After attending the Republican Party Forum in Waite Park at the beginning of December I was particularly impressed by the honesty of Representative Gottwalt. I may not agree with his views on a variety of issues but his commitment to solving problems cannot be questioned nor can his work ethic for the people of his district. Unfortunately, last night I witnessed a display that ought to offend anyone interested in open debate and the exchange of ideas.
Sir, the woman speaking in the background was simply speaking of her personal experience with the Canadian health care system. She apparently thinks very highly of that particular system in relation to our own. For you to dismiss her entire argument in full view of an entire crowd of voters and potential constituents should be a signal to anyone watching that you are not interested in open discussion and varying ideas. You certainly have every right to disagree with this woman and her opinion of Canadian health care. In fact, you even had the opportunity to express your doubts about the Canadian health care system. You did not. You sat there and quietly mocked a woman willing to share her views in a public forum. Had you shared your doubts with us, I would have thought nothing of it and would have chalked it up to an opposing viewpoint.
From what I hear of you from others, that know you far better than I, you are an honorable man with a vast knowledge of health care and a variety of other issues. However, you displayed a side which was condescending and smug towards someone who may or may not be a constituent of yours. If this is the type of leadership you are offering then it may be time to call it quits. You do not serve only a select few but rather an entire district of people. From your body language, smirks, raised eyebrows, and under breath comments you have no intention of hearing people out and seem intent on dismissing others wholesale.
Your job, sir, was to listen quietly to the very people upon whom you owe your job and respond appropriately through either continued discussion or silence. You made the wrong choice tonight.
From what I hear of you from others, that know you far better than I, you are an honorable man with a vast knowledge of health care and a variety of other issues. However, you displayed a side which was condescending and smug towards someone who may or may not be a constituent of yours. If this is the type of leadership you are offering then it may be time to call it quits. You do not serve only a select few but rather an entire district of people. From your body language, smirks, raised eyebrows, and under breath comments you have no intention of hearing people out and seem intent on dismissing others wholesale.
Your job, sir, was to listen quietly to the very people upon whom you owe your job and respond appropriately through either continued discussion or silence. You made the wrong choice tonight.
7 responses to "An Open Message To Representative Gottwalt"
Eric, One thing I noticed at the forum is that Ms. Linus didn't talk about Canadians needed a second verification of certain illnesses, like cancer before they got treated & that that 2nd verification sometimes took 2 months.
Two months is often enough time for cancer to metastacize.
That's the opposite of compassionate & the opposite of "wonderful."
I'm also more than a little concerned when a government tells a company how much profit they can make. That's what happens when the VA tells phamaceutical companies what they'll pay for medication.
Last night, they used the term negotiation. That isn't what happens. The VA hospitals are so big they dictate the price they'll pay. It's negotiation with a gon pointed at your forehead.
Finally, I'd like it if you posted the video, if you have it, of the woman that said we needed to "get rid of health insurance & get health care" or John Marty saying that we need to look at health care as "a community need" like we look at the fire or police departments.
If health care is a community need, then why isn't food a community need, too? What's the threshold for meeting a community need?
BTW, It was fun meeting you last night. You're a pretty good guy...for a lefty. LOL
People who are against universal or single-payer health care use that cancer story a lot, and it's poignant. I never want to be in a situation where I or someone I know dies or gets much worse because of a delay in the medical system.
But by all accounts (here's one on preventable deaths), there are more terrible stories related to the US Health Care system than most other first world countries. Is it more terrible that a some people have terrible experiences with government organized health insurance, or that millions of people don't have access to health care at all? I think it's the latter.
Obviously, there are a lot of factors that play in to our country's health issues (obesity, for instance), but we keep seeing these reports that rank us near the bottom in terms of health of population, so something needs to change. Dismissing single-payer by rolling your eyes is not the answer.
I'd offer this link (from NYT in 2006) as evidence against the Canadian system. "The prohibition on obtaining private health insurance is not constitutional where the public system fails to deliver reasonable services," the [Canadian Supreme] court ruled. The Canadians by their own decisions are buying private health insurance.
"Finally, I'd like it if you posted the video, if you have it, of the woman that said we needed to "get rid of health insurance & get health care" or John Marty saying that we need to look at health care as "a community need" like we look at the fire or police departments."
Gary,
I unfortunately did not take a lot of video of individual stories. As far as the Marty response it should be in the compilation I put together of his comments.
No doubt there are problems with every system, and a story saying people are buying private insurance is no surprise. If you can afford it, why wouldn't you buy the best? But for people who can't afford it, waiting for a hip replacement is better than not getting one; and more importantly, getting to see a doctor for an ear infection is better than waiting for a ruptured ear drum and going to the emergency room.
Regardless, I think we have to start with all children having access to basic health care (whatever that means). It's probably the greatest moral shortcoming of our country. The idea that some children can't see a doctor because their parents can afford or choose not to have health insurance ... it hurts my head.
Eric - how caring and compassionate is a system that takes 8 months to triage and treat a Grade 2 Astrocytoma?
http://www.ladieslogic.com/2007/10/short-course-in-brain-surgery.html
How caring and compassionate is a system that encourages people who are depressed and in cronic pain to "self-medicate"?
http://www.ladieslogic.com/2008/01/why-government-provided-health-care-is.html
As Anonymous said....there ARE problems with every system. So why do we want to completely scrap a system that works better than the options that are currently being touted?
LL
Goltwalt's campaign signage says that he uses common sense leadership, in my past personal dealing with him, he does not treat people with the respect that they deserve and/or their opinions. So is this a common sense leadership trait or approach? Not in my opinion. Why do these type of people strive to be our public leaders? He is only looking out for his own good and political future.