If you don't practice, you cannot play.

Yesterday we had an event known as the Bi-partisan Health care Summit. The idea was to get members of Congress together to discuss their differences with regard to health care reform and try to find some common ground. At some level it was also an opportunity for each side to try to appear as though they are not the ones holding things up.

As I listened to people commenting after the fact, I was angered at how clearly you could tell the people that actually paid attention from those that did not and those that may have paid attention, but just don't get it.


One person called into C-SPAN explaining that there is no way that anyone could have watched the summit and reached any conclusion other than that the bill is a waste of time and money. As justification, he complained that he would be forced to buy insurance while for the past 20 years he has just paid for his health care out of pocket. He could not see how short-sighted this argument was.

While it is wonderful that right now he is healthy and wealthy enough to not need health insurance, what bothered me was how he could not see beyond his own current situation. What about those that are not so fortunate and cannot afford health coverage? What about those that can barely afford food? What about when he needs something more than a routine trip to the doctor?

Yes, if you do not care about anyone in this country but yourself, and your situation is currently fine, then there is no need to change anything -- but do not come running for assistance when the tables turn and you need someone to care about you. This is a case of some simply not understanding the full scope of the problem.


Another person called in (on the Republican line) and said that the bill should just be scrapped and they need to start over. This type of comment bugs me because it clearly shows that he does not actually know anything about the issue. He is strictly taking the Republican talking point and spouting it as though it were his own. If you cannot form your own opinion on the matter, then just keep your mouth shut.

On the O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly was talking to Michelle Bachmann. She claimed the summit was no more effective than the Beer Summit. She then reverted to the standard Republican talking points -- scrap the bill, it is too large, President talks too much. She is no better than the man that called into C-SPAN. She has no opinion of her own, she just spouts what the party newsletter tells her to.

Bill O'Reilly then made a comment that is at the core of the problem. In referring to the process of watching the summit, he said, "..it's my job to do it so the viewers don't have to." That right there is the problem. Too many people do not get the information themselves and reach their own conclusions. They simply trust others to tell them what to think. And the people they put their trust in are not journalists, but commentators who have a clear biased in one direction or the other.

Now, I see a lot of people complain, "I do not have time to read the bills and watch C-SPAN. I'm too busy." That is fine, but if you are too busy to educate yourself and form your own opinions, then you are also too busy to comment on the situation. DO NOT stand up and spout some talking point that someone else gave you and act as though it is your own. If you do not have your own opinion on the matter, then keep your mouth shut so that those who actually care (on both sides) can get stuff done.


It is very common in sports for there to be a policy that if you do not practice during the week, you cannot play on game day. This make sense. You practice for a reason. To get better at playing the game and to play better as a team. If a player does not practice, it is more likely that they will be out of sync with the rest of the team and will not perform as well.

This can be applied to all of those people who take what Rachel and Bill and Keith and Sean and Glenn feed them and run with it. Watching C-SPAN and reading the bills and being able to separate news from commentary is the practice. This is what you do day in and day out so that you can understand the issues. By practising, you form your own opinions because you have gained experience with the subject matter.

On game day, such as an election or a Tea Party rally or a town hall meeting, you then have everything you need to ask meaningful questions and provide relevant commentary. You deserve to have your voice heard and not drowned out by someone who talks very loud, but cannot offer any real insight because they have not educated themselves beyond the talking point that some pundit game them.

It is no different than buying a term paper. Someone else did all of the work, you presented it as your own, and collected the grade. But at the end of the day you know nothing more about the subject than you did before you started. Just having the grade does not qualify you to talk about the subject. It is the experience, the practice, in working with the subject matter that is the key. If you are going to take a strong position on something, then you have to do your homework.

I am not saying everyone has to go out and educate themselves on all the issues this country faces. But if you don't, then just keep your mouth shut so that those who did can have a meaningful discussion.