The Honorable Joe Wilson
United States House of Representatives
212 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4002
Re: Outbust at President's Speech
Dear Representative Wilson,
_____I'm sure you know why I am writing, and I am also sure you have already paid many times over for your outburst during President Obama's speech. In watching the speech and the ensuing coverage about your remarks, I found that everybody was upset about the way in which you conveyed your views and not about the nature of those views.
_____Politically and socially, I lean far towards the liberal end of the spectrum; however, I have many conservative friends and have gained a great deal of insight from them as to why they believe what they believe and how they have come to those conclusions. I also don't think there is a giant corporate conspiracy or that every congressman is a shill or any other such nonsense that a lot of “hardcore” liberals believe (although I can understand the viewpoint, judging by the sheer amount of money many congressman are paid by various lobbyists). I tend to believe that most of the people in public service are there because they want to make a positive difference in the world; they want to do what they believe is right and will help the people they represent, if not the country and world at large.
_____I have watched with annoyance the town hall meetings regarding health insurance reform and I have heard many bad arguments for it and against it, although I do believe there are far more solid arguments for it than against. And I have watched with surprise as more and more people start to believe not just the opinions of influential media personalities but many clear lies from both sides—but I took some comfort in knowing that the people who actually made the decisions on this bill had only this as their top priority. The average American has many other things on his plate to think about before investigating the actual text of the health care bills in consideration.
_____But this is your job.
_____The purpose of your being in Congress is to know the gist of the bill and the important points (if you are unable to read the entire bill itself) and decide whether or not this is something that should be considered for the good of the country and its people.
_____It disturbs me greatly to see with such clarity how much disrespect you show to your job and to your constituents. If you disagree with the need for health insurance reform, that's fine—there are many good arguments to be made about the efficiency of the market, the cost of government bureaucracy, and the over-taxing of the American worker (although I would be the first to point out the flaws in such arguments and the need for reform). I understand that reasonable people can differ and I understand the difficult nature of your job—half the people you represent will be upset at your decisions no matter what you do. Despite that, I expect you to do what you feel is right. I expect as a representative of the people that you would take the time to be able to discern between facts and fiction—or to at least have somebody in your employ who reads the bill and can discern them for you.
_____This is what disheartens me so much: not that you had an outburst—when you care about something it is only natural to speak up about it—but that you are so passionately against reform as an idea that you refuse to know what is true and what is false, that you don't even take the time to consider the viewpoints of the people who disagree. At the very least, reading the bill and seeing what is in it, seeing what the other side would like to have happen would give you an insight as to why they want reform, which would better allow you to explain your own views.
_____It is natural for a man with your responsibility you to have a differing opinion. It is unconscionable for a man with your responsibility to be unable to discern fact from fiction. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe there is another provision I don't know about which refutes Section 246 entitled “No Federal Payment For Undocumented Aliens.” I've read most of the bill, and I don't think I am wrong. I hope you read the bill too, before you vote on it. If you don't have a copy, it's available as a PDF file at the House of Representative's website:
http://docs.house.gov/edlabor/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf
_____I understand that you and I will always disagree about many issues, and I know I am not a constituent of South Carolina, so my concerns hold less weight the those of the people to whom you are accountable. It is my hope that you will take this letter as an example of the way a concerned (and liberal) South Carolinian might feel and that you will take steps to ensure that in the future you are knowledgeable enough about the issues which affect your constituents to make an informed decision.
Sincerely,
Maximilian Weiss
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