A warning: Nuns' plight suggests more than trouble with Obamacare

There is a problem when you put people in charge of running a government who only have experience at running a government.

They don't understand productivity. They are unaware of little things called "budgets." And, most importantly, they do not seem to understand that the execution of a problem in the real world is much, much harder and more complicated than the same new initiative started in the bureaucratic shelter they are used to working under.

They are not used to terms like "measurable outcomes" and "practical application." Those are not factors in discussions that involved bureaucrats. And neither is the word "accountability."

What is considered success in their world is a dismal failure in the real world.

So what happens when you put a group like that in charge of something as important as health care?

You get a health care plan that looks good on paper, yet has so many problems that there is real concern that perhaps, maybe, it should be scrapped and someone should start over.

But today, on a Sunday, in a community where many Wayne County residents will be at church, think about this story.

It is a tale of a group of nuns who dedicate their lives to providing homes for the elderly poor who are dying and have no one to care for them.

They want to be exempted from an Obamacare requirement that would force their insurer to provide birth control. They are Catholic, but they do not fall under the automatic waiver for religious organizations.

So, they must sign a paper that says they object -- but then their insurer will provide the coverage anyway. They do not want to sign. And they should not have to.

This is an argument of principle that has gone all the way to the Supreme Court.

But it is more than that. It is an example of what happens when a monolith is charged with providing a one-size, shoved down your throat order of what Americans should do and believe.

It is a reason to be concerned, not only about religious freedom and overreaching government, but about bureaucracy and its power -- and what it means for the future.

The nuns' story -- and the stand they have taken -- is a reminder to stand up, now, to speak up, before the next principle falls victim to bureaucracy.

It is not just about healthcare. Not anymore.

Published in Editorials on January 4, 2014 11:03 PM