Health care for all...I support that!

The debate about health care reform in this country has really gone on for way too long. People think this began with Pres. Barack Obama but if you could say it reaches back to the Clinton Administration. This argument may even have begun before Clinton but let's stop with our first 'black' President...Bill Clinton.

In 1993 Pres. Clinton proposed a health care plan and made First Lady Hillary Clinton the chair of the task force. That decision may not have been the wisest choice because the move immediately came under fire. The fire kept getting fanned, the plan got compromised until it finally died and was branded "Hillarycare."

Clinton's plan offered universal health care for all, just as Obama's plan offers a public option. One major difference between the Clinton's' plan and Obama's plan is Obama's may actually get passed in some manner. The real shocker to me is that even after all the bad publicity and scare tactics from the Right, the public has begun supporting the public option idea. After so many screams of socialism, I am very surprised that 57 percent of those polled want a public option.

I completely support a public option for health care for various reasons, many personal. Very soon my living situation will deprive me of health care. I do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, I have pre-existing conditions which prevent me from purchasing insurance on my own and my 'stature', according to one insurance company, means no insurance.

Our country loves to blame people for their bad predicaments in life. For a country founded by "Christians," this country will label Christian values as socialist when it serves a purpose. The Bible clearly dictates that we show charity to our neighbors. There are several chapters that speak to this subject, yet, when it costs us Americans money we are fast to scream "NO!" What can be more charitable than to make sure a person can see a doctor when needed? What can be more judgmental and uncharitable than to say, "You are fat and deserve to be unhealthy."

I have said it before, people deserve health care. In the long run, better health will increase the longevity of Americans. Our bad health is not simply from eating Big Macs with fries. A huge contributing factor is the fact that many of us must choose to pay the light bill OR see a doctor.

As I stare lack of health coverage straight in the eyes, knowing of my pre-diabetes and high blood pressure (long-term conditions that could lead to death), I am amazed that if this reform is not passed, I will be left to seek help at the "free clinic." People who oppose this reform can choose to delude themselves into thinking this is a good choice for a person with no other options but in America a law-abiding citizen deserves better.

Improve the free clinics, which are typically over crowded, have limited resources and are usually understaffed, or pass the reform WITH a public option that is affordable.

Newspapers...

I knew the day would come when I would officially declare this...I miss writing!

Ever since I was in about 1st grade I knew I wanted to write. I knew I had to write something, sometime, all the time, write, write, write.

At one time I wanted to be a fiction writer but without a garuntee of publication, that dream was shelved and I went in another direction...Journalism. The photo shows newspapers with the same names as papers I worked for...The Sun, The Independent. I didn't work for -those- papers, just papers with the same names.

But newspapers are in a bad way. Many do not read them anymore and people entrenched in the newspaper business laughed at or ignored things that could have saved many papers. When USA Today launched, it was considered trash and was basically the material for many a joke. Now, after 20 years and many capital injections, that paper is surviving better than many others. So many newspapers have filed bankruptcy that any journalism student would be wise to diversify skills.

While I love writing, I am not married to the idea of getting news from a newspaper. This is partly why newspapers are in decline...I'm not the only one who thinks like that and my numbers are growing. Hey, I was a reporter so that really spells bad news.

Service from our only major local paper, The Star, is terrible...which also contributes to why I do not purchase the paper. I've subscribed to the paper about three times and it has never been delivered. I have decided to not subscribe anymore and only purchase issues of interest.

My doubts about the powers that be pulling newspapers out of this downward spiral is why I quit the business and moved on to a completely different field. Still...I do miss meeting people, attending events and most of all...writing. I don't think I drastically changed the world or country but I know I made some people happy to see their names in print. The pancake breakfast princess counts just as much as the President...and she's going to be more appreciative of the press.

I don't see the logic of atheists or fundamentalists

Logic is defined as a system of reasoning according to the American Heritage Dictionary.

Reasoning is defined as the process of forming conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises, according to Dictionary.com.

Atheists are people who deny or disbelieve the existence of a supreme being or beings, according to Dictionary.com.

The only definition I think should be modified is the definition of Atheist. While my experiences with atheists has been limited, I have never met an atheist who simply disbelieves the existence of a higher power. The ones I have met vehemently deny the existence of a supreme being. Of course, this is their choice but the choice is not as logical, as they tend to claim. What they forget is logic is the beginning of knowledge, not the end...thank you Mr. Spock.

This brings to mind another term, fundamentalist, usually a religious movement or point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles, by rigid adherence to those principles, and often by intolerance of other views and opposition to secularism.

While atheists profess to have logically reached their viewpoints that there is no God, why do they feel the same urge that fundamentalists have force feed the rest of society their views. In my efforts to better understand atheists, I have found that many chose this path out of resentment towards organized Christian religion. I would encourage anyone to really listen to atheist arguments and most are focused on Christian beliefs. Many atheists do not explain their disbelief so much as throw out subtle or obvious insults designed to create hostility in the believer. Comparing God to the Easter Bunny is just an insult, not an attempt to logically discuss belief and non-belief. Somehow, atheists also forget that there are several faiths that do NOT make promises like Christianity.

Even faiths considered similar to Christianity do not make the same promises. Muslims do not preach that Jesus was the son of God and considers all prophets equal. Judaism does not promise an afterlife to followers and instead teaches that good should be done because it is good.

One favorite argument atheists use is to tell believers they must prove the existence of God because science can not prove a negative. This is incorrect. Science makes claims that things do not exist regularly. I would even agree that scientifically, it may be impossible to prove the existence of God. However, the atheist argument that they do not need to disprove God because such a task is impossible scientifically is flawed logic.

This view into atheist society was prompted years ago when my husband decided he had discovered the ultimate truth...atheism. My move was an attempt to save my marriage and understand him. My viewpoints came from a very personal view. Honestly, I thought I would find a group of very logical people who simply did not believe in God. What I discovered was the flip side of fundamentalism...people who were ruled by emotions, spoiling to insult people unlike themselves, and ready to proclaim their beliefs as the ultimate truth that all should adopt. This observation became more logical when I discovered many vehement atheists were once vehement fundamentalists. The only change was beliefs, the personality of intolerance remained.

Both sides of this issue are unreasonable, illogical and stubborn. Discussing religion with either side is a lesson is massive frustration and should be avoided at all costs.