A request to my cohort: Health care reform affects you

This is one of the most important times in our lives. Put away People and US Magazine for a brief moment and pay attention to what is going on right now in our country. We are on the brink of making an instrumental change to our health care system. We have a chance to restructure our current system to provide the necessary and vital health care to all Americans.

Obama’s health care proposal will in the long run save us money and more importantly lives by shifting away from expensive acute interventional care to primary and preventive care. Our health system is currently run by the free market, which only emphasizes monetary gain over humanity and healing. Preventive medicine would help purge us of our current epidemics: obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. These are diseases that can largely be controlled by proper preventive medical guidance, which millions of hard working Americans cannot afford to attain.

Most heroic interventions that are done in the United States today are done to repair the physiological damage that could have been prevented. These interventions are not cheap, making our health care system one of the most expensive in the world, despite millions of Americans who are uninsured.

As your cohort, I understand the barrage of pop culture, glitz, and glamour that appear to be more exhilarating to pay attention to than health care reform, but when our six day a week vodka water days dry up and we have children, aging parents, and our own aging bodies to deal with, health care will be something we will care about.

Watch for propaganda. Carefully research your own facts before you form your opinion. Don’t look to the politicians (Democrat or Republican) for your information. This is not the time to follow blind party mandates.

Neoliberal economics began in the Regan Era. For us, who are born in the 70’s and 80's, it is all we know. We have been taught that time is money and material wealth will bring us infinite happiness. I have faith that our current climate of change will change us as a generation from the pursuit of money to the pursuit of happiness and humanity for all.