Apparently we can't handle the truth.

Here at Sustainable Frederick, I do my best to stay out of directly addressing politics or religion. I find that these topics tend to distract people from what is really important in the here and now. This health care reform thing has me thinking, though. Well... thinking and feeling because I'm pretty ticked off. So, here is my take on politics from the perspective of seeking a sustainable Frederick:

We need to remember our humility.

People who are trying to heard on the political stages act like they know the truth. I'm referring to pretty much everyone from the smiling /sneering politicians and pundits to the red-faced mobs and the faceless ivory tower snobs.

They act like they know. They pretend they have a blueprint for Utopia. They hold the position 'if you disagree with me, then you are wrong.'

Here's the thing: the truth is that we don't know what the truth is. No one knows the best way to organize the relationships between government and industry and the communities and the individuals. No one knows.

One of the really good things we Earthlings, and especially we Americans, have been doing these past few centuries is trying to figure out the best way to live together while balancing the opposing forces of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Of course, for rhetorical purposes it makes sense to promote a political position with the guise of certainty. Who gets excited about a politician whose clearest message is his or her uncertainty?

But we have never been certain. Do you think the so-called founding fathers agreed on exactly how to do what should be done? Was there ever universal agreement about slavery or this or that war? That we have so diligently worked on figuring out these issues is why we should have a little faith that we can keep on doing it.

Should the Federal government be embroiled and enmeshed into the health care industry (that is, enmeshed more or differently than it already is)? I don't know and neither do you.

When we talk about it, we shouldn't pretend otherwise. We should remind ourselves that this is an experiment and we're all in it together, whether we agree or not.