January, 2008

[H2O Man]

I was enjoying the democratic debate last night, including having the opportunity to discuss it with a number of DUers on the "debate threads," when the phone rang. It was one of my siblings, calling to discuss the now daily frustrations associated with a medical crisis with another extended family member. Things are difficult enough without having to deal with the bureaucracy of the hospital and the other associated institutions.

A little more than a week ago, an old friend and neighbor died. He could not afford the high price of oil to heat his home, and had been burning a lot of wood. His nearest son would bring him loads of firewood that were split to a size my friend could easily handle. But his son had an infection, but no insurance, and was doing what poor people do -- going without appropriate medical attention. My friend had a guy bring a truckload of wood, but it wasn't split small enough. My friend split the wood, until his heart stopped. His sone has been calling me a lot in the last week, wondering what went wrong with this country.

My wife just called me from work. She had run an errand at lunch, and went to a store. An elderly woman was in line ahead of her. The woman was buying two cans of soup, but did not have enough money on her. The cashier became impatient, and the woman said she would put the soup back. My wife bought it for her. She said the woman told her she just didn't realize how expensive two cans of soup had become.

There are things going terribly wrong with our country, and while I know the fault is not the exclusive property of the republican party, I believe that the current administration is the most immediate problem our nation faces.

I watched the late night/ early morning replay of the deabate on CNN (had it been republicans, I could have gone to sleep), and while no one candidate is perfect, I am convinced that all three are fully capable of serving as President of the United States in a positive, meaningful manner. I think that it is important that we discuss the strengths and debate the weaknesses of each of the three. But I wish people would take the time to do so in a constructive manner.