I don't have any medical insurance coverage of any kind. My employer offers no coverage options at all and the cost of individual insurance that has any real value is simply not within my financial reach. This scenario is not unusual in America today even though our country boasts the best health care in the world for its citizens...if you can pay for it. So, that is how it is and I just live with it because I don't have any alternative but when I hear people who do have insurance deride the idea of creating a system where everyone could have access to basic medical care, I have to admit, I want to send them to the nearest E.R. post-haste.
I was sitting in a coffee shop not long ago, a Christian joint, with contemporary Christian music being played on the radio, pictures of Jesus adorning the walls and seemingly nice enough people running the place when a old guy walked up to the counter and exclaimed "y'all are not voting for Obama, are you?" The whole crew behind the counter chimed in "no" while making faces of disgust at the mere thought of it. The old guy continued "yep, if you vote for him you will end up paying for all these slackers medical care". I wonder if he felt the hole being bored into the back of his bald head as I sat there using all my powers of restraint to keep from giving him a reason to seek medical attention and use his medicare insurance that I pay for out of every one of my paychecks. Ignorant bastard or just plain old everyday hypocrite?
Is this guy really too stupid to understand that people, like me, with no insurance are helping to pay for his health care right now?
What's that? You thought George Bush cared about you and was coming to your rescue with medicare reform and now you find yourself in the do-nut hole and have to choose between your heart medication or your glaucoma drops? Heart failure or blindness? Ouch..now that's tough, but a lot of us "slackers" don't even have that much choice in the matter.
Should those of us with no insurance just tell you "Sorry, we gave at the office"?
With an attitude like his...it sure makes it tempting to say just that.
Peace y'all
9 comments:
I really like your personal story on the issue. I agree health care truly does need to be reformed. I really like the comic strip you provide.
So buy some health insurance. What? You can't afford it? Whose fault is that? Your employer's, for not giving you everything you want? "Society's," for somehow disenfranchising you? Or yours, for wanting something you can't afford -- something you might be able to afford if your labor were worth more to someone?
Grow up.
fetiche,
I cannot even begin to describe the depth of what an ugly human being you just represented yourself to be.
Good luck with overcoming it...you are going to need it. You have a long, long way to go and with your attitude I don't imagine your fellow human beings will have much cause to show you any compassion along the way.
lol...yeah, that's a real fine christian attitude to have, huh?
I talk to all kinds of people, most who work jobs, sometimes two, that can't afford any decent healthcare. Our ERs are packed with folks with no insurance.
It's sickening that in this country hard working citizens are treated this way.
http://by-la.com
Am I my brother's keeper? Hell yeah. This old man is one stupid fart. As for these God-fearing conservatives who call every progressive-thinking individual a baby boomer, commie and a hippie, what can we call them after this story of yours? As the old adage goes, put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig. If one is a true Christian, being a brother's keeper is a tenet.
That festiche critter is a piece of work, huh? I have health insurance - national health care would allow everyone a level playing field for being able to STAY ALIVE. My 40 hours of work is worth just as much as yours - hell, yours is worth more, you have way more advanced training than I - you just live in a less evolved place for employee benefits.
Perhaps when he experiences erectile dysfunction (he probably already has) his insurance decides to cut off the Viagra as a frivolous expense.
OMG, this is a woman commenter. How sad. She lives ALONE in LA. You really have to check out her blog - it's pretty sad.
Hey L,
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
yeah, I checked out her blog...not my deal. Even though I do find narrow minded and hateful people tedious they are still people and I feel sorry for them more than anything else. What a miserable existence to not understand we are all in this thing together.
Thanks matt,l.a. and joel for your comments as well. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on the post.
Peace y'all
Your post brought back memories of a time when I couldn't leave a job I ready to drop, because I needed the health care coverage. My wife had been covered on my policy for years, but had just undergone chancer surgery/radiation and no insurance company would touch her. Obviously, I wasn't about to risk being without coverage. Fortunately, it all worked out just fine for us, but in the richest country in the world such a non-choice is inexcusable.
My second observation concerns the comment by "fetiche nouvelle". Why is it that many of the social conservatives are so mean-spirited toward individuals but don't hold institutions like Wall Street firms or big pharma to the same standards?
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