Were we “Snowed” during Christmas week?

How did you measure Christmas week’s snow? Snow mixed in with Christmas raises reminders of our nation’s past, and a few about its future.

Looking back at history’s noted Christmas moments, one might remember the cold Christmas week ventures as Gen. George Washington’s troops’ encountered Hessian soldiers. Those “rent-a-soldier” Hessians concluded no one would be out that wintry, snowy Christmas Eve. They relaxed and partied as poorly-shod and ill-clothed soldiers, intent upon birthing a nation, moved in to surround their fort on Christmas day. Washington’s troops accepted the Hessians’ surrender within a matter of minutes. What a great Christmas they gave future Americans.

Before long, the constitution would be written, political parties would be formed, appointments and elections got underway, and even a war within our borders would be endured, though at a great and humbling cost. Lingering ill feelings over the Civil War continued years after the surrender at Appomattox. In 1895, on Christmas Eve, foregoing vacation time, Congressional members voted to determine whether or not former Confederate soldiers could/should be trusted, employed and compensated equally with formerly Union soldiers. Reconciliation took a step forward with that vote.

But fast forward to 2009. Consider the Senate’s Christmas Eve session regarding the Health Care Reform bills. Did they give us a nice Christmas gift, or a lump of coal? Are we being asked to settle for less freedom and less unity? Are we wrong to question the constitutionality of getting favors for state senators who hesitantly agreed to support the bill? And if the bill’s so wonderful for everyone, why would some senators refuse to vote for it until their state got exempted from some of the obligations forced upon other states? Just because “that’s the way Washington/Chicago operates,” do we people back home want such people and practices doing our future business in Washington?

I don’t know what’s necessary for making health care in America better. It’s not perfect, but it’s sought after worldwide. At Mayo Clinic, internationals come to be treated. Mayo Clinic, by the way, has several reservations about the health care bill. So do many doctors; the AMA represents only a fraction of US physicians, but Washington’s eager to say AMA backs the bill.

Does Washington remember we send them in our behalf?

The Monday before the vote, Rasmussen polls showed 55 percent still opposed the Senate’s bill. Was Harry Reid actually voting his conscience and his constituents’ desires when he, at first, voted “no” after months of trying to persuade everyone to vote yes?

Refusing to vote for the bill until securing exemptions or favors doesn’t build my confidence in the bill, or in those creating it. On Christmas Eve were we being “snowed” by Washington, hoping we’ll not examine their gift too closely? We know it’s expensive, but is it worth keeping?

I guess, bottom line, we can carefully consider the gift and givers, and if we don’t like it, we can make our exchanges the next time we vote on who will do the thinking for us in Washington. Knowing Washington’s good at “snow jobs,” I’m keeping gift tags in case in the next election I want to check the box that means, “Oh, you shouldn’t have.”

Marge Warder is a general assignment reporter. E-mail her at news@redoakexpress.com.