Wednesday, December 23, 2009

An Open Letter to Politicians. . .and a rant.

Dear President Obama and Congress,

Please stop compromising on health care. You know what should go into this legislation, please do the right thing.

Thank you,
All of Us

And now, we rant. . .

I don't want to have to be forced to pay for insurance that doesn't work for me. I don't want the government telling me what is good for me, (my history with government funded health advisories isn't the greatest). I really don't like the idea that alot of the current plan revolves around giving exemptions to specific states so that the senator from that state will vote for the current bill, or that pharmaceutical companies are dictating what medicines we will be allowed to choose, (No matter how they dress it up, that is price fixing at it's most blatant) or that we shouldn't allow support/money for coverage of abortions, (a legalized way to try and stop abortion).

I am an aware citizen of the United States of America, I served my country during the Cold War, and I've always tried to stand up for what is right. I feel that, with the current legislation, I am being penalized for attempting to make a better life for my family because I'm making a living that pays our bills and allows us to pursue alternative health options for my son, who is on the autistic spectrum, (hence the name of the blog).

I know that we need to 'Do Something' about health care. Considering that my wife and I are uninsured, I keenly feel this is something that should be high up on our country's priority list. Having said that, I also feel that if this bill were really the answer to the country's health care problems, why isn't everyone excited about it? Why is there such a battle to get the votes needed?

I cannot believe that there are that many senators that want to miss the boat and be able to brag that they helped make America's Health Care System the marvel of the modern world. I also can't believe that the Republican party would have NOTHING to do with this. A sure sign radical conservatives and radical liberals are now at each others throats. With a gridlock like this, our country is stuck getting nothing done, and having the 'other guy' to blame makes this the perfect storm for politicians to posture and bluster and make like they are earning their massive retirement packages while Rome burns.

This entry is getting depressing even to me! Seriously, why aren't we, as citizens, doing more to correct this never ending comedy of errors? Unfortunately, I'm so tired just trying to keep my own boat afloat that I have little time or energy left over to be an activist, which ups my stress levels quite a bit, I can tell you.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Is This The End Of A Nation Of Self-Centered Pricks?

I watched the Inauguration Speech on the 20th.

I haven't done that in nearly two decades.

I've thought of immigration to find a country that might take a better stand on healthcare. I've watched as people point at my son, called him names, and rejected my family, not just my son, because of his autism.

People that make comments at the grocery store, when my son hums to calm himself after being bombarded by chemicals and perfumes from all directions.

I've seen government money denied for research against even the scientists recommendations, based on a simple fact. . .

No one wants to admit to wrong-doing because that would be an admission that our system is broken, corrupt, and misguided.

Hell, I didn't even know it until I had my face rubbed in it.

We've spent decades learning to look out for number one, keep up with the Jones', make the quick deal, screw over the other guy, (whoever that might be at the time). Unions that have lost sight of their original mission, protect workers from gross abuses by employers. Companies that ignore the long-term picture for short-term returns. It's all about the individual, not the community.

Now we're paying the piper. 401k's are damn near useless/valueless, Companies have lost half or more of their value. If our economy hadn't gotten so big to begin with, this would be the second Great Depression. Our economic numbers have fallen more than the original Great Depression! Only the regulatory procedures put in place after the first Depression have kept us from all being smashed under the weight of rampant uncontrolled capitalism.

WAKE UP!

I've grown tired of explaining why I don't watch television to people. I've learned that supplements for my son means that I don't have a 401k. I struggle against non-believers who tell me that autism is incurable, or worse, people who give me sympathy because they don't believe I'll recover my son, but don't want to offend me. I'm tired of reading about studies that 'disprove a link between vaccines and autism', but never mention a single idea as to what is causing autism. I'm also tired of being lumped in with all the men, (and women) who have abandoned their children because of autism.

There are those of us who actually do care and do have a sense of responsibility for what we do! I didn't have a child because I was too interested in getting laid to bother with birth control. I actually WANTED a child. . .

I'm hoping that the new president will help change the general perception of responsibility so that everyone, not just a few of us, start to take responsibility for their own actions.