Fierce Urgency of Now

Happy MLK Jr. Day!

Over time, this day has grown beyond a day of service for me to become a day of reflection about our society, country, and the world. A lot of it has centered around issues of race, the environment, equality, and how they are all affected by but also influence our politics.

I have supported several candidates during this Dem Primary, and my opinions continue to evolve as I try and resolve some of the contradictions or even (gasp) hypocrisy in my thinking…it’s healthy but certainly annoying that the choice is not an easy one for me, nor is the "fierce urgency of Now".

I've been trying to address some contradictions about the issues that are important to me and the biggest one has been in regards to healthcare. Conversations with people I deeply respect on opposite sides of the healthcare debate got me thinking about a major flaw in my reasoning regarding single payer vs. other plans. Basically, I have been negative on Medicare for All (M4A) for a number of reasons, but mostly because government bureaucracies aren’t the most successful creators or administrators of large complex programs (gosh, how “conservative”!), and I'm not sure it can even be achieved here. But the more I think about it, I'm bothered by the contradiction that I am willing to work towards reversing or addressing climate change even though I am similarly unsure if it is achievable. Why shouldn’t I take the same leap in regards to healthcare? Do I feel that healthcare for all is important to achieve? Yes. Do I know that we can get there? No…but I do know that if we aren’t willing to try, we definitely won’t.

…until Amazon gets into it, right Bezos?

Anyway, my thoughts around the other contradictions are too long for Instagram, so I'll just leave you with a dream...

“We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.” —I Have A Dream speech; Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963

Happy MLK Day, everyone!