Gay Equality

My opinion!  For what it's worth.  About 2 cents, as the saying goes.
Soooo much political time, energy and money being spent on the issue of gay marriage.

With all the other issues of such vital importance, it is a crime that all those resources are being spent on what should be a personal, private issue.  Different strokes for different folks, people.

We are allegedly a FREE nation with guaranteed rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  What right has ANYONE to think they can legislate what makes people happy?

The thing is...we've managed to keep the MANY from starving, which wasn't the case in 1932. Today, there are soup kitchens, but no bread lines. Today, the unemployed want only to work ON THEIR TERMS. In THEIR FIELD. No longer will men leave home to stay in a work camp to rebuild roads and bridges...and even more sadly, those building the bridges and roads don't want workers who are inexperienced. We citizens have gotten too big for our britches. Back then, a job was a job. For some noble few, that is still true, but as long as government keeps just "extending" unemployment, there is no reason to work. Unemployment has become "respectible" welfare.

A number of years ago, I lost my job. It was before the bottom fell out of the economy. I collected unimployment for a limited period of time. I understand ... there were millions of people who were suddenly jobless when the bottom fell out ( go back and think the Great Depression.) Now, many people are still out of work. The answer has been to just keep paying the unemployment. Seems to me that FDR came up with his Alphabet Soup and put people to work. Now, in retrospect, turns out, FDR did that so fast that Congress didn't kno w what hit them. Good on him! Something like that could never happen today. Fast forward to the NOW ~ What was the Alphabet Soup, but recognizing that there were things that needed doing and the government subsidizing it. Today, the government is subsidizing the unemployed to stay at home. If folks want that subsidy, they should be working fixing our 300 year old infrastructure that is collapsing...roads, bridges. Lots of things need fixing, let the unemployed work in doing that.

Healthcare

I am so disgusted with people who are so hateful of President Obama(for whatever reason.  Personally, I have come to believe that it ultimately comes down to race,) that they will deny what is best for all of us just to defeat his plan.  In order for insurance (any kind) to work, people must buy into the system.  The more people who buy into it, the bigger the pot.  It's really very simple.  Hence, when something happens that needs coverage there is money there to meet the need.  Unless EVERYONE buys into the pot, there will not be enough money for healthcare.  Those who DO NOT buy in will still get sick, or injured and seek health care ... and we'll still pay for it.  Sadly, one day, we will all get sick or be injured.  Are you one of the 1% who can actually afford it?

I am so disgusted with people who are so hateful of President Obama (for whatever reason. Personally I have come to believe that it ultimately comes down to race,) that they will deny what is best for all of us just to defeat his plan. In order for insurance (any kind) to work, people must buy into the system. The more people who buy into it, the bigger the pot. It's really very simple. Hence, when something happens that needs coverage, there is money there to meet the need. Unless EVERYONE buys into the pot, there will not be enough money for healthcare. Those who DO NOT buy in will still get sick or injured and seek health care ... and we'll still pay for it. Sadly, one day, we will all get sick or be injured. Are you one of the 1% who can actually afford it?

I have a problem

I can think of nothing that is more important to me than my family.I am here because I have opinions that I think need sharing.  If I don't share them.  If I don't get to say my piece, my head will explode.

I am on Facebook.  Probably the largest social networking device yet.  Yes, I know, Blogger et al have been around longer, but it requires more work and doesn't read like a quick morning newspaper.  Facebook has given me a chance to catch up with so many old, and nearly forgotten friends.  People who were once important parts of my daily life but whom I haven't seen in years.  It has been wonderful.

Facebook has also been a way to keep up on what my friends and family think of what's happening in the world. We all have our various beliefs, causes and peeves and subscribe to the outlets that support those beliefs and then we share.


We share because we agree with what the author says.  What better way to let our friends know what we're thinking.  We share to bring like-minded people new information and we share in hopes that those who are see things differently might see our point if posed in a different way.

Seems benign, right?  Wrong!  My choice to share liberal news articles has caused a huge rift in my life.  You see, not everyone in my family circle is a liberal thinker. One, in particular is a hard right-wing, pro-life, bible toting Conservative.  He chooses not only to disagree with me but to smash and bash everything I post.  Yes, I said everything. 


If I comment on the weather, he's glad it's raining on me, and not in a nice way.

So, all of this is unsettling to the rest of the family who use Facebook to see what is going on with everyone and now, I am being asked to stop sharing articles to keep peace. It is killing me.  It goes against everything I believe in.  I've explained to them that Facebook is a public forum and it is my right to post what I wish.

I've explained that they can block posts if they don't like the content without blocking me.  But that doesn't seem to be enough.  What am I supposed to do?

The Most Heartbreaking 99% Graphic You Will See This Week

I read this article and it reminded me of a family I encountered when I worked as School Nurse in a middle school.  One of my students was a brittle epileptic (that means his epilepsy wasn't easily controlled with meds.)  Because of this, he had frequent seizures.

 I would be called to the classroom.  Anyone who is or knows anyone who is epileptic knows how to handle the situation and it is frightening but as long as the person doesn't harm themselves falling or cease to breathe, the event comes and goes.  All you can do is protect, wait and watch.  So, in an interrupted classroom, I would take the time to teach the teacher and the kids about what they saw and what to do if they ever encountered someone having a seizure.

One of the things I applaud most about my Nursing School experience is that we were told that it is my responsibility to take every opportunity afforded to me to teach.  It never ceases to amaze me how willingly people will believe falsehoods about how their body functions.  Its the responsibility of every health care professional to give people the facts.  But, I digress...

Back to my story.  In the course of these events, I would have to contact the Mom.  Just as it was my responsibility to teach the children, so it was to teach this Mom.  I learned that she was a single mother, living on Welfare, but now that her son was really doing better, she was in school to learn to be a hair dresser.  She  even had a job lined up for when she completed her training.  She was full of hope for their future.  She would get off welfare and make a good life for herself and her son.

Long story short, as I mentioned, controlling his epilepsy was a problem.  The usual meds in the usual dosages didn't do the job for him.  His seizures were so frequent and so severe that he often required hospitalization to get his seizures under control.

His Mom graduated.  Everyone celebrated until we learned that outside the system she could not get the meds her son needed.  Her only option to take care of him was to turn down the job and stay in the system.  There is no provision in public assistance programs to help people reemerge into the world.  You're either in or you're not.