Stay Focused: Commentary on "To Repeal or Not to Repeal"

            In Elizabeth Linton’s editorial, she discusses the repealing of the Obama Healthcare bill and how obvious the outcome was because of the fact that the majority of the House belongs to the Republican Party. She brings up that Republicans claim they are doing what is best for the American people, but in reality, they are making decisions based on party lines.

            I agree with Elizabeth when she says that “focus needs to be brought back to the well being of the people”. Representatives are putting a lot of their effort into defeating the opposing party rather than putting effort into bettering the country. Obama’s Healthcare bill does some positive things for Americans such as not allowing pre-existing conditions to be a factor in whether or not someone can receive health insurance, but because the bill came from a Democratic President, it was denied without being considered. If Republican House members actually cared about the well-being of the millions of Americans living without health insurance, then they would ignore the fact that the bill was created by someone who belongs to the Democratic Party, be non-partisan and make a decision that would benefit Americans.

            Like Elizabeth, I would like to see our government “working to take care of its people in a responsible way both fiscally and physically, rather than taking shots at the other side of the political aisle.” It would benefit everyone if when making decisions, the decision-makers in our government would ignore who belongs to what party and focus on improving the country. 

Southern Hospitality

The NAACP recently held their national convention in Houston. It’s obvious that African-Americans take pride in President Obama for being the first black President.  One would think that because of the approaching election, the President would speak at the convention to encourage people to vote Democratic at the next election, but that wasn’t the case; Obama was a no-show, but some politicians did come to speak at the convention. They certainly weren’t as revered as Obama, but Joe Biden and Mitt Romney were welcomed in very different ways.

            Most African-Americans affiliate themselves with the Democratic Party, and there is a high concentration of them living in the South, and when people think of the South, they think kind people, good food, and Southern Hospitality, but that isn’t quite what Mitt Romney received….

            When the Republican Presidential candidate took the stage, he must have felt uncomfortable; he was about to be speaking in front of a mostly Democratic crowd against Obama, but that was okay, he was going to be speaking in front a crowd of respectful adults, right?

That was dead wrong. When Mitt Romney took the stage and began discussing issues such as Obamacare, he received a heaping dose of Southern Hostility; he was booed and heckled. On the other hand Vice President Biden received a warm welcome. Right now you might be thinking “This is crazy? Why would the members of one of the most respected organizations in the country be acting like this?” Good question. Why would an adult act like this at a serious event?

            Many people denounced the behavior of NAACP members, but many failed to think deeply about this situation. How is Mitt Romney being booed much different from the time when a Congressman yelled out “You lie” during one of President Obama’s addresses? What happened to freedom of speech and the right to protest? They still exist. So why are these members being criticized? Many people, regardless of political affiliation, express their dislike for the ideas of an opposing party in several different ways.

            Is this a double standard? At such a crucial point in American history, people feel as if it is important to express their beliefs. Whether these beliefs are expressed in an uncivil or a civil manner, everyone has the right to emphasize their moral beliefs. Before you go out and criticize a group for something as harmless as making a little noise, think about all the people that take extreme measures like making threats and committing acts of violence.