The alternative is truly offensive.

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