Incivility Reigns in Sensitive U.S. Issues
U.S. Political and Social Discourse is Decidedly Disagreeable
Sep 16, 2009
Health care is an important issue in the United States, so much so that for many people it has become the most significant political issue of the fledgling Obama administration. Supporters of a universal type of health care plan are of the opinion that the Obama camp can get it right and that their health care program will cover the half of the U.S. population that would not have been covered or that would get coverage sporadically.
Plans are also in the works for those with the financial means to pay a higher percentage of income taxes in order to help cover the cost for those that are unable. This means that a type of socialized medical program is in the works and the goal is to cover every American regardless of the ability to pay, according to President Obama's weekly radio address.
Detractors to Obama's Plan
Detractors complain that there is far too much government involvement in the proposed health care plan. Concerns are raised as well about whether individuals will have all the control they need in the decisions that are made about their own health care. Obviously these individual health care decisions are extremely sensitive and important on a number of levels, especially as they relate to elective surgeries, medical treatment to prolong life, or experimental medical treatments. But they will also subsequently and significantly impact the $2.5 trillion health care industry and the way Medicare and Medicaid dollars are divided up. However, the major issue with those who claim to be detractors of the Obama health care plan seems to be the veracity, underlying racial tone, and the tactics which they are employing in their protests.
Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) to be Rebuked by the U.S. House
The U.S. House in fact took the unusual step of publicly disciplining (by voting to rebuke) the comments of the South Carolina Congressman who shouted "You lie" at President Obama during his speech on health care to a joint session of Congress. As the President reached the point in his remarks where he mentioned that he wanted, "to address some key controversies that are still out there," he began to talk about what he called, "bogus claims," that his administration wanted to set up death panels to decide health care options for the elderly. The President mentioned that this is, "a lie plain and simple," and when he got to the issue of illegal immigrants and whether the rumors were true that his health care plan covered those who violate our immigration laws and come here improperly, he said, "this too is false, the reforms I am proposing would not apply apply to those who are here illegally." And it was at this juncture that Congressman Wilson shouted out, "You lie."
Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) for Congressman Wilson, the issue didn't end there. When asked to apologize, the Congressman did offer an apology, but when asked to apologize to the U.S. House of Representatives, Wilson refused, claiming that he was done apologizing and he also sent a fund-raising letter out to supporters calling into question his original admission of wrongdoing. So Congressman Wilson's comments were rebuked by the U.S. House after considerable pressure was brought to bear by the Congressional Black Caucus, Madam Speaker Pelosi and elements within both the Democratic and Republican House caucuses resulting in a first ever resolution of disapproval. Which amounts to a formalized reprimand for comments directed at President Obama.
Mood of the Country on Many Issues is a Mixed Bag
Perhaps it is that the health care debate, problems with the U.S. economy, and continuing job losses that has struck an extremely combative tone in Washington, D.C. as well as in many other parts of the country, that is so difficult for some. In many quarters, the prevailing mood is more sanguine, while in others very pessimistic. But in all of this race is an underlying factor. And according to Thomas Mann a race relations expert at the Brookings Institution, Congressman Wilson's comments added additional fuel to the fire as he noted in an interview with NBC Nightly News, "For African-American members of the U.S. House this was a Conservative white southerner going after the first African-American President in a highly public and disrespectful fashion."
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Speaks Out
Perhaps former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said it best when he commented on a heightened climate of hate speech used by protesters in opposition to President Obama since his election. In an interview with Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News, President Carter said, "I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he is African-American. Carter went on to say that he lives in the south, and that he has seen the tremendous progress that the southern states have made in terms of race, "but that racism still exists. And in fact, has bubbled to the surface because of a belief on behalf of many white people, not just in the south, but around the country that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country," the former President said.
Carter continued, "That because of President Obama's personal qualities, he will be able to triumph over the racist attitudes that are the basis for the negative environment that we see so vividly demonstrated in public affairs in recent days."
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
