disinterested

is what my piece had to be. Not uninterested, no no, I had to be very interested in the topic. But I had to be detached-- couldn't pick a side, even though I have one.

For the first few paragraphs, it was easy, because I was mostly giving background and talking generalities, but by the end, when I was getting to thinking, "ok what's the point," and the reader is too, I totally stalled and stumbled. I still may have left just a hint of opinion in there at the end (or maybe a little throughout), but I don't mind that. Heck, I am right, after all.

But still, it's a different kind of writing than I'm used to. In a normal essay or college paper, your opinion is the point. You want the professor to know what you think and you want the professor to think you're smart. In an article like this, you want the reader to think that HE's smart, and then convince him of an idea while also convincing him that you're not convincing him and he thought it all along.

So it's a little choppy, and some parts might get a little too academic-sounding. Then again, some parts probably sound like I'm talking down, which no one likes. But what can I say, I'm new to this scene. I'm working on it.

Meanwhile, if you are interested in the prospect of universal health care, perhaps you'd like to take a gander.