On Healthcare Reform, It's Dinner with Lucrezia

Illinois Review ^ | March 4, 2010 A.D. | John F. Di Leo

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On Healthcare Reform, it's Dinner with Lucrezia by John F. Di Leo, for Illinois Review

Some coworkers are going out for dinner, and they’ve invited you to come along. Okay, you’re not exactly pals, but it wouldn’t hurt to bond a little with the colleagues, so you say “Sure, why not?”

What do you feel like? You’re thinking pizza… a steaming hot, loaded, deluxe Chicago deep dish pizza… every food group covered. You’ve got your veggies, your cheese, your meats, your bread… a little fattening maybe, so it’s not perfect, but otherwise, a tasty, nutritious meal. So you ask: what are the coworkers thinking of?

Well, they’re all planning on ordering big bowls of toxic waste, and chasing it all down with a pitcher of arsenic, kerosene, and strychnine iced tea. Or maybe just arsenic and kerosene. Or maybe kerosene and strychnine. Harry and Nancy haven’t yet agreed on the drink, but they’re all settled on the big crock of toxic waste to share. Barry’s okay with whatever Harry and Nancy agree on.

They say “Hey, we’re open to compromise – if you come along, we can eat family style! We’ll go in on the pizza with you, as long as you join us in a nice bowl of toxic waste and a glass of this cocktail (as soon as we agree on its contents). What do you say? Coming with us? We’re leaving in a couple minutes; come to a decision or we’ll leave without you!”

How’s that for a choice? Presented this way, it’s not a hard call, is it? It really doesn’t matter how much of our preferences they agree to accept… if it means we have to accept any of their poison, it’s no deal.

Continue reading at: http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2010/03/on-healthcare-reform-its-dinner-with-lucrezia.html