Health Care Reform's Battle Over the "Body" Politic

Despite the war in Afghanistan, the continued concerns over climate change, and the economic crisis it seems that for the past few months the United States has been mesmerized by only one issue: health care reform.

While this process has divided many people - mostly those who call themselves Democrats and those who call themselves Republicans - it has also unified us on something that is so integral to the human existence, but often taken for granted: our health. And despite the landslide support for Democrats in both the Presidential and Senate elections, these politicians are still trying to find "compromise" on these bills - all in the name of passing it. But what hasn't been fully realized it seems is that a) the Democrats have the support they need to pass reform without further capitulations to Republicans and b) the Republicans will work hard to get the bill to where they want it, and then not vote for it.

We need to start somewhere. And unfortunately, I don't think further compromise is going to get us much farther. Take a look at the article from The Atlantic about how important it is that we act NOW on health care reform - regardless of what is or isn't included at this point in time:

If the Democrats' only successful effort to pass health care legislation after 20 years of failure followed landslide presidential and Senate elections, wouldn't that suggest that the Democrats' best chance to pass health care reform this round would be, well, following landslide presidential and Senate elections? You might say, "Hey, the Democrats always have 2010 to pad their majority." That's obviously true, they do have 2010. But recent history suggests that big majorities like this are difficult to maintain (look at '94 for Democrats or 2000, '06 for Republicans), and if health care reform flames out, it doesn't bode well for an even tougher fight on climate change and financial regulation. I'm not saying November 2010 is riding on September 2009. I'm saying I don't see any reason for much patience. How could the road to health reform get any easier for Democrats? How much closer to 1964 can you get?

It's when I read logical statements such as this, that I realize what is really going on. While reforming of our broken health care system can truly mean life or death for millions of Americans, it seems that after weeks of infighting, the human body has become nothing more than a political football for those in Washington to pass around.

For decades, women have understood how their body, their health, their medical choices are often determined by white men in suits in the nation's capitol who have little understanding of their needs. But, this time, everyone is getting a taste of what that is like to have the legislative process determine the fate of your body.

While it's been a painful process for us all, once we surface from this experience, we might, I hope, have a little more respect for each other and the medical needs we all share. It seems that in our fight for health care reform, we have all become part of the great battle over the "body" politic.