Dear Boonville,
Let’s get that blood boiling (or at least pumping) on this cold afternoon following Monday’s steady snowfall.
You’ve probably heard that President Barack Obama is proposing a meeting with Republicans on Feb. 25 to discuss health-care reform.
Associated Press reporter Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar wrote Monday that the event — scheduled to be televised — “has the makings of an entertaining exchange” yet “can’t be dismissed as a mere diversion.”
It’s clear that whatever side of the fence you’re on, there are basic premises about health-care reform on which Republicans and Democrats cannot seem to agree. And it’s not a sure thing that having a meeting of this kind will do any good.
If it doesn’t happen, it’s hard to say what could have been.
Here’s my advice: Try it.
That’s not an endorsement of Obama’s plan. For all I know, the president’s proposal is an exercise in gamesmanship.
But the point here isn’t the motive behind the idea; rather, it is the conversation that stems from the idea.
As you read in Monday’s paper, a number of people have been hearing from speakers as part of the Leadership Boonslick program. The idea is that by learning and discussing, these people will be equipped to serve as leaders in their community. An understanding of the way government functions is crucial to getting engaged and staying active.
What will it take for our political representatives to act as leaders under Obama’s proposed health-care meeting? Must lawmakers stand valiantly along party lines, or perhaps grasp pet issues without which they will refuse to move forward?
Or will leadership take the form of a conversation in which ideas are laid out and negotiated?
What do you think such a meeting should look like?
Nate Birt is news and online editor at the Boonville Daily News. He can be reached at nate@boonvilledailynews.com.
