The day after Obama’s healthcare speech and after Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) screamed out "You lie!" here are my comments sent along with my signature of a petition created by MoveOn.org (yes that one-you now know my lefty leanings, if you didn’t already) asking Congress to move ahead with a healthcare bill.
Me:
Please do the right thing for all Americans. We cannot afford to be passive. Too many lives are at stake. In the name of national security, we've been supporting 2 wars for years without an honest cost assessment. Health of our citizens is a national security issue. A healthy America is a prosperous one. Let's move ahead on healthcare for all now!
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Further thoughts of mine to consider expressed here:
How do you mend something that is broken?
Broken can mend
But how we contradict and fail our society
Reparing is not that hard to prevail
We fight wars without knowing the cost because the alternative would be,
Worse
We can help others across the globe
But here at home if we fight for the right to be healthy without going bankrupt
We are somehow
Socialist? As if, as if socialism is bad, or evil.
Without any apologies, if we can’t help ourselves
Who will?
Isn’t social security a Social System?
My family lived on SS
After my father died
My mother got a college degree
Social Security supported her and 4 kids modestly but effectively
While she went to school
We all became better people for it
Maybe that was the beginning of my
Caring for and being aware of the cause and effect
Of societal support through right action
Wanting to help make our world a better place
Do you know anyone hurt, sick, diagnosed with a disease?
Had a cold, broken bone?
Preexisting condition?
What is that?
Life is a preexisting condition!
Our system is out of control.
Have you ever seen an itemized bill for any healthcare?
Why can’t we see one?
We can’t see the cost of the Iraq war, and there it is.
We have to accept it, or end it.
Healthcare is the same, maybe if we didn’t accept conditions
(like an illusive itemized bill) that leave room for abuse,
we could make it better.
I lived in France and had a serious accident (electrical explosion)
Intensive care, burn unit the works-all covered, no kidding
I had another crazy accident in Guatemala (motorcycle)
I landed in Miami, did I go to the hospital or home to Mom’s for care?
No, I flew to France where all my tests and treatment were covered.
I had Hepatitis C for decades,
In France I was fully covered, but in the US back home,
without health insurance I took my chances,
I lived a healthy life, ate well, exercised (still do)
But the illness held me back, slowed my career, kept me down
and I kept getting sicker
Something had to be done
My sister pleaded for me to get insurance, an irresponsible act in her view. If anything happened to me how could she not intervene?
Mortgage or whatever necessary financial steps to help.
Her point, don’t create a potential family meltdown by not having insurance.
The bright spot in all this?
My partner’s company has domestic partnership and so I got insurance
Covered under her plan
Treatment for Hepatitis C, is a very expense treatment
Insurance covered all but a small deductible
I’m 5 years Hep-C free, I have a new life
I consider myself very lucky
An employee plan from a US corporation gave me this chance
Last year I had an unfortunate case of Lyme disease
I was on vacation in Italy, after 4 days I went to an emergency room
within the first 15 minutes a Neurologist at my side
A full day in the hospital, tests, CAT scan, blood work,
I asked how I should pay. Nothing, it’s all paid by the government
Nothing?
Hard working Italians paid for my care
Why can’t we do this here??
In life there are those that ruin everything for others
There are spoilers, but there are the supporters too
Some pick up, some put down
Some clean up, some trash
Some pay, some can’t
some care, some can't even try
How can we equalize and expose the inequality
It’s up to us, a civilized nation to figure it out.
In the end, we all pay.
If you’re a NY’er Why not call:
Rep. Scott Murphy: 202-225-5614
Sen. Charles Schumer: 202-224-6542
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: 202-224-4451