What class?

Six months of the health care debate have left Americans tired of the constant bickering. The debate has been difficult to follow, as both Republicans and Democrats spew out facts and figures that are hardly trustworthy. From accusations of government-funded death panels to exaggerations of how much a public option will save in the next ten years, the health care debate has proved to be frustrating enough to find an end to the verbal war between the two parties, regardless of the outcome. Sadly enough, most Americans recognize that some reform in the health care system is necessary.

So where is the outraged public that is quick to call out its congressmen? Perhaps more importantly, where is this public that has often pointed out injustices in the country? Ultimately, the health care debate boils down to class lines, an obvious fact that has been layered on with other issues such as efficiency, access to care, Medicare fraud, insurance companies and holding hospitals accountable. But class is an issue that transcends partisan lines, and class is also a topic that Americans find difficult to broach within their own society. Perhaps at times not effectively, but American society has dealt with, and at least spoken about, race, immigration, and gay rights in this country. Yet, speaking about class differences is uncomfortable, and often coated with discussions of race. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, for example, the recognition of blatant class differences in the south fused with conversations about racism alive in the country.

Part of the reason for this lack of dialogue is precisely due to the fact that race and poverty are often companions, and racism is one of the most complex topics of the day. Yet, without separating the glaring issues in our society (that is, separating racism from class differences), neither dialogue will be effective. Class is a taboo topic - in public schools kids often try to hide these differences through clothes and accessories. In my college, the dialogue was effectively missing from the school's otherwise politically-aware chatter. Essentially, what results are students and practitioners invested in social, political and economic justice in developing countries, who are just not interested in the social injustice that plagues this country.

Perhaps if class differences became a discussion worth having, at least an issue that is recognized as a leading problem in this country, the health care debate wouldn't be much of a debate at all.