In the past 48 hours, we experienced something extraordinary, an event whose importance can’t possibly be understated. We just saw history unfold right in front of our eyes.

At 11:15 p.m. Saturday, the Congress of the United States of America, after a century of bickering, fighting, arguing and debating, finally passed a comprehensive health insurance reform bill. Finally it’s been a long century of trying and battling for universal health care for all Americans, with the last notable try occurring in 1993 under Clinton’s administration.

Regardless of your opinion on whether this solution works, no one can argue against the size and extent of the problem. There are facts that can’t be denied.

Nearly 40 million Americans today live without health care. Medical debt is the principal cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States. Nearly 100,000 people die annually from lack of health care. Not only has universal health care reform been implemented by every industrialized nation (with the notable exception of, you guessed it, us), it has also successfully been implemented in a number of developing countries.

Denying these facts is not only ignorant, but also unpatriotic, as it’s this selfish and boorish stance of denial that has left tens of millions of Americans seeing the repercussions of this failed system.

Now I don’t know about you, but when I hear and read about that, I am saddened and embarrassed. In the greatest country on Earth, how can we possibly let this matter get this out of hand? It’s clear that this is a huge problem that needs a clear, viable solution soon.

The ironic thing is that as college students, this issue should be of great importance to us. We are at a stage in our lives where we will soon experience what it means to buy our own health insurance. Shouldn’t we care about this issue even more?

I am not asking you to support the current health care bill but I am pleading for us to push the partisan shenanigans aside, realize and accept that there’s a problem, and then try and push for a viable solution.

The current health care reform bill is historic. Its passing is an epic event and should be a celebration, on both sides.

That by no means suggests that it’s a perfect bill. On the contrary, it has its own fair share of flaws. But at the same time, this is the exact reason bills go through a long legislative process — to iron out the kinks and perfect it.

As usual, we have no time to celebrate this event. The bill heads to the Senate next, where it will go through an even more grueling and brutal process. It’s our duty not only to firmly stand behind this bill, but to argue our cases against it too, for that’s the only way we can ensure that an adequate plan that’s acceptable to us passes through the process and becomes a law.