She IS Worth It!

Recently an old and incredibly dear friend of mine wrote a very sincere post on Facebook. Before I tell you what was posted I want you to understand that I grew up with her, and let me tell you....She is smart, educated, compassionate, and anything but a "moocher". She was diagnosed with Ataxia, a degenerative neurological disorder. And, it is people like her that need the programs so many are willing to give up for a little money. Here is what she posted, "I'd just like to ask that when people are deciding who to vote for, they consider people like me who are on welfare and Medicare who are anything but lazy and do not deserve to be lumped into a stereotype." Unfortunately this is true of the majority of people on these services.

Dems Backing Gay Marriage Critique

In Nicholas J. Quaschnik's post, Dems Backing Gay Marriage he starts by explaining that the Democrat's finally are standing for something he believes in, but "........if only they weren't just doing it for the votes." Gay marriages is a touchy subject but it is especially so amongst Christians and Texas. Nicholas writes that he has never really cared much for Obama, but now with his recent approval of gay marriage he really does not like him...He goes on to state, "To me it's more of a mockery than it is actually backing up a cause." He also states that Obama has been wishy- washy over his stance on LBGT rights. What??? I must be confused. The President stands up and agrees for something he believes in, but now he dislikes him even more...I wonder if Nicholas was one of the many lined up at Chick-Fil-A to stand up for free speech? The reason I ask this is because if Obama is making a mockery out of the cause then one could say the same thing about the CEO of Chick-Fil-A going "all political". Whether the company believed in what he said or not they sure did make a lot of money on August 1, 2012. My point is there will always be an "ulterior motive" we can use against whom we do not like. Nicholas, who is/was in the Navy obviously agreed with Obama's repel of Don't Ask Don't Tell policy otherwise he would not have stated that his best friend is a lesbian in the military with him and, "I would pick her over a straight man to go to war with. Not because of the stereotype that she’s a butch or crap like that. But because I know that no matter what, she’s not going to judge me for being straight, she’s got the heart of a saint, and well, she’s a badass." I feel like his heart was in the right place when writing this editorial, but Obama HAS stood with lesbians and gay citizens the past four years. His choice to come out and support gay marriage this year could have very well been a pull for votes, but in doing so he lost a lot of "gung-ho" Christian voters, which he should have had "in the bag" because Romney is a mormon, but now he doesn't. I agree that everyone deserves equal rights and I have plent of friends in the gay community, but whatever reason Obama had for supporting them is a GREAT thing. I do not think he has been unclear in his feelings. After all HE is the one that repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell. Every President hopeful is going to pull the rug out from under us a few times, but while timing was coincidental I do not believe this was one of those times.

Preventative Care

I happen to be a fan of Obamacare. Maybe I do not agree with all aspects of it but who has really read the 900 page Act from front to back and agreed with everything in it. This is just one step in the right direction. One more awesome perk to the Affordable Care Act went into effect earlier this week, and it mostly affects women and preventative care. From the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in Texas they announced that as of Aug. 1 all new insurance policies will be required to cover essential women’s health services at no out-of-pocket cost to patients. This is not only for Texas but the Nation as a whole. According to Joyce Frieden of KevinMD.com in How Healthcare Reform Affects Women , "An estimated 30 million women will be helped by the new health reform law over the next 10 years, according to a report from The Commonwealth Fund." The covered services include: Well-woman checkups, contraceptive coverage and counseling, domestic violence screening and counseling, breastfeeding support and supplies, and gestational diabetes screening. These services will not only save women money, but insurance companies as well. Because of free preventative screening that women will no longer be put off due to financial reasons. The coverage of screenings for breast and cervical cancer as well as smoking and alcohol cessation will prevent a host of problems that cost insurance companies much more money if not treated. If cancer is detected early, it can often be treated and eradicated, saving insurance companies from paying bills for costly medications and treatments for years at a time – not to mention the lives being saved. Smoking and alcohol cessation also have countless reasons for saving both the woman and insurer money including liver disease, heart disease, cancer, COPD and even Fetal Alchohol Syndrome for unborn children. These are just a few of the problems that could arise without proper preventative care and treatment. The much-debated Affordable Care Act was in jeopardy of being nullified earlier this summer when the Supreme Court took up a challenge to the law. Since most of the law still stands – thanks to a 5-4 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts (which was incredibly controversial) – people around the country will continue to benefit from its immediate changes and others that will be implemented between now and 2014. Effective immediately children under 26 can continue to stay on a parent's insurance plan withouth lifetime payout limits. They have also made it law that anyone with a pre-existing condition cannot be denied insurance coverage. The above statement is incredibly important. In 2010, my uncle Pat (a male) could do none other than bash talk "Obamacare". "It will just cost us more money in the long run," he would say. This was before he was diagnosed with Stage One Lymphoma in early 2011. He has worked for the school district for over 25 years and had great benefits and health insurance to help him through this milestone in all of our lives, but not everyone has that kind of safety net. He is in full remission as of last month, but with the new Act laws he can NEVER be turned down for insurance because of his cancer. This is a monumental accomplishment. He is not Pro-Obama or even Pro-Obamacare, but he now knows there are some things in the Affordable Care Act that we must have, and that will only benefit the people in this country. Needless to say he has changed his "tune". As for me, someone who has had to have two lumpectomies before I turned 25 for precancerous tumors in my breast I am more than tickled at the new laws starting to take place. Hopefully they will help keep me healthy and cancer free instead of in a clinic with Stage 4 Breast Cancer with nowhere to turn. Some new laws have gone into effect but it only to "new" plans, pre-existing plans do not have to honor this law yet. But, according to a survey done by the National Women's Law Center that 90 percent of all large U.S. companies expect that their health plans will lose grandfathered status by 2014, and “eventually all plans will lose their grandfathered status ... At that point, all plans will cover these important preventive health services without cost sharing,” the center’s website states. It has been said over the years by doctors and the like that preventing diseases and sickness is easier and more affordable than treating them. We, as well as our insurance companies should take advantage of these new perks. It is going to save so much more money in the long run. As the aspects of the Affordable Care Act slowly go into place we should slowly, BUT surely see the difference for everyone affected.

Pro-Obama or Anti-Romney?

I had been waiting for a week to get my dishwasher fixed, and believe me I was most excited to find the repairman at the door this afternoon, but did not know that I was in for a political "treat". As I talked with him about the summertime, and the fact that you have to force children out of the house nowadays, unlike when I or him were little and were out by 9:00 A.M and not back home until dinner was on the table our conversation took a turn to politics. I asked if he was Democrat or Republican, and his answer was delightful. He said, "While I do not mind Obama I cannot say I am pro-Obama, but I am definitely a Democrat, and very much anti-Romney." The comment seemed to make perfect sense to me, a lesser of two evils scenario I guess. He then went on to point out that he felt like Romney had ostracized women and "every minority possible". So, I began to think.... What else does a president need to know? The answer came to me through an article by The Houston Chronicle. Amy Tiebel wrote, "Romney Angers Palestinians with Pro-Israel Comment". In Romney's latest political campaign trip to Israel he made comments that have started quite a stir. He states, "You notice a stark difference in economic vitality...And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things." These statements left Palestinian leaders outraged. The Palestinian Labor Minister felt that Romney's statements were a clear sign of "a true racist spirit". As I continued to look for more evidence on Romney's "racist spirit" I came across yet another article in The Washington Post . In the article written by Phillip Rucker and Joel Greenberg, "Romney faces Palestinian criticism for Jerusalem remarks as he heads to Poland" they really highlighted Romney's lack of cultural intelligence. He stated that he had pondered the Israeli's obvious advantage over surrounding countries, but how can he ponder such things and not know the true facts. Saeb Erekat, a top aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, said in an interview, “All I can say is that this man needs a lot of education. He doesn’t know the region, he doesn’t know Israelis, he doesn’t know Palestinians, and to talk about the Palestinians as an inferior culture is really a racist statement.” I cannot speak for everyone in this nation of ours, but I know that I want a strong, honest, compassionate, and knowledgeable leader. From what I have seen so far Romney just is not that. Actually, according to Newsweek's Michael Tomasky, "He’s kind of lame, and he’s really ... annoying. He keeps saying these ... things, these incredibly off-key things. Then he apologizes immediately—with all the sincerity of a hostage. Or maybe he doesn’t: sometimes he whines about the subsequent attacks on him. But the one thing he never does? Man up, double down, take his lumps.” In an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll released last week, 45 percent of respondents said President Obama would make the better commander in chief, while 35 percent said Romney would. Forty-eight percent said Obama was “knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency,” while 32 percent said that phrase better described Romney. The race is just beginning and over the next couple of months we all need to decide what we want in a President before we hit the voting polls. Don't ask yourself, "Am I Republican or Democrat?" Instead ask, "Who better represents America as a whole, and am I willing to overlook party stigmas?" I came to the conclusion that President's should not only be educated on world news, but on the values and culture in our surrounding countries. Our President should be a clear reflection of the multi-cultural and diverse country the United States is. While we need someone who is strong and willing to stand for our values, we also need someone willing to educate themselves on other cultures and countries as well. Afterall, he is our "spokesperson".

Health Care

Libertarians favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. They believe people should have the right to decide what kind of insurance they want (if any). They also believe people should be able to make all of their medical decisions, of whether to be treated or not. And that people have the right to purchase insurance across state lines. Democrats are in strong favor of Health Care Reform. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires individuals not covered by employer- or government-sponsored insurance plans to maintain minimal essential health insurance coverage or pay a penalty unless exempted for religious beliefs or financial hardship, a provision commonly referred to as the individual mandate. Republicans believe the key to real healthcare reform is to give control of the health care system to the patients and providers, not the government. Libertarians feel very strongly about the Supreme Court ruling to uphold Obamacare. They believe it has torn down the walls of the Constitution and takes any sense of freedom and liberty from the American people. Mark Hilgenberg, the Libertarian Party Chair of Utah, stated “Contrary to outraged cries from Republicans that it’s some sort of radical departure from our “free enterprise” system, Obamacare is in fact a direct continuation of the bipartisan neoliberal consensus of the past thirty years." Republicans took a little more elegant approached and wrote, " It's time to repeal Obamacare and replace it with commonsense, step-by-step reforms that will actually lower costs." But even the Libertarians do not want a Romneycare to replace Obamacare. Now, I may be a little biased about my opinions on this topic because I am a supporter of the Act (or Obamacare) and a Democrat. But, in my opinion, I feel that the Libertarians are being a little "far-fetched"in their expectations or platforms in healthcare. We often hear politicians talk about the future of tomorrow, but where will the future be if everyone is sick and dying with no insurance. On December 6, 2011 while speaking to a group of about 100 students at a small Iowa Christian college, Santorum claimed that no one in America has ever died because they didn’t have health care coverage. This is not true. In FACT, “Researchers from Harvard Medical School say the lack of coverage can be tied to about 45,000 deaths a year in the United States — a toll that is greater than the number of people who die each year from kidney disease.” (New York Times, 2009) In September of 2011 while campaigning against Obamacare Lindsay Bayerstein wrote an article on Ron Paul's campaign manager "dying penniless and uninsured". When Paul was being interviewed about a 30 year old man dying of cancer because of lack of health care this is what happened..."That's what freedom is all about: taking your own risks. This whole idea that you have to take care of everybody—" Paul began before he was drowned out by hoots of glee from the audience. Blitzer asked if we should just let the guy die, which drew cheers from the crowd. Paul allowed that maybe churches could step in and fill the void. The article then goes on to say that his campaign manager had racked up $400,000 in medical costs. To me, that is not dying "free", but leaving debt left to your loved ones. These articles were downright depressing. People cheering for a man dying because a party did not want to support a plan to help people with their insurance? The last article I read, Sick + Tired, published in the Texas Observer was incredibly sad. A young man died eight months after his diagnosis of prostate cancer, not because he did not catch it in time, but because that is how long the fight took to get him seen and treated. He did not even last two weeks after his surgery. What a waste. What everyone seems to forget is that this Act takes care of those with pre-existing conditons. Two years ago I had to have two lumpectomies in fear of breast cancer, while my results came back negative, they also came back pre-cancerous. Once pre-cancerous is on your charts, and no better at 25 years old, it is hard to get AFFORDABLE insurance. The Obamacare is going to make it possible for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions to once again afford healthcare. I believe in liberty and freedom just as much as the next guy, but I do believe with all three parties listed that sometimes they are not thinking about what is in the best interest of the people but what is in the best interest of the election or their party. It is hard for me to imagine that people do not have compassion for others when they are sick. Obamacare definitely is not perfect but it is a step in the right direction. I do not have any feelings of security with the Libertarians platform, and the Republicans need to emphasize their "reform" policies. I encourage everyone to not only understand the health care platforms but research what they truly stand for before deciding if you will stand with them. http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/santorum-no-one-has-ever-died-because-they-didnt-have-health-care/politics/2011/12/06/31304 http://www.democrats.org/issues/health_care http://www.lp.org/platform http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2012/06/libertarian-candidates-oppose-supreme-court-decision-to-uphold-obamacare/

Something to laugh about...

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Would you miss them?

Recently on Think Progress' website a blog was posted by Igor Volsky titled 10 Things You Would Miss About Obamacare, and I loved it.

Volsky's blog was self-explanatory. Volsky makes the diagnosis that we need an "overall" healthcare system, but in case you forgot these are the things you would miss from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. 

Needless to say Volsky is a fan of the proposed healthcare system. He has so nicely made a list of what "we" or "you" might miss if it were shut down or ruled unconstitutional. I felt like the biggest problem of the blog was that he should have listed things we wouldn't miss. Afterall people tend to read as well as grasp literature that is perceived to be unbiased.

On a more positive note... Volsky listed "rules" that were already in place that most people take for granted and are unaware it is Obamacare.

I definitely think if you are not a fan of Obamacare you need to read this blog, it may help sway your position.


Update: Because I read this article in the beginning of the week and wrote about it at the end there is a slight update. After weeks of political propoganda the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Act.