Health care for all in the United States – now

Ok, I’m guilty, I haven’t fought the fight, I never knew where to start – nor did I bother. I have excellent health coverage right now, as a retired utility employee and I admit that some years I don’t pay anything at all for it for both my husband and me. I know the true value of what we have, that is why I stayed with GTE for 30 years, and every time I take advantage of it, I actually feel guilty about it.

Now what the heck does my feeling guilty and then just swallowing it do for anyone? (That was really rhetorical, don’t bother answering.) I am sure some of you that might stumble on my blog are activists and fighting already for health care. Thank you! The rest of you may even feel the guilt I do, and then there are those of you who don’t think about it and those of you who think, screw them, not my problem. . .

So, today I stumbled on info on health care. Today I decided to start making a difference. Per the National Coalition on Healthcare (NCHC):

– Approximately 46 million Americans, or 15.7 percent of the population, were without health insurance in 2004 (the latest government data available).

– In 2004, 27 million workers were uninsured because not all businesses offer health benefits, not all workers qualify for coverage and many employees cannot afford their share of the health insurance premium even when coverage is at their fingertips.

– The number of uninsured children in 2004 was 8.3 million – or 11.2 percent of all children in the U.S.

Those are just three of many facts on their site and those alone show how pathetic the situation is — although it is hard to grasp those numbers. Yeah, the number of children should get to you. . . but look at the number of people out there working, putting their shoes on every morning as tired as they are, driving or walking or riding to work, dealing with the good, the bad, and the ugly of their day and they can’t even pay for health care. Do we owe anyone a living? Maybe not. But we do, as decent human beings, owe everyone in this country the opportunity for affordable health care. If they choose to blow their money once it is affordable, that is their choice, but let’s give them the choice! This is the year 2007, our country has been a country since 1776, the people that came before us didn’t solve the problem and we can’t wait on our children to solve it.

Many of those uninsured people are feeding you and taking care of you and providing you with luxuries they are creating or building for you, and they are miserable because they can’t get care, they feel like crap because they are sick or hurt. Can you remember how that feels? Did not most of you (and I) rush to get what we needed to feel better if we had the money to go to the doctor?

The one thing we all forget, I think, is that if they/we all felt better, we would be happier, worry less, be more productive at work. People would even overall be nicer to others because THEY FELT BETTER. Just that last thought alone should convince you to help get medical coverage for everyone. Nearly everyone acts differently when they feel bad; they are either whiny or irritable or downright mean or they make mistakes or can’t concentrate or just don’t have the energy to work through the pain. It shows in their reactions toward the people around them. Sure some hide it better than others, but we have all felt it to some degree and probably dished it out. We have all been the recipients of their moods from feeling bad.

Check out Healthcare Now, you just might be glad you did. The band wagon is rolling, it is our choice to follow or jump in front and help lead or stand back and watch. I can’t just watch anymore. . . I just can’t. . . I would love to think you can’t either.

(Thanks to Liberty Belle for having a link to Healthcare Now. That is how I discovered the organization.)