Healthcare and my future here

You all know by now that health care is something I'm passionate about. I do not understand why Americans think we're #1 in the world, when nearly half of all countries in the world have healthier people than we do (according to the World Health Organization.) I realize there are a number of reasons for that, one of which is our abysmal lifestyle here in the States. But we could slowly change that for the better, if we'd just try to.

Anyhoo, if health care isn't your thing, you probably won't care about this clip from The Daily Show recently. You should care, and should research this topic on your own. Our health care system is a massive drain on our economy, and on our main street lives. Jobs, wages, possibilities of moving up in the world. All of these are related to the cost of health care in America.

One of the blogs I read almost daily, Momma Politico, posted a lengthy clip of Bill Clinton on The Daily Show. It was fabulous! But, I wanted to post just a portion of the interview, because in it Mr. Clinton talks about health care, and brings home my point about the costs. Thanks for posting, MP!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Bill Clinton Extended Interview Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

When smart people realize that America could be better, I hope we move in that direction. Right now, I have a very negative view of America's future. In that, I guess I'm not unlike most of the TeaBaggers. (Yikes!) I am angry. Angry that we haven't wanted to do better. Angry that those in power continue to manipulate the masses, so they can keep their money and their power. Angry that the masses are so uneducated about everything that they don't even realize they are being manipulated. Angry that they vote against their own interests time after time after time.

So, when a poll comes out asking if you are happy with the way the country is moving, or happy with the job this Administration is doing, I probably end up in the same category as all those angry TeaBaggers. I want more! I want Obama to man up and fight for what's right, not compromise from the middle to the right. I want Americans to be educated. I want us all to have a better life.

I voted for Obama, and I'd do it again. But I'm not happy with what he's done, mainly because I believe he squandered the momentum he had. We could have so much more right now, but he wanted to get bipartisan support. He was more worried about making people happy than he was about doing the right thing.

Politics is a nasty business. I know. And every day I get more and more discouraged by the whole theatrics of it all. And when my husband and I sit down and talk about what we want to do after the kids move out, one of the first things we agreed on was considering a lengthy stay abroad. That is SAD! I want to be proud to be here. Proud to live in a country that's tolerant, and works towards ideals that every person be free. Freedom isn't just about religion. It's about the ability to make something of yourself. Unless things change, and the religious right settles down and stops trying to become a theocracy, I don't feel we have that here anymore.

My eyes are open. I hope to see the change we need soon.

Hypocrisy rules the day

I was thrilled to see U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker rule Proposition 8 in California Unconstitutional. Hooray! It seems that he read the Constitution after all. Not like those that were for Prop 8 in the first place.

Take Newt Gingrich, for example. This man had his hey-day already, running Congress (basically) for years, and making that stupid "Contract with America" that seems to have made it wrong to discuss any opposition to what our government is doing, be it engaging in wars or cutting taxes on the rich. I always thought questioning the government's actions was patriotic. Silly me!

Newt's got a YouTube video out to explain the need for Prop 8 and the horrible "activist judges" that strike down unconstitutional legislation. Funny, I never hear complaints about "activist judges" when they agree with him. Anyway, here's the video:



And, of course, he had to go on the O'Reilly Factor back in November to explain why we need to save marriage. Here's the video of that:



Newt's own words, according to Think Progress, are quite hilarious. He says, "Judge Walker's ruling overturning Prop 8 is an outrageous disrespect for our Constitution and for the majority of people of the United States who believe marriage is the union of husband and wife." Apparently, the Constitution is a sacred and holy text, unless it doesn't jive with your religious and homophobic beliefs.

What I really want to know is why is gay marriage so dangerous? What does it do to me? How does it affect my marriage, or my life? No one can answer that question, which makes me suspicious of their motives. Nearly everyone my age couldn't care less if the LGBT community was allowed equal rights. Marriage seems like the least they should receive.

And when people (like Newt) complain about the danger gay marriage poses to marriages in general, I say what about divorce? Now, as I see it, that's the real danger to marriage. And Newt's had 3 wives so far! From my perspective, he's a threat to marriage more than my gay friends and neighbors.

I can understand if there are some who believe that my views are wrong. But those beliefs are not religious in origin. My beliefs about equal rights are from learning about what America was founded on -- Freedom! Equality! I do not believe that our govnernment should be deciding anything moral. That's a religious thing. It seems that many have forgotten that there is a separation of Church and State (supposedly) in this great Nation. Many people talk about how the Founding Fathers were Christian. Actually, not all of them were, but that's another post for another day. Even if they all were, they specifically wrote the Constitution so that the government was not allowed to choose a religion for the people. They are not supposed to favor one religious belief over another.

If the Tea Party and the Republicans have their way, though, the Christian religion will be the theocracy of America. And their blindness to the hypocrisy of that is astonishing!

BTW, if you want to let Newt know your thoughts, you can find him on Twitter. His handle is @newtgingrich.

Mine is @CancerMommy. I'd love to hear your thoughts, too.