Wednesday, November 05, 2008

I Wish

The Presidential election of 2008 opens up a new era in the history of our country. I want so badly for it to be the beginning of so many good things for all of it's citizens, not just a few.

My first wish for our country in this new era is that we can put the equal back in equal rights by making the Human race the only race card of importance. While looking at the red and blue map of the United States last night, I was saddened at first by a pattern that said to me that prejudice, by all races, is still alive and well in our great country; I truly had expected to see a mixed pattern of reds in blues across the map. However, once I looked at the actual figures in those pockets of red, and pockets of blue, I saw that the numbers showed a clearer picture of the voters feelings and a much more mixed pattern did begin to emerge.

Maybe there's hope for us yet.

I wish to see the decline of Money as being the only powerful influence of importance in our government; allow the decisions about our welfare as American citizens to be put back into our hands instead of the hands of the wealthiest, who seem to only have themselves and their cronies in mind when they vote on laws and policies.

Another wish of mine is to see our citizens take pride in their work ethics; stop wanting something for nothing; stop trying to figure out a way to beat the system for services or monetary gains they're not entitled to. I'm not only aiming this as a wish for the lower wage earners, who seem to be mostly blamed for this, but also those business owners and/or corporate bigwigs who fudge about this expense or that one on their tax returns. Oh, I could tell you stories, yes indeed I could, of such blatant expense reporting irregularities; ones that when added up, would probably repair a big hunk of the deficient in our economy.

My final wish is to see a health care system that's not run by the profit-hungry insurance and pharmaceutical companies. If something is not done about the system as it's being allowed to run today, the baby boomers, who are quickly becoming our seniors, will soon find themselves gravely ill from mediocre care (when the companies actually allow the care), and broke from trying to pay for it. Somehow the American citizens have been scared out of their wits about the possibility of a national healthcare system but I've got to tell you, I lived in a foreign country, and was provided better care by a village doctor than was provided by the doctors on the military base nearby. And because my stepmother was English, I was provided this wonderful care for no charge, and without having to fill out a mound of paperwork beforehand.

We can whine about loss or cheer about a victory but each and every one of us had better get with the program and get our great country back on the right path. The President elect deserves our help to get 'er done.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do love your post today!
Diane

kimberly said...

i love it also.....and agree 100%....be part of the problem or part of the solution!!!
hugs,
kimberly

Crystal said...

I just want WORLD PEACE DAMNIT!!!!! Well, that and a good baked apple pie with vanilla ice cream on the side;o) Wonderful post sweet!

Jeanne said...

Brenda you are a very smart woman. Lets all choose to be part of the solution.

bichonpawz said...

Perfect Post today! Agreed 100%

Brent said...

Brenda, will you please run for president? I'll vote for you!!

Virginia Gal said...

amen to your last sentence - whatever our choices in the election, now we all must get together and "get'er done." Amen sister.

Anonymous said...

Well said. We should have had your name on the ballot.

Kim said...

Awesome post! I'm here via Jeanne's blog. I've been telling the ones at work who complain that "life is what you make it".
I'm ready to do my part!

Kellan said...

WOW - well said, my friend - well said!! Get 'er done!!

See you later - Kellan

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post today, Brenda. You so eloquently put what so many of us feel. Thanks for that!

Sally said...

I hope all of these wishes come true; they're my wishes also. I know what you mean about those executive types. Many years ago I did the books for an owner of a company whose wife tried to claim 'cosmetics', toothpaste, etc. Ridiculous.

Donna said...

You mean you CAN'T claim cosmetics??? How 'bout my utility bills? trailer pymt? I DO enjoy looking at it here at work, where it's parked...HAhahaa...
Well, as the saying goes, "if wishes were horses, all beggers would ride"....He'll be my President, and I Will support him but, like He said, I'm one of those voters that he'll have to earn my trust...we'll just have to wait and see....SO...Ready for CHRISTMAS??? Santa was asking about you!!hahaa....Happy day Miz Brenda!hughugs

Anonymous said...

This was a very nice post. And, I can't take my eyes off of that beautiful tree in your header. I could sit and look at it all day!! The leaves were blown off of our trees during a storm last night...goodbye to our short Oklahoma fall.

Colleen formerly of South Africa said...

Love the tree in the header.... I do love fall. He wasn't my guy, but he has my complete support now.That is the beauty of the American political system. It is so scary with divided elections overseas.... we heard of murders in mayoral races in South Africa when we were there. Thankfully we have a great country.

Kari (GrannySkywalker) said...

I agree with much of what you said, with the exception of the national health care initiative. I think that takes too many decisions away from the patient. However, something MUST be done about the insurance companies and the doctors and the pharmaceutical companies and the hospitals. When my boys had to get sports physicals this year, the doctor offered a "sports physical" to any and all for the price of $35 (no insurance necessary). However, if we had them do a "well child physical", our insurance company would pay 100%. 'Course the doctor charged $180 for a "well-child physical" - which was the exact same work up as a "sports physical". Our insurance company then "negotiated" down to, and paid, the doctor $135.00. What kind of crap is that?
This a prime example of a doctor charging people who, for whatever reason, have no medical insurance $35 cash for a service and charging people who DO have insurance $180 and accepting $135 from the insurance company for THE EXACT SAME SERVICE. I'm not sure who disgusts me the most...the doctor who is gouging my insurance company or the insurance company who is paying it, with a wink and a nod! I know it sounds like I'm making an argument for a national healthcare plan, but I'm not. I would prefer to see the unmitigated greed by corporate America abolished, with punitive measures if necessary, and I would like to see healthcare COSTS brought down to a more affordable level.
In this country, we all sit around and gawk at the amount of money professional athletes make and marvel at the amount of money paid to movie stars per movie. Then we fuss about the price of tickets to sporting events and movies as if we can't see the connection. I'm all for a person earning a living, making good on the American dream, but somewhere along the line, we slipped into the realm of ridiculous and we act like we never saw it coming. Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies and even doctors and hospitals raise their fees to astronomical proportions and our answer in this country is to introduce a national healthcare plan that could and probably would limit our options. How about we require our insurance companies and doctors, etc., to stop gouging us, the people? Why don't we make them accountable? Why do we let them double-talk their way into charging us so much? And why do we allow them to put a price tag on our health? I would like to see more openness with the billing practices of these entities. For example, I found out that in Crestview, Florida (a medium size town in the Florida panhandle) you will pay $1800 for an MRI. If you drive less than 1/2 hour away to Destin, Florida, you can get the same MRI for $600. The place in Crestview is gouging the citizens because it CAN. That sort of thing has got to stop. And doctors and hospitals charging so much, especially to people they know can never cover the cost, gives them a "bottom line" reason to raise their rates. They claim they have to in order to cover the costs of the patients who don't pay. I say make your service more affordable and you might get more people to actually pay.
And good grief, I've written a book in your comment section. Sorry about that! I do tend to run on and on, I know.

Really good post, though, Brenda!! I agree that racism is alive and well in this country - from all sides - and it has to stop or America won't ever progress in any real way.

Kari

Susie Q said...

A beautiful post...I posted something along the same lines recently. I was slammed for it via email...sad isn't it? *sigh*
You seem like a truly rational and lovely woman. I am glad I found your blog.

I will return!!

Warmly,
Sue

Unknown said...

Hi Brenda,

Good post. I do have issues with insurance companies. They decided against what my doctor said that I didn't need the medicine he prescribed for me so they stopped paying. I was lucky and found a alternative with my doctors help. Saved me over a hundred a month. Okay don't get me started on insurance companies. LOL