Can Universal Healthcare Cure Apathy?

I know this is how I feel

Back to the grind after an enjoyable weekend celebrating our nation’s b-day. I spent the weekend camping by the lake with family, lounging with a brew and riding my cousin’s jet ski. Was I scared I would break a limb? No – because I am lucky enough to have health insurance.   And since I am young and healthy, I don’t have to worry about paying a lot for healthcare. So while I was out glossin’ over the cut, I didn’t much have the head space to care about insurance company lobbyists in DC spending the Holiday trying to decimate Obama’s universal healthcare plan.

Then I check my email this morning to find one of my usual call-to-action emails with an unusually catchy headline – “Thomas Friedman called us out.” Thomas Friedman, well-respected NY Times columnist and author of many bestsellers, blasted young people for not stepping up to the plate enough on the landmark energy bill in Congress last week. The Green movement has been (rightfully) dubbed the movement of our generation, and yet Friedman claims that we aren’t loud enough.

If that is true on as hip an issue as the green movement, it’s even truer on healthcare! Why should we care? We’re young and healthy! But in fact, young adults are the most uninsured age group. 28.6% of 25-34 year olds are uninsured!

We’ve got a great opportunity to pass a policy that would make healthcare affordable for EVERYONE, but big insurance company lobbyists and right-wingers are fighting it HARD CORE. For details on the two plans, look here.

Friedman says we should “get out of Facebook and into somebody’s face.” I think he’s right (and I realize I am saying this on a blog), so here’s a real-life, in-person opportunity for you to get in some decision makers’ faces.

This Thursday, MoveOn.org is hosting rallies across the country in front of Senate offices to make sure our support is felt viscerally, not just virtually.

Find one in your area here.

…and while we’re at it, we still need that Climate Bill Friedman was talking about to pass the Senate, so you can do some virtual nudging on that issue here.

Of course young people care…but we’re also comfortable in front of our computers. Let’s stay healthy and go outside! It’s summer! See you on Thursday.

-Tara