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In the mid 1980’s Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and slew of other pop stars collaborated together on the song “We Are the World.” Just a few years ago, San Diego based band P.O.D. released a song called “Youth of the Nation,” which blared on radio stations all across the globe. Though the songs differ slightly with their intended message, the common denominator is the same- our future, the “youth of the nation.”

Unfortunately, at the moment, the future of our great nation doesn’t look so bright. The lack of adequate health care in the U.S. has been an issue at the fore front since the electoral campaign. More recently, it has become a major target for self absorbed, right wing enthusiasts everywhere. Republicans and a select few liberals are monotonously reverberating a nonfigurative point of view; in other words, the bigger piece of the puzzle has been lost in a sea of thoughtlessness.

Universal health care or public option? These are the questions that have sparked a great amount of debate among Fox News protagonists and their opposition- ultra conservatives choosing to manipulate audiences by feigning concern for the elderly.

Clearly, the real problem does not lie with the universal health care versus public option angle. The actual issue is what is behind the curtain; it is the motive behind the need for change in America’s lagging health care system, a causative factor most of society has conveniently forgotten about. What the media on the far right doesn’t tell you about, is the staggering number of individuals who are consequentially suffering because they have a pre-existing condition. A recent survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund calculated that over 12.6 million non-elderly adults, or 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from private / individual insurance companies were discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition diagnosed in the past three years.

This discriminatory behavior is not a new concept; it has been an invariable barrier in our government for decades, specifically where it concerns mental illness. Even when individual states implemented their “high risk pool” programs, mental illness was rigorously limited in terms of coverage when compared to other pre-existing conditions.

Tragically, the impact mental illness has on our society is grossly undervalued. Data gathered during the Global Burden of Disease Study by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, Harvard University, and released by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) showed that, “mental illness, including suicide, accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies, such as the United States.” This percentage accounts for more than all cancers combined. So why is it only now that there is urgency for change? Beyond that, why is the decision we make on the current health care reform proposal so crucial to our future endeavors? The answer is simple- Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, P.O.D. and others had it right the first time. Our children are the future.

I’m sure it’s hard to imagine a child associated with the phrase “mentally ill,” but it is far more prevalent than you might think. The rise in school violence over the years should have been a clear indicator that the kids are not alright. Studies indicate mental illness affects one out of every five young people at any given time, and of those adolescents with a diagnosable disorder, over two-thirds are not getting the help they need, according to Mental Health America (MHA) and the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s not just the lofty number of adolescents facing mental illness that’s troublesome however, researchers connected to NIMH have found that “half of all lifetime cases begin by age 14, and three quarters have begun by age 24, truly making mental disorders the chronic disease of the young.” When these disorders go untreated, the child is likely to enter adulthood with a more difficult case to treat, and a high possibility of developing a dual diagnosis.

With the new health care reform proposal, we have a chance to give the next generation, and the generations to come, the hope and help that eluded those that came before them. Let’s make the right choice.

Annabella Hargrove