One of the gripes that my mother used to have was the fact that prisoners not only got health care,but also end of life care for free.Oh,Mom didn't so much begrudge criminals mercy;she just didn't like that our country was willing to pay for health care to incarcerated people,but not for life long law abiding citizens.
Mothers and fathers(grandmothers and grandfathers) could-and in most cases did- lose their life savings dying.Everything that they worked a lifetime to earn would be flushed down the toilet to pay for their,or their spouses,nursing home care.
Meanwhile,murderers and rapists got the same care at no cost.
It shook my Mom to the core.She took in my grandparents,but the 24 hour care that an Alzheimer's patient and a stroke victim had was beyond what even her registered nurse status could endure.Having five kids-most still living at home-didn't help matters.
Though she took a job at their nursing home,to see all that her parents slaved for dwindle cent by cent....
Meanwhile,murderers and rapists got the same care for free.
Well...not exactly free.Paid for by our tax dollars.
*****
My 23 year old son went off to Colorado to find adventure and work.He found a job working for a high end ski resort.He didn't make much and had no benefits.At orientation they told him even if he was sick to report to work.They would decide if he was too sick to work.So even though he had a bad cough and wasn't feeling at all well,my son reported to his station at the top of the ski lift .Coughing,he suddenly started not feeling like himself.He could hardly breath.
He called down and told his immediate supervisor that he felt really,really sick.He told the supervisor that it hurt to breath.My son was told to stay at his job.An hour later my son called my wife.Knowing by how he sounded that he was not well,my wife told him to find immediate treatment.
To make a long story short,my son had a collapsed lung.
We went out to Denver to be with him.It was his third day of being in the hospital when we arrived.No one from his work had visited or checked in on him.When we went to see him on the forth day our son had told us that he had called work to file a workman's comp claim.Low and behold in the time it took to get down to Denver from the resort a woman risk manager just happened to be in the area to visit my hospitalized son.
She immediately got to the point.They weren't going to recognise his claim,"After all,it wasn't like he skied into a tree or fell off the ski lift."She told him if he was that sick that he should have stayed home.And if he was that sick on the job that he should have called down to his immediate supervisor.
My son said that he did call his immediate supervisor,and that she,herself,was present at the orientation that demanded that they report to work whether they were sick or not.
She said,"Oh,I didn't have that information."
I stepped in and asked her why she was so willing to deny his claim without all the information?
My wife said that [since Obama~care was in affect] our son was covered under our insurance.
That's when the lady got friendly.
Now...if it hadn't been for Obamacare,this giant money making ski resort would had left my son high and dry.They would had deviously washed their hands of the whole affair,and my son:just following and living by the rules of company he worked for,would have been perpetually in debt for the rest of his life.
*****
People in prison get health care.People on welfare get health care.Now imagine that you are a single mom raised in a poor community.Or maybe just the poor side of town.Your schools are run down.Your family's in ruins.You have a cellphone and a Tv,but not a job.The good thing is that your babies can go see the doctor,the dentist,get eyeglasses.You can eat.You have food on the table.
But you want more.You don't want to go to prison.You're tired of mooching off the government.
So you decide you will take any job you can find.Sure,a good percentage of your earnings will go to pay a sitter,but you're working.It's not forty hours a week;it's not Monday -Friday,but you are working.
The kicker:the job doesn't offer benefits.No more eye care.No more doctor's visits.No more food stamps.
Then the baby gets sick.Or the sitter quits.The car breaks down.
*****
I have found that the only people against universal health care are people with health care.
Life Liberty and The Pursuit OF Happiness.
These are American standards.Sure,for a lot of people the idea of chasing the carrot is the America ideal.But it is not the idea of freedom for many,many Americans.
And it is ironic that even corporate elitists find the idea of 'slaving' for the man to be contemptible.
These companies that play the shell game of avoiding and/or not paying any or all of their taxes shouting for welfare cheats and Democrats to quit acting like they are 'entitled' to government handouts are speaking out of both sides of their mouths.
Down with government regulations!The government is destroying big business! Get big government off big business's back!
O-kay,except for the part where government gives big businesses 30 year tax breaks on the land that the government gives to these self~same businesses in order to stay or come into a territory.Except for then building these businesses roads,water lines etc.,etc.,and so forth in order for them to-perhaps-stay.
O-kay,except for deregulating laws that put a checks and balances on businesses' treating their associates fairly as if they were actually a part of the company.
These companies and the bosses believe that they are the only true 'entitled elitists'.They are the billionaires/millionaires justified at getting their way at every turn.
After all,their philosophy is: All men created equal?My ass!
*****
As a Christian,I have problems with people claiming that other people feel entitled to this or that.
The word 'entitled' comes with some baggage.
When you say,"Other people feel 'entitled',what are you really stating?
I believe that now~a~days many people when they call other people 'entitled to' really mean that the people they are talking about are beneath them..
It's not like it used to mean when you said something like,"He's entitled to those benefits.He works hard to earn them."
Now,it has become a slanderous word.When you say 'entitled' you,now,mean the lazy folks below your standards feel they should have the same rights and benefits as you get.
And this is telling.
Because,by rote,this implies that you also believe that you believe in persons whom are better than you.
And how do you gage success?
By whom has the most cash.
This person's god is the almighty dollar.
And you can not serve both God and money.
For whatever you do to the least of my brothers,that you do unto me.
Lord,when did we see you hungry and feed you,or thirsty and give you something to drink?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they shall be satisfied.
*****
Yet,these money worshippers put the chains of their burdens on the rest of us.
They put a stigma on being poor.A shame on not praying at the alter of consumerism.How dare they have consumer products that they are not worthy of having?
How dare they claim to be free Americans when they don't work at chasing the corporate carrot ?
They can't be a man because they don't smoke the same brand of cigarettes as I do!
*****
It's as if the FOX is in charge of the hen house.And the FOX has an unconquerable thirst for more and more and more and more.And the FOX will condemn and destroy all and everything and everyone that does not tow the line and agree with it;that does not chase after the same thing it chases after.It is like the soup nazi that must have it his way,or not at all!Consumerism and it's lust for it's power has become our American way of life.Greed has become our savior and protector.Our protector/our gun is the law of the land.And there is no law except the law of the gun...
*****
But Jesus said,"Those who drink of the water I give will never be thirsty again."
"If you would be perfect,go sell what you possess and give to the poor,and you will have treasure in heaven;and come,follow me."
*****
There is a disconnect here.The same people that are claiming to be the Christian right.The harbingers of truth.Are not-in fact-being truthful.They sneer at citizens feeling 'entitled' to benefits they don't deserve.It is as if the slogan,"Of the people,by the people,for the people," simply does not exist in our governmental language.They talk the talk,but can't speak the lingo.They can't comprehend that this land is my land/this land is your land.
They have ears but can not hear;eyes but can not see.
*****
I guess that this is the trouble with mixing in publicly your religion with your political views.I guess this is why our founding fathers debated state and religion and decided on keeping the two separate.Now,it's your long banging cymbal over your righteous deeds.We see the poor and talk in words in order not to feed them.
But the rich can be poor,too.Poor in spirit.They can have an unquenchable thirst.Who is to see to their needs?
If we behave as they do,no one.We will just continue on complaining as they do.Righteous in our own minds of our actions and deeds.
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled,and those who humble themselves will be exalted
.
So,I suggest this:In America,we believe in Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.We believe that all people are created equal.We believe in the separation of Church and State.So,if you are politically inclined to do so,pray.Put God first in your heart and treat your fellow citizens as you would want to be treated.
And then do as those not inclined to prayer: Follow the heart of the Constitution,not necessarily the letter of the law,but what is in it's heart.The government of the people,by the people,for the people should put the people first.THE PEOPLE FIRST!
E Pluribus Unum.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
