Public Outcry Denies Public "Option"

-Boy oh boy! The town hall I saw, recently televised by PBS, showed me a bewilderingly dangerous lack of understanding among the American polity.

I don't remember what town, which week, which experts appeared on the panel, because I was
immediately overtaken by a shocking insight:

Neither the panelists, nor the audience, seemed to realize what the word "option" actually means. Option means choice, meaning one can CHOOSE...which should not have taken on the politically-loaded, pejorative connotation perceived by the anti-abortion contingent in the U.S. (oh, YES, Democrats ARE involved, so that must mean the issues are exactly the SAME, all across the factual, moral, ethical, practical landscape.)

For anyone still confused, dismissive, or merely suspicious:

Any American would have the right to retain their current insurance provider, purchase private
insurance if they don't have any now, --OR--

Choose THE PUBLIC OPTION. There would, most probably, be income limitations to qualify for the Option, so as to not bankrupt insurance companies across the country. This is not a mandate, command, demand, etc.

Why then, since this seems like a straightforward notion, has The Tower of Babble been erected again over this?

Everybody, this ISN'T THAT HARD.....let's recur to a dictionary when obvious confusion erupts.