Distracted by Grumpy Old People

I'm kind of sick of old people complaining about every goddamn thing. Especially about healthcare reform. I couldn't say this in the article I wrote for the Journal Sentinel, but I really don't think senior citizens should have any say on health care reform at all. They should be taken out of the equation all together.

Here's why: old people already have the best deal in the world with Medicare, and it's partially their fault that health care costs are so high. Many of them don't even pay taxes anymore, so they won't be affected even IF taxes go up, and that's a big IF. Health care reform will make no difference in their lives at all.

As exhibit A I present my own grandmother, who treated visits to the doctor like social events. She went as often as possible, whether or not there was really something wrong with her. I do not think she was the exception in this regard - I know from talking with friends that so many elderly people are like that. For some reason I have to wait 7 months to see a doctor for a check up but Grandma would call and get in the next day. The guy would tell her she was perfectly healthy, so she would call an ambulance the next day and see if the ER doctor had a different answer. I can remember clearly her bragging about how much medical treatment she could get "and it's all free!" No, it's not free. We're all paying for it. She once had the same (extremely expensive) test run three weeks in a row, with the same result - nothing wrong.

When did old people become so selfish? All they care about is their free shit. Never mind that the rest of the country is going broke and children are dying.

I also love it when grumpy old white men (they are always grumpy, old and white) complain about socialism and then trample you on the way to cash their Social Security checks and get some free government-funded health care. Hypocrites.

And all this whining about how health care reform is "confusing." I bet you're confused about where your socks are, too. We're supposed to take that into account? Bullshit.

Okay, got that off my chest. Y'all have a nice day now.