GOP bites the fingers off Mr. Public Option

In the United States two individuals who disagreed with one another over the Health Care Reform debate, got into a fight because of that tension and one of them lost a finger. In the cartoon above Congress negotiates behind closed chambers while the public has a ferocious debate about the "public option" attribute of the health care bills currently making their way through the House and Senate.

Throughout America events called "tea parties" are being held and growing. Although, news sources, to the left of politics, are reporting on these events the number of people showing up to them are worrisome. The left explains these gatherings as "Astro turf," or not a real grass roots movement and likes to expose the tensions and ignorance of people that attend these tea parties. The idea is that if readers are informed about how bizarre these tea party goers are the democrats will hold together as a unified party ready to back their president.

Referring to the people that go to these parties as "tea baggers" or "Astro Turf" just helps fuel political fires. It is unclear whether these parties will continue to grow after any health care legislation is passed or whether they will fizzle out. Their members suggest that this movement is much more than about health care but instead describe a deep seated dissatisfaction with the way their elected leaders are managing the public trust -- specifically fiscal matters.

The left believes that this movement is really a thinly veiled protest against president Obama because he is an African American and that they are partisan in nature. The left points to statements made by tea party goers as proof of their racist motives and the tea party goers find ignorant statements the left make to prove their points.

Here is an example of the stupid things the left says that makes them little friends, "fat people are responsible for global warming...bigger carbon foot print...eat more...buy more..." There is no doubt that having a healthy weight is a good idea and eating right, exercising is part of that. Here is my problem, when you want to begin the difficult process of health care reform (within the first six month of a new president) don't start off by calling people, that are over weight, the cause of global warming. People stop listening as soon they hear they've been treated rudely.

Politicians need people to listen. Hasn't this been a summer of not listening? I am not saying that calling them fat is the reason behind the tea parties and the anger at the town hall meetings, only that when the left swept into office so did typical partisan politics. To right wing, conservative America anyone that brings up taxing junk food is "a liberal trying to take over their lives" So, attacking junk food just added to the tension between the left and right political parties. The fact that eating junk food has a negative reaction to a persons health has nothing to do with the debate, for tea party members, its "personal freedom." The fact that this "personal freedom" to gain too much weight ends up having costly repercussions for the country in the long run also matters little.

The tea party goers are beginning to consider themselves a nativistic movement. Calling them a racist or republican movement will only feed their fire and increase their numbers. Ignoring nativistic movements has never been a good idea but showing them that they are not the only party in town has always been a good idea.

In the cartoon above, while the right bites Mr. Public Option to pieces the left stays behind closed doors debating. What this indicates is that the left is a passive entity while the right is aggressive. What the left needs is creativity and to come to terms with its reality. The reality is that the left did not win the 2008 election alone. The left allied themselves with independents and conservatives liberals in order to give them the edge over Senator McCain to win the 2008 presidential election.

While the left would like to ignore that alliance those conservative liberals and independents are now absent without leave during the health care debate. The left half of the democratic party can not win health care reform alone.

While the left relaxed this summer the right was actively networking their rank and file members together under a reworked ancient slogan of "Locals Rule." To the tea party members the state "rules" over the republic and the community "rules" the state and individuality rules the community. The tea party is meant to remind us all that the evil empire (back then it was England) or our republic is taxing without representation. The tea party in Boston was also the inspiration for insurrection, violent resistance.

So, Glenn Beck, a commentator, author has called the president a racist and is throwing parties that inspire insurrection.

How creative can those that want health care reform or those that support President Obama be in defending their vision of what rules in the United States? Did we fight all these years for a Republic or a weak Federation?

Rafael Buelna