Lights. Camera. Drama.

In a more idealistic world, leadership is not all about the efforts and determination of one person to move mountains. It is also about teamwork and negotiation.  As I was watching the health care reform debate on Twitter and on TV, I do not think there is no such thing as compromise in Washington.

Congress passed the new health care reform bill and I am glad that in this day of age, some solution was made to give millions of uninsured Americans more insurance options. But with little compromise between both the Democratic and Republican parties and even within the two parties at some extent at the end, the transparency of the bill was left ambiguous to the American people.

I discussed this issue further with members of the #journchat session on Twitter last night and I am still bothered. For 14 months, all I heard on TV was the bickering back and forth about what will and what will not be covered under this new #hcr bill. What I did not get was a transparent understanding of the rules and consequences of passing this bill. Why did not YouTube or another social media network collaborate with a news cable network to inform the American public more about the advantages and disadvantages of this bill? Everyone is using social media tool these days to communicate with one another, so it seems fitting.

You know why? Politics. Politics disillusioned us. My AP English teacher always said to my senior class, "Politics is another word for conflict". The conflict of opposing ideologies and stubbornness disillusioned us from what truly matters in this country and that is our health and well-being. Health care should be a right, not a privilege. Compromise between the two political parties should be a right, not a privilege.

Congress members are leaders and leaders should not only hold their ground, but listen and compromise with their opposing "neighbors". Didn't they learn that skill in Leadership 101 class? Probably not. Leadership is more just than arrogance. Leadership should be about holding your ground and working with others to reach a common end, even if your perspectives on your once life's philosophies have changed. Life is about growing up and expanding your horizons. If it wasn't, I do not know how I would survive.

I do not understand why the many women and men that we have voted into office to represent us do not understand this. You can not always have what you want. I wish there was a way to just simply erase their prejudices away, but I cannot.
I only hope for the best of this reform bill. I voted President Obama into office and that is my right. You may have not voted for him and I respect that. I hope that within the many months to come, the government and other media outlets educate the American people more about this bill. I hope that this reform bill works to the best of its abilities. I hope that Democrats and Republicans can work together to work on the finishing touches of this bill and on other social issues like U.S immigration and  job creation. I hope that the bigots in this country shut the hell up and challenge President Obama's policies, not his skin color and rumored socialist ties. I hope our journalists can reveal their colorblind racism. I hope the media does not continue to disillusion us. This is 2010, not 1965.

What are your thoughts on this bill? What do you think about bipartisanship and compromise on Capitol Hill?