I dragged myself to see "Sicko", because I ought to. You know, civic duty and all. I've never seen a Michael Moore movie, but I've heard lots about them. So I was fully prepared to feel, well, Sicko, afterwards. Was I surprised.
I laughed, sometimes sarcastically, but sometimes just laughing. I cried. To my surprise they were real tears of compassion and gratitude, not anger. And I learned, really learned. And I thought I was fairly well informed.
Medicine has been a big part of my life. Working in the field and having a lot of family in the field has been tempered with coping with chronic conditions that are difficult to treat with the standard pill and scalpel routine. And as I age I have witnessed many going without because of the high costs, or risking yearly trips north or south of the border. So I thought I had a handle on both sides.
Well, it just doesn't have to be this way. I was especially moved by the young woman overseas who felt guilty because at a young age she had care that her parents had worked all their lives to attain, and still don't have what she has.
Now, I know the hearings on Guantanamo Bay were to combat criticism of prisoner mistreatment, but Michael Moore used them quite deftly to show our severe mistreatment of our own. His reaction was clever, funny, and unfortunately very sad.
Sorry I didn't catch the name of the English gentleman who discussed the British system, but he was so right-on when he pointed out that an educated populous is difficult to govern. He correctly pointed out that when a people are so demoralized by the burden of health care and other worries they don't vote, they don't participate in government at any level.
Yes, Micheal Moore and Sicko brought out some extremes. Doesn't it take extremes to get attention in our fast paced, over stimulated, demoralized nation? But he did a superb job of getting his point across.
I look forward to seeing the impact this movie will have. Or will it be buried by lack of media exposure and censorship? Are we ready as a people to take on the Powers-that-be and fight for our lives or are we too afraid?
Sicko is definitely a must see. And don't worry, you'll laugh, you might cry, but it won't hurt too much...at first.