Viewpoint by Montreal Spencer/south news editor

Last year, I may not have felt as passionate as I do now about health care reform.

As I am not a full time student because I ran out of classes to take, I don’t have insurance anymore.

I better watch what I eat and look twice before crossing the street. It could cost me … more than it would have last year.

Although they probably would not admit it, a number of TCC students take classes partially to stay on their parents’ insurance. You know who you are, and you are not alone.

A trip to the doctor with insurance already costs more than a full tank of gas and a night of club-hopping combined. I can only imagine the cost without it.

A friend takes Advil daily for a toothache because he can’t afford to go to the dentist. I prefer “Orajel” myself.

One of President Obama’s main campaign platforms was affordable health care for every American. Now that he wants to accomplish what he set his sights on, it puzzles me why so many people stand in his way.

From what I understand, some conservatives do want health care reform but not the health care reform the president is proposing.  

Other conservatives say Obama was not born in America, or he’s a Nazi who wants to kill grandmothers. The scary thing is that some actually believe that nonsense and will regurgitate that filth.

Another rumor is that it will insure illegal immigrants and pay for abortion and sex changes.

Good strategy. Use illegal immigrants, abortion and homophobia to make already angry crowds more rowdy.

That gives them more reason to organize like an angry mob and bear arms at town hall meetings.

A left-winger might argue that Canada and the United Kingdom have universal health care. Why doesn’t the United States? If Canada and Britain jumped off a bridge, do you propose we do the same?

We don’t have to innovate. Following seems to be more safe.

It has been said that some Canadians will come down here when they get sick to receive care by our doctors because they‘re better. That’s probably the rich Canadians.

A good saying is, “You get what you pay for.” If health care was too cheap, people would get terrible customer service.

However we are lucky to live in a country that has such good health care, but what’s the point of having the best doctors in the world if one-sixth of the country can’t afford a check up?

Reform is needed. The sooner the better because I need some new glasses, and I have cavities to fill.