If I remember correctly, the Health Reform Bill passed last night in the House of Representatives with the scores of 215-220. A very small margin, but a lot of work. Congratulations to the House, but especially to Obama and Pelosi. This would possibly be the most wonderful Thanksgiving present for so many poor Americans who are in need of immediate health care if it passes in the Senate.
Now, people begin to talk about the four groups that might withdraw their support for Obama in the next Presidential Election in 2012: Environmental, Gay Rights, Pro-Choice and Peace Activists. I really think this is a premature speculation because Obama still has another 3 years to serve before having to run again, and look at the success he has had in the first 10 months. Health Care Reform was a life-long dream of Ted Kennedy and only a couple of months after his death, Obama and many other in the House have almost written it into American history. As for the environmentalists, I thought progress has been made since Bush left the White House, with the US meeting with other developed countries this December in Copenhagen, Denmark to work on the reduction of Carbon Dioxide emission?
Now, I understand the frustration of Gay Rights Groups, but unless there is another liberal candidate who would be more daring than Obama, I still don't know who they will vote for. Not that Hillary Clinton will run again, but even if she does, what makes them think she will be more forwarding than the current President? Remember it was her husband Bill Clinton who approved of the Defense of Marriage Act and the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy in the military.
Finally, I have nothing but empathy, if not sympathy, for Obama and his administration in dealing with the last 2 groups: Pro-Choice and Peace Activists. Although I am absolutely supportive of their causes, America is a very tough, religious and conservative country right now; Pro-Choice activitist are indeed facing an uphill battle (a recent survey shows the percentage of Americans who are against abortion are on the rise). As for the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the exit is indeed nowhere to be seen. I have been philosophically against this stragedy in the so-called War Against Terrorism since the beginning. Terrorism is a reaction due to a state of mind, usually fear or anger, not a human physical condition. To stop terrorism, one should address the underlying cause, whether it be poverty, oppression, or inequality that might have triggered this fear or anger. You might say we have no time and no resource for that, but hey, we have had all that time and all those bombs for Vietnam, Iraq and yet they yielded no results. You can kill 100 or 1000 terrorists without reducing terrorism because terrorists are not the same as terrorism. Killing them will simply make terrorism even more popular.
I heard that as President Obama passed crowds of anti-abortion demonstrators in Washington DC yesterday, they chanted "Kill the Bill", "Kill the Pelosi Bill". I wonder how they, mostly faithful Christians who consider abortion sinful, think Jesus would have felt if he found out that his followers reacted so angrily toward a bill that was designed to take care of the underpriviledge in society? These are probably the same people who feel elated when saying "God Bless America". What they probably meant was "God Bless America minus the Poor". If I was Jesus, I would say "God Bless America, minus You"!
