4 - Friday, January, 27, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 - Friday, January, 27, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom i idtigan 4:3a Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JOSEPH LICHTERMAN ASHLEY GRIESSHAMMER JOSH HEALY EDITOR IN CHIEF and ANDREW WEINER MANAGING EDITOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Imran Syed is the public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@michigandaily.com. Salling better care State House shouldn't delay insurance exchange The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has the potential to bring necessary improvements to Michi- gan's health care system. But gridlock in the state House of Representatives threatens to hold up implementa- tion of the bill, which will bring improved medical coverage to .Michigan residents. House Republicans are stalling leg- islation pushed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder that would create a Michigan health insurance exchange as mandated by federal law. The GOP majority should stop dragging its feet on passing this beneficial law. Failure to pass this legislation would force Michigan to adopt a federally managed exchange program instead of a system unique to Michigan's needs. It's all about you(tube) Atypical day at the florist that my family owns involves some "idiot teenager" - or so my aunts say - order- ing a ridiculous floral arrange- ment online because "your generation 3 doesn't have enough. social .ADRIENNE skills to pick ROBERTS up the phone". We usually then have to call up that certain idiot anyway to let them know what they chose were out of season, we can't deliver to their area or the vase they chose only holds about $5 worth of flowers. I cringe when I hear this, and struggle to think of some - usu- ally inarticulate - reason why it's simply not true that my generation has poor social skills, that it's just all a misunderstanding. But this small misinterpretation of genera- tional differences has turned into a major catastrophe. Being an active member of this so-called "YouTube generation" comes with a price. My generation has been called self-promotional, computer nerds, technology-dependent and simply not self-aware. The name calling reveals a deep mistrust between my generation and those previous. The Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act showed the YouTube generation just how much igno- rance exists surrounding the tech- nologies that define our era.-The second part of the sentence seems redundant. Watching congressmen call people who know how to use the Internet "nerds" in condescend- ing tones is slightly unnerving. SOPA is not the only expose of the animosity that exists between generations. On Jan. 14, Saturday Night Live aired a mock talk show segment called "You Can Do Any- thing." It was loaded with sarcasm and,. unfortunately, some truth. The hosts say lines such as, "You're so self-promotional and everyone enjoys that" and "the incredibly high self-esteem of the YouTube generation." This parody put into words what many are thinking: Members of the YouTube genera- tion believes they can do anything they want from the comfort of a computer screen. The fact is that my generation and previous generations need to work on understanding and accept- ing the way different generations live and function in society if we hope for any social or political progress. The YouTube generation - the generation that represents the future. workforce and lead- ers - is constantly judged on how its actions will change the present and future. It can't look productive to previous generations as my gen- eration sits at a job, or in a.lecture, switching between Facebook and Twitter. There is a perception that people in the YouTube generation have no social skills because their heads are too frequently buried in various mediums of technology. There is a flip side to these accu- sations. Many times, using social networking sites and still getting work done is possible. Technol- ogy has become seamless, mean- ing that while someone else's day might end at five, people now do homework and write papers on lap- tops and smart phones way past the standard workday. It's essential for the progress of our society to agree to disagree. It's quite possible that a person free of technology can accomplish the same as a person engrossed in new technology. People aren't get- ting dumber; the way we think is simply changing. Social skills have not died with older generations. They have, however, been modified to fit into today's society. Change is scary for older generations because what they know and have grown up with is slowly becoming obsolete. Younger generations must realize that social skills and the ability to accomplish things without technol- ogy are still essential. The world has 0 changed in style, not content. The world has changed less in content and more in style. The need for communication and the desire to do one's best work have not changed. A cross-generational understanding of this concept has the power to unite people of all ages, leading to the accomplish- ment of beneficial change and much progress in this world. And please, just pick up the phone to order flowers. My aunts will thank you. In March 2010, President Barack Obama fulfilled a key campaign promise by signing major health care reforms into law. Among other initiatives, the reform package calls for each state to create a unique health insur- ance exchange, offering a private market- place with a variety of plans for consumers to choose from. In Michigan, approximately 500,000 residents would use the exchange to buy insurance. The state must approve leg- islation to create an exchange marketplace. There's no reason for House Republicans to continue delaying. Health care interest groups within the state, including Michi- gan Consumers for Health care and AARP of Michigan, are pushing for immediate approval of the plan. Both Snyder and state Senate Republicans support the measure, but House Republicans are delayingthe bill, hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will rule the health care act unconsti- tutional. Members of the House should follow their counterparts in the Senate and approve the bill. A decision from the Supreme Court, even if it were to limit parts of PPACA, may not be handed down until the summer. State leadership in Lansing can't put off passing the bill for that long. A local insurance exchange is vital for Michigan now, not later. Continued delays put the state at risk of losing the opportunity to develop its own dis- tinctive healthcare exchange. If legislation is stalled until after Jan. 1, 2013, the state will lose control of nearly $10 million in federal funding. Failing to meet the deadline is unac- ceptable for the people of Michigan and state insurance providers. Passing on the option for an exchange set up by Michigan legislators will limit choices for consumers because local providers could likely be left out in favor of larger national firms - meaningless competitive and specif- ic insurance options for Michigan consum- ers. In order to ensure that Michiganders receive the best coverage, the exchange should be managed on the state level. With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Obama Admin- istration took a major step towards ensur- ing access to health care for all Americans. Millions of uninsured Americans will now receive competitive coverage and treatment. Republicans in the state House are putting politics before their constitutents. They should abandon attempts to postpone this important legislation and move forward with the creation of a Michigan health insurance exchange. -Adrienne Roberts can be reached at adrirobe@umich.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @AdrRoberts. "1 CONTRIBUTE TO THE COVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Both must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. Send submissions to tothedaily@michigandaily.com Thne gr eeningo ogil You're on your way to class. mer governor of California, agrees nervous breakdown." As you reach to check the that nobody likes a cranky, preachy , Though we currently face many time on your cell phone, an environmentalist. In 2007, while urgent environmental issues - EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Laura Argintar, Kaan Avdarn, Ashley Griesshammer, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein, Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Harsha Panduranga, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Seth Soderborg, Caroline Syms, Andrew Weiner JACOB LIGHT I V Worth the wait I don't consider myself an outdoorsy per- son. As a matter of fact, I try to avoid being outside as much as possible - especially over- night. I can count the number of times that I've camped out on one hand, and each of those instances has been for a midnight Harry Pot- ter release. While I try to avoid camping at all costs, I'll have to add another outdoor experi- ence to the tally: Waiting outside the Michigan Union to get my hands on a ticket to President Barack Obama's speech this morning. Words cannot describe how exciting it is to know that the president of the United States is going to be on our campus. Today, more than ever, it's important that our student body pays close attention to what Obama has to say. Con- servative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, Obama's address presents our student body with an incredible opportunity to hear what he is planning to do for us, as students and as Michigan residents. Obama's speech at the University is not sim- ply an opportunity to use political rhetoric to feign interest in our state's welfare. The presi- dent has consistently shown a vested interest in the state of Michigan throughout his time in office. Just months into his presidency, he invested in Michigan's automobile industry, which saved thousands of jobs and prevented two of the largest employers, General Motors and Chrysler, in our state from shutting down. During his State of the Union address on Tuesday he highlighted Michigan's economic comeback as an example of American resil- ience and successful government interven- tions. Again and again, President Obama has shown his firm commitment to the success of our state. As University students, we should also pay close attention to Obama's vision for higher education. With skyrocketing tuition costs, college is becoming increasingly out of reach for many Americans. Many at the University face the prospect of graduating with insur- mountable student debt. This frightening future is one that both President and First Lady Michelle Obama have experienced them- selves - they spent a decade repaying their own student loans. In his State of the Union address, he discussed rising tuition costs and crippling student loans, and introduced plans to increase work-study opportunities and urge states to make higher education a priority. For a state that cut higher education appropriations by 15 percent last year, Obama's call to action couldn't come at a better time. In November, we will have the opportunity to choose the person who will lead our country for the next four years. When listening to what candidates for the presidency have to say, ask yourself, "What will he or she do for students. For Michigan?" As a state, we cannot risk electing a candi- date like Mitt Romney, a man with Michigan roots who argued that the automakers should be allowed to "go bankrupt." As students, we cannot afford to elect a candidate like Newt Gingrich, who blames education debt on stu- dents' own irresponsibility. We must take great care to elect the person who supports our state and supports our education. Obama is thatcan- didate. I am willing to forego my aversion to camp- ing outdoors for only a few people. For a while, only Harry Potter could get me to get out a sleeping bag and camp outside of a bookstore or movietheater. Giventhe uncertaintyfacingour country's future, however, I think I can make an exception for Obama. As University students, we should be hon- ored that Obama is coming to address the University. His visit shows that he cares about Michigan and about students. It is up to us to give him our attention and support as we move into the most important election of our genera- tion. Jacob Light is an LSA Freshman. This Viewpoint is written on behalf of the University's chapter of College Democrats. over-caffeinat- ed, over-friend- ly beggar leaps out at you. He's holding a clip- board and recit- ing shocking pollution statis- tics. You focus your gaze on the KRISTEN sidewalk and KILEK quicken your pace. Ignoring your obvious cues, he pushes on with his agenda. "Without your help, we can't make a difference! Show us how much you care about the environ- ment and donate now!" he instructs. How exactly will your donation be used? Are there other ways in which you, a not-so-financially- endowed college student, can con- tribute to the cause? And most importantly, why is he shouting so loud? Never mind those details. He just wants you to feel guilty, really guilty, until you fork over the cash. When pitching views about the environment and public health, activists, marketers and others often use dramatic guilt and fear tactics to catch their audience's attention. Though this can be effective in attracting people to the cause, it can also come off as pushy and irritating - and unlike- ly to accomplish much in the long run. Fear and guilt-induced moti- vations to support or reject envi- ronmental initiatives are fleeting. These tactics are no substitution for solid facts, thorough research and sincere passion in their poten- tial to change long-term viewpoints and motivate others to action. It's time to look past such desperate, emotional pleas. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the for- in Washington to meet with the head of the Environmental Protec- tion Agency, Schwarzenegger com- mented on California's strong role in the forefront of modern environ- mental progress, saying, "Success- ful movements are built on passion; they aren't built on guilt." Schwarzenegger also compared environmentalism to bodybuild- ing, which he said was considered "a marginal sport for weirdos" in the past. But as with bodybuild- ing, Schwarzenegger thinks that the role of environmental issues is going to take a major shift." (Body- building) became mainstream, it became sexy, attractive - and this is exactly what has to happen with the environmental movement," he said. Maybe environmental issues don't quite have the same poten- tial for the literal attractiveness of bodybuilding, but they should be reported in a way that is interesting and accessible to the public - with- out making those listening feel like they're doing absolutely everything wrong. An interaction on that note is just plain draining. A Nov. 25 article on Canada. com echoes the importance of this sentiment. It uses terms like "eco- anxiety" to describe environmental guilt trips and states, "If you carry the weight of 'green guilt,' consider this column your permission to get over it. You can't take care of any- one if you can't take care of your- self," Canada.com reported. The article also mentions a recently published book titled, "Spit That Out! The Overly Informed Parent's Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt." The book was written to help moth- ers recover from spinning on the hamster wheel of healthy living advice and nearing a "green mom non-renewable resource depletion, loss of global biodiversity and cli- mate change, to mention a few - fear and guilt-induced decisions to make lifestyle changes in the name of sustainability aren't the answer to effective and long-term action. Though I have the utmost respect for all who make major, immedi- ate lifestyle changes in the name of sustainability, that process can be overwhelming and isn't practical for everyone. Nobody likes a cranky preachy enviromentalist I'll admit that I've taken on the persona of the unrelenting environ- mentalist in the past. Not always on purpose, but sometimes yes. It can be a force for good, but, when alone, it is less likely to have positive con- sequences than when coupled with facts, logic and pragmatism. Ecology is 'all about trade-offs. Though some organisms alter their ecosystems more drastically than others, all species must do so in order to survive. No matter how much we try to become "one with the earth," we will never literally be capable of such a feat. So, chill outa little bit. Don't ago- nize over drinking from one paper cup or give your mother the silent treatment for forgetting cloth gro- cery bags. You're doing your best - and your best will never be perfect. - Kristen Kiluk can be reached at kkiluk@umich.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @KristenKiluk. 0 FOLLOW DAILY OPINION ON TWITTER Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials, view cartoons and join in the debate. follow @michdailyoped to get updates on Daily opinion content throughout the day. --lhe podium Upgrade/Downgrade: Does birthday sex make a college relationship worth it? Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium