Still Waiting for Health Care Reform
As I sit by the babbling brook reading an article authored by Newt Gingrich opposing President Obama's health care reform legislation, I see a school of fat fish swimming up stream. They are salmon seeking to spawn and lay their hypocritical eggs in the rich waters of health insurance purchased by the well employed and enjoyed by those fortunate enough to have good jobs. They are weary of brown grizzly bears seeking to reform the health care system in America; grizzly bears eat salmon you know, wading into the babbling brooks, scooping up the salmon as the journey to their spawning grounds. Obama and those Democrats seeking to reform the health care system in America are much like the grizzly bears; but the babbling brook is rich and fat fish crying out against health care reform are plentiful.
Our nation is facing a great crisis. Over 47 million Americans are without adequate health insurance. Millions of more have lost their homes because it was the only way the could pay for astronomical medical bills. In some states the elderly are financially raped and robed to enable corrupt, for profit nursing homes, to pay for care they may not want because in home care cannot be provided or funded by the present broken elder care health system. Those fortunate to have jobs and health insurance, swimming up stream as so many salmon in a babbling brook, are acting to prevent health care reform by the brown bears for those less fortunate than themselves. Such selfish and greedy behavior is quite pathetic! Yet the conservative, fat fish salmon, swimming is a babbling brook of good jobs, wealth, and health insurance, see it as necessary to secure their own good quality of life, high standard of living, and survival in a world of grizzly bears.
The private insurance companies, the babbling brook in which the fat fish swim, are the worst because they know that if everyone gets health care, all associated cost may drop and they will soon be out of business. The masses of fat fish insured swimming up stream to spawn, continue to pay for over priced medical services and pharmaceuticals because it is covered by their policies. Yet only a small portion of insured fat fish will ever reap the full benefits of their policies; many people will die from sudden accidents or fatal injuries as do all salmon after they spawn. Others may perish as a result of sudden heart attack or stroke, as life swimming ever up stream is stressful and difficult. Still other fat fish may perish suddenly from rapid onset diseases, including everything from West Nile virus and swine flue, to such illnesses as the common cold. The insurance companies of the babbling brook know this is true; their rates are based upon the fact that statistically more people pay into the system than will ever be paid for services rendered. Thus the babbling brook continues to flow and the fat fish spawn, concerned only about themselves and their off spring, caring little for the other fish in the stream who may not have health insurance and can not afford medical care.
Why then is health care reform opposed? If there were not profit to be made off of people's misfortune, there would be no objection to health care reform. Those who oppose health care reform do so because they will profit. Listening to the arguments of those who cry fowl in regard to health care reform is like listening to a babbling brook; those fat fish salmon in the stream are covered, they have nothing at present to worry about for themselves or their children. It is only the uninsured, the 47 million fish out of the water who are suffering. The fat salmon swimming in the babbling brook of health insurance are happy with the status quo. Why should they care if their fellow man, woman or child is out of the water, panting for breath, dying because they cannot afford health care?
Those brown grizzly bears striving for health care reform suffered a great loss with the death of Senator Edward Kennedy on August 25, 2009. Sen. Kennedy was a champion of health care reform, a great grizzly bear carrying the torch of health care reform. That torch has now been picked up by another brown bear, by President Barack Obama. Ironically Sen. Kennedy died as a result of incurable brain cancer and the loss of his vote in favor of health care reform may be critical. If our representatives do not pass health care reform we may all suffer -- unless, of course, you happen to sell insurance or be one of those fat conservative salmon swimming up stream covered by the babbling brook of health insurance.
There are also those who benefit indirectly from the babbling brook of the health insurance industry. This includes newspapers and other media which advertise for insurance companies. Advertising is big business and the insurance companies are big spenders when it comes to promoting themselves, especially at a time when the present administration in Washington is seeking health care reform. If you work for a newspaper or other media which is supported to a great degree by the private insurance industry, you probably do not want health care reform, as the insurance companies are paying your salary through advertising.
Many other companies also benefit from babbling brook insurance companies. This includes all health care industries. If you are a doctor, nurse, medical technician or otherwise employed by a hospital or health care provider, you probably do not want health care reform because you may profit greatly off of those who are insured. The high cost of medical treatment and pharmaceuticals is largely a result of inflated prices enabled by the babbling brook insurance industry; health care providers therefor reap the benefits of the service they provide to those who are insured and can afford the highly inflated cost of today's health care.
Certainly those in the real estate or the auto industries do not want health care reform. These people already have jobs and can afford the high cost of babbling brook health insurance. Plus they benefit from people who are rich enough to buy homes and cars plus the babbling brook policies to cover their homes and cars.
Who then are the 47 million Americans who do not have health insurance? This includes the unemployed or those who are self employed but who do not make enough money to buy babbling brook health insurance or even squawking duck auto insurance. It includes many who are living day to day, just making enough money to pay their bills and make ends meet. There are many, many hard working people who just can not afford health insurance. But should that concern YOU if you have a good job and are insured?
Perhaps if you lost you job or home tomorrow you would be more concerned about the issue of health insurance. Certainly if you suddenly found yourself without a job or if you lost your home, you might realize the need that many uninsured people are experiencing. If you have food and have never been hungry or have never been starving, then you really don't know what it is like to be without food. Similarly, if you have never been without a good job or without health insurance, if you have never been starving for a job or sick and unable to obtain health care, then you probably do not realize what 47 million Americans are experiencing day in and day out.
When I listen to the babbling brook of those who have a job and health insurance, crying out against health care reform, I wonder what they would say if a drought came, dried up the brook and any money ponds they might have in reserve, such that they and their families were suddenly left without a roof over their head or health care? I think their babbling and opposition to health care reform might then change. You see, it is only those who are selfish and greedy, who want a good life for themselves, who are against health care reform. Until their babbling brooks dry up they will be swimming in the selfish glee of their own profit and greed, to the detriment of those less fortunate than themselves.
Therefore I pray that everyone who happens to have a job, to be covered by health insurance, will listen to those who are less fortunate than themselves. I pray that everyone who has a job and who has health insurance opens their hearts and minds and sees that although they may be living a good life, there are 47 million Americans who are not living such a good life. I pray that health care may be reformed to bring a better quality of life to the 47 million Americans who presently are suffering as a result of the broken health care system in America. I pray for all people and their families who do not have adequate health insurance, who have lost their jobs or lost their homes. I pray for all who are less fortunate that I am, who may not have a home or health insurance, who are in need of a good doctor, medicines or health care. I pray for the young and old alike, whom ever are in need, that God may grace their lives with the means to take care of themselves; but, when they are not so blessed those who are more fortunate may endeavor to share their wealth or good fortune. I pray for health care reform, not so much for myself, but for the 47 million other Americans who are suffering from lack of adequate health care, which burdens all Americans!
Life is a precious gift, more precious than all the money in the world. How much would you pay for a healthy life, that not of your own, but of another? If you were rich and knew that you had brain cancer or some other fatal disease, that you only had few days or weeks to live, what would you do with your money or with the remainder of your life? Would you try to help others who are less fortunate than you? Would you give to a charity? Would you endeavor to grant the wish of a child? Would you create a hospital for children or a fund to support research?
I ask these questions because when we realize that all life is precious and that we have only a limited number of days to live, that we have only a limited amount of time to make the world a better place with our own lives, it becomes crystal clear that whatever it cost to provide health care for all Americans, the cost should not be a factor. Yet cost is a factor because everything cost money. The question then becomes, how much do you value life and how much do you value a healthy, quality life, a life that is not disabled by ill health, disease, lack of medicine or health care when these are needed and could be had if only one had the money? How much would you give of your life to save the life on another or to rid our nation, if not the world, of disease, illness, and those many ailments which, through modern medicine and technology, now can be cured, but one might have the money to pay for a miracle?
If your child were dying, needed an expensive operation or treatment, one not covered by any amount of babbling brook insurance, yet could be made healthy if only the money could be had, to what extremes would you go to save your child's life? And if that were someone's else's child would you go to the same extreme? If your parents were old and elderly and you could not afford their health care because of the high cost associated with such care, what would you do? Would you mortgage your home? If it were the parents of someone else would you do the same? These are the types of questions facing everyone because health care is not just about our own children or parents, it is about ALL CHILDREN, ALL PARENTS and ALL PEOPLE. We are not healthy as a community, as a society, unless we provide all citizens with the same quality health care regardless of the cost!
Money should NOT be the object when it comes to health care. You can't take it with you and many people don't have it -- any money -- to take with them anyway. All they have is their lives. Those of us who are fortunate to have our health are blessed and truly in the grace of God! Yet our health is not guaranteed. No one's health is guaranteed. Is it moral or ethical, therefore, that insurance companies ask us to gamble upon our lives, upon our health, that only if we buy this or that health insurance policy we should have the money to pay for medicine or hospital care should we become ill? I would postulate that whatever type of health insurance citizens are provided, it would be most ethical and moral to provide the same health care for all citizens. Yet our rich nation does not provide health care for all its citizens; only those lucky enough to have a job or rich enough to buy health insurance are covered against that day they should become ill, need medicine or hospital care, or suffer an injury that requires hospitalization.
It simply is NOT moral or ethical that 47 million Americans should not have health care. Health care should be the FIRST benefit that our tax dollars provide, because nothing is more precious than a healthy life. Perhaps government and/or community service can be required of citizens to help fund and provide quality health care. Whatever the solution, we should take whatever steps are necessary to guarantee health care and medicine for all citizens.
You can't take it with you. Even if you are Senator Edward Kennedy, you can't take all your money with you. Ironically the passage of health care reform legislation may be hurt by the death of Senator Kennedy. I am hoping and praying that will not be the case. I'm hoping and praying that the babbling brook of fat fish swimming in the luxury of their own good jobs and lives covered by health insurance will not make so much noise that we cannot hear the cries of 47 million Americans which need health care reform. Their hurt and suffering effects our whole nation as all of our lives and futures are linked. Providing quality health insurance to all Americans will improve the quality of life for everyone such that we will have a more healthy work force, a better and more robust economy, and a stronger nation able to defend itself against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
It would be wonderful if the issue of health care reform were on the ballot. But as it is we only get to vote for representatives. I propose that each state have a referendum to vote YES or NO on health care for all citizens. It would be interesting to see how many people would actually vote for or against health care for all citizens, that tax dollars be used FIRST to fund health care for every citizen. Perhaps then we would realize that what the people want and what the fat fish swimming in the babbling brook want are NOT the same thing. Certainly 47 million uninsured Americans would vote for health care; I think the majority of Americans would also vote for health care, just as they did in the last election to put Barack Obama in the White House.
Thus I pray for health care for all Americans. I ask that everyone join me in this prayer, that every American citizen have health care. In this greatest of nations no man, woman or child should go without health care provided by the taxes they pay from cradle to grave. Nothing is more important than our lives and our health, so that should be the priority of both state and federal government! Certainly this is realized for government provides medical benefits to soldiers and to Veterans who have served our great nation. Is it too much to hope, pray for and ask that our government also provide every citizen with the same quality of health care given to those in the armed forces and to veterans?
I hope and pray for health care for all Americans and ask that YOU join me in prayer for universal health care for all American citizens. But do not stop there. Write to your representatives in Congress and urge that they support health care reform and universal health care for all Americans. So long as one citizen goes without health care we all suffer and the contribution that a health life and soul could be making to our great nation is lost! When you think that each day we are losing the contribution of 47 million Americans because they may be too sick or unable to work because of lack of health care, it is a great and staggering loss that affects our entire nation!
I hope and pray for universal health care, that all Americans be provided health care paid for by those same taxes we pay to build roads, railroads and other infrastructure. The material things money can buy means nothing when the society which uses them is unhealthy or at risk of being unable to afford medical treatment should they be injured driving down a highway or while crossing a street. How could a responsible people not first provide universal health care for all its citizens as a first priority?
I hope and pray for universal health care for all Americans! Everyone who shares my dream that we have a healthy America, an America where all its citizens can go to a doctor or hospital without worry of the cost, where every citizen can get medicine they are prescribed and can live a most healthy life without fear they will lose their home due to the staggering cost of medical treatments for a family member, is invited to join me in prayer. Perhaps if we all pray together for universal health care, God, and those fat fish Republicans babbling in the brook to defeat Obama's grizzly bear health care reform legislation, will hear our voice!
