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Of
Near Death Experiences and Other Thoughts
January
13, 2004
By HawkerHurricane
Readers of the Democratic Underground message board will
remember that I suffered from a near disaster: a tear in my
esophagus leading to heavy internal bleeding. If not for professionally
provided medical care, I would not be typing this today.
And my thoughts turn to the health of others.
I am covered, probably for life, with a health care service.
As an active duty member and soon to be veteran of 20 years
of service, I should not have a problem getting health care
for myself and my spouse. It will not be easy; I will have
lines and bureaucrats to deal with; and efforts to prevent
my care "to save the nation money." But I will have
something; maybe not the finest, but something.
But what of others?
My problem was life threatening, but proper care made my
survival "a sure thing." But what of the people
in this country who cannot get the proper care? What of the
ones who do not have health insurance, who do not go to the
emergency room with a problem but stay home and hope it goes
away, for they cannot afford health care, even bad health
care. What shall we do for them?
The right wing has an answer for this, the same they have
for everything else: if you can't afford something to save
your life, you don't deserve to live. Does that sound like
something their favorite philosopher might say?
For a long time, I was iffy on the subject of National Health
Care. I had heard the horror stories; I am familiar with the
problems of the system used in Ireland and Venezuela due to
family connections. But what is worse - iffy care or no care
at all? What is worse, a government bureaucrat whose job depends
on not getting in trouble or a corporate bureaucrat whose
job depends on saving money for the corporation?
I am no longer 'iffy'. I support national health care, for
those who, vomiting blood on Christmas Day, would not go to
the hospital for fear of being bankrupt. For those who, if
they went to the hospital, would receive inadequate care because
the insurance company doesn't want to pay for the services
it is contractually required to provide. For the least among
us, who deserve better than to bleed to death from something
that is easily treated.
"What you do for the least among you, you do for me"
- Jesus Christ
In other news...
'Wheel' is on my case; he's got to do all my paperwork while
I am convalescing. And he'll vote Democratic in the next election.
He likes Dean, Clark, and Kerry in that order.
'Guns' is convinced that it's the Democrats election to
lose; Bush cannot win an honest campaign. He likes Clark best,
but will vote for any Democrat before Bush.
'Fire' is also voting for any Democrat, but has not stated
a preference yet. His home state is still listed as Missouri...
how much time does he have to pick?
'Sparks' is getting foolish; he's convinced the reason Governor
Arnie has to break his promises is because of the Democrats...
and that Bush was right to invade Iraq, since it is our job
to shoot the mad dog we created. Therefore, those who say
it was wrong to invade Iraq will not get his vote. I'm working
on him. He likes Clark, but thinks Dean is a fool for saying
"we aren't safer because Saddam is captured..."
The country going to Orange Alert really helped my arguments
there.
For myself, I have not decided on a presidential candidate,
but am working with my congressman's campaign (Bob Filner)
and on local races. I'm leaning toward Clark, but call myself
one of the ABB crowd, with pride. Looking at the Democratic
field, I cannot find one of the nine who would be worse the
George Bush the Lesser. While some may indeed be "Bush
lite" on some subjects, they aren't on all of them -
and if I have to compromise to get Bush out of office, well
I shall. I will not allow my dislike of some policies of any
given Democratic candidate to take my eyes away from the main
prize: Getting the Republican plutocrats out of power so we
can restore our country to sanity.
Please, don't let inter-party bickering harm our chances.
The opposition is taking notes. Remember, Reagan won in 1980
because of Carter's nomination fight with Kennedy. We lost
in Florida because of many little things, any one of which
changing could have made a difference.
The Butterfly ballot.
The voter purge.
The selective counting of absentee ballots.
The illegal modification of absentee ballots by Republican
operatives.
Nader breaking his promise not to run in close states.
The prevention of the count by Republican operatives.
The failure to count over 60,000 ballots.
Don't let the little things steal this election from us also.
And I remain,
HawkerHurricane
PO1(SW) USN
Leading Patient, NMCSD Bldg. 1, ward 1N.
Living proof that universal health care is a good idea.
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