I see dead people [Affordable Care Act]

        What gets lost too often in all the rhetoric about health care is that if tens of millions of people lose their health insurance tens of thousands of people will die from preventable deaths. I’m going to write that in a separate line.

        Tens of thousands of people will die from preventable deaths.

        Plain and simple: the Affordable Care Act (ACA) saved lives, tens of thousands of lives. People who could obtained health insurance and started getting basic needs taken care of along with treatment. Cancers and heart disease were caught in early more treatable stages along with a host of other treatable illnesses. People with preexisting conditions could and did get treatment. In my family the ACA saved a family member’s life TWICE.

        Think that’s too big or too small a number? Then how many people, men, women and children do you think will die with the repeal of the ACA?

        The questions we should be asking are:

• Why there are only 3 or 4 Republicans in the Senate who (partially) oppose taking away health insurance from those who can’t afford it otherwise? (Senator McCain is only objecting that proper procedures weren’t followed in condemning people to death.)
• Why are the majority of Republican leadership okay with condemning thousands of people to die?          
• Why are evangelical “Christians” okay with condemning tens of thousands of believers and non-believers to die? (Keep in mind that this is the same group that champions the right of the unborn to life. [Just not so much after they’re born.]) 
• Why so many people are already fixated on the number that I’m using as to how many people will die?
• Why was the House of Representatives able to pass legislation condemning people to certain death so easily?
• Why after all these years don’t Republicans have a viable plan to fix health care with a plan that doesn’t sentence so many people to death?
• Why does Republican leadership want to replace a bill that needs fixing with another bill that they acknowledge needs fixing rather than fixing the bill that already exists?
• Is it more abhorrent for a terrorist to kill or injure hundreds than for elected officials in suits to kill tens of thousands by making healthcare insurance unattainable?
• Is it easier to cause the deaths of tens of thousands of people when their names aren’t yet known?

        Wanting to live seems to be a fundamental desire for most people. For various reasons too many people who have health care insurance want to deny it to those who don’t have it. That would be the poor and people who just don’t have enough money to purchase health insurance. So the poor and less fortunate die. Some of the more fortunate are sad that that happens. I can’t really in good conscience say that “all” of the more fortunate are sad, because they aren’t. I’ve heard too many people say that’s good enough for them, that’s the way it is, tough.

        Too many of the Republican leadership and Party were unhappy with millions of people being able to obtain health insurance because of the actions of a Democratic Black President.

        They have fought against health care for the less fortunate every step of the way and along with the help of evangelicals, white supremacists, Russians and unfortunately a majority of voting white people who elected a clueless man that said he would fix it with something better. They (and he) didn’t have anything better. They only had proposals that made it look like they were doing something but in reality were taking it away. They are slowly strangling the ACA through non-support as well.

        This can be fixed. It may not sound as patriotic as taking a knee or saluting but health care can be provided to millions more Americans at a reasonable cost. Congress and the current administration will have to put petty divisions behind them and people first. Our elected officials can first stop trying to kill the ACA (For those that still might not know it, Obamacare is the Republican nickname for the Affordable Care Act) and then immediately start fixing it in ways that are positive for the American people and bring more people under the umbrella of being covered. They may have to make enemies of wealthy health care CEOs and pharmaceutical executives but they will survive – along with the tens of thousands of lives that will be saved.

         As a society we are justifiably outraged when hundreds die or are injured. We should be just as outraged when tens of thousands of innocent people are sentenced to die preventable deaths through inaction. We should be outraged at those responsible.

Amazing Grace [History/Politics]

        The hymn Amazing Grace was written in 1779 by John Newton, a former slave ship Captain. It is a powerful song.  These are lyrics from the song:  “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.” Wretch. He was a man who sought forgiveness for his wretched actions of trafficking in human beings.

        There has been a lot of press lately about cities removing Confederate monuments from public property. That is, property owned and maintained by municipal governments, paid for with our tax dollars – the tax dollars of each and every one of us: black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and every other ethnicity you can name.

        Should we erect statues to human traffickers who tortured their victims? Are there “good” traffickers and “bad” traffickers?

        How about traitors to our nation? I mean actual traitors. Real traitors. Not make believe traitors. Traitors who actually fought against our nation? Should we erect statues to honor them?

        Should we ignore evil and those who supported it?

        No, I don’t think that we should rewrite the history of our nation. I believe it’s way past time to remember it. Especially since white supremacy is on the rise yet again. We need to acknowledge what happened and what is happening. Attempts are being made to rewrite history by white washing it; to cover it up and gloss it over like it really wasn’t so bad after all.

        First of all, there weren’t “good” slave owners and “bad” slave owners; there were bad slave owners and horrific slave owners. Owners trafficked human beings with one another. These were men and women who believed they had the right to own human beings. Slaves were punished. They were raped. They were bred. They were slaughtered. Their families were broken up. Children were worked. Slaves were tortured. They had horrible living conditions. They were property. They weren’t free.

        I see people saying that we need to research the civil war and its cause again. No, we don’t. We really don’t. We don’t need to search anew to validate what has been known in this nation since the Civil War was fought.

        Men like General Lee and Thomas Jefferson owned slaves. They owned human beings. They trafficked in human beings. Human. Beings. Just as we have traffickers today we had them then. There were tens of thousands directly involved in the human trafficking (slave) trade.

        I’m guessing that the overwhelming majority of people have never felt the lash of a whip. I was “accidentally” hit by one by my older brother when were kids. One hit. It felt like my leg was on fire. There was a red welt around my leg where it hit. Imagine being whipped with one until your skin was flayed open. Then think about having brine poured over all the open wounds. Slave owner Robert E. Lee did that. Does he really deserve the multiple statues erected to him? Why not just start erecting statues to serial killers because they’re a part of our history?

        One of the many points of contention is that these monuments and symbols of slavery are displayed at government buildings. If people want to display such items at in the private sector that is their right. They can keep their memories alive in their front yards with those black faced yard ornament greeters to celebrate the history of human traffickers along with their Confederate flags. You can call it what you want. I don’t call it patriotism and it isn’t the flag I served under.

        What of Confederate veterans of the Confederate States of America? They were entitled to a decent burial. Their graves should not be desecrated. Neither should their history be forgotten. But…they fought for the wrong side. They fought as traitors to our nation. They fought for slavery. They lost. They weren’t veterans of the United States of America. That’s the nation that they fought against.

        And after the traitors and human traffickers lost they continued to subjugate an entire race through segregation, into modern times. The KKK is still in existence though not as prevalent as it once was. Those that would enslave others still walk amongst us and in far greater numbers than we would like to imagine. They have their heroes. Heroes from the Civil War and up through today. Should government buildings have statues of Grand Dukes of the past of the KKK erected? They’re a part of the nation’s history too. They still threaten.

        How should we honor veterans of the United States of America that fought in the civil war? Does erecting statues to their enemies honor them? Not any more than erecting monuments to the generals and leaders of any other nation that we fought against would.

        Tear them down. Bulldoze them. Remove them to private property if you must. Instead, honor the veterans that fought for the United States of America and against slavery.

        I understand that there are veterans and even people of color who support signs of the Confederacy. That’s just the way it is in this country. People will go to great lengths to support, justify and rationalize their beliefs. That doesn’t mean that they’re right any more than the holocaust deniers or flat earth (seriously), the moon landing was a scam, the earth is only 6,000 years old, believers are right. (Throw in a host of other believers since the last election.) These people aren’t going to have their minds changed. They are true believers.

        There are also those that believe that since these monuments have been around so long it really doesn’t matter anymore; that people don’t care. That’s not just sad, it’s tragic. It just is. And it’s wrong. Lots of people do care; that’s why there has been such interest of late in removing them. We used to do things just because they were right and history is important; and now so are people like the mayor of New Orleans.

        Does it cost to tear them down? Yes. And that is too bad. This is usually where someone will present an either/or argument. Use the money to tear down a monument or feed children. Use the money to tear down a monument or take care of homeless veterans. This fallacy reduces government to only being about 2 things. Government and budgets are about thousands of things.

        I believe that Union veterans of the civil war said it best in 1903 when they successfully opposed a statue of Robert E. Lee being placed upon the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. From that time: John Stewart of Chambersburg argued, “But what is to be gained by putting this statue of Lee on Gettysburg battlefield? If you want historical accuracy as your excuse, then place upon this field a statue of Lee holding in his hand the banner under which he fought, bearing the legend: ‘We wage this war against a government conceived in liberty and dedicated to humanity.”

        

We only get to die once. [CAREGIVING]

NOTE:  This was originally shared on facebook June 23^rd, 2015. (Paul passed away on the 17^th.)

        We only get to die once. There are a few notable exceptions.

        The challenge of life is to try and make the best of each day that we have. Caregiving involves you at the most basic level of tending to a person's needs. It is humbling. Caregiving provides a perspective of how important the most mundane aspects of life can be, that even small things of the day can be cherished and not to take even the simplest effects of life for granted.

        When we had Paul's memorial service Pastor Andrew drove down from Nebraska to be the shepherd for his service. He provided beautiful reminders in scripture of life everlasting. He and Christine are blessings to us. (The role of a pastor's wife is not easy.)

        Paul's long journey ended with the measure of dignity that was possible. We were blessed that he was comfortable, with family and at home. Prayers answered. So many people don't have that in their passing. He was tired and ready to move on. An ending with grace.

        Thoughts of his care were always with us for 12 years. However, we started our caregiving with our mother 17 years ago. Towards the end Kim, her primary care giver, would pray for the strength to provide for her just one more day. His 'mantra' was "Glory be to God." 

        It seems now like the blink of an eye. It has to be said that our faith sustained us throughout, especially those times where we faltered in our belief that we could do it.

        A beginning with grace. And now for the first time in years Shelley and I feel like we can truly relax. An interlude. Time to go to the lobby.

        We only get to die once. That makes how we live so very important. Each day is important. Finding the beauty of each day is important. When Paul first came to us let us just say that he was cautious with his emotions and words. He and I could not have been more opposite. That didn't last. He knew that he was loved even in the most trying of times. He was grateful that I was able to pick him up when he fell. It was a joy to tell him that I could hold him in my arms with love. He was a light load to carry at the end. He was also told every day for years that he was loved. Every day. He said the same in response.

        We only get to live once. Do it right.

Postscript 2017.  It took us a little while to adjust to our new normal but Shelley and I are both retired now and enjoying each and every day. 

Still working on it (RELIGION)

Relationship with God

        March 5, 2017 was the first Sunday of Lent. Lent lasts for 40 days but not really because Sundays aren’t counted so that adds six days. There are sects that use different numbers for determining how long a period constitutes Lent.

        Christians deal with Lent in a variety of ways including doing nothing. If we’re giving up something for Lent there are some that say that we aren’t supposed to talk about it just like there are those that say we’re supposed to go off and pray by ourselves. Others use Lent to focus on service to others.

        I have given up things for Lent in the past. The year that I gave up hang gliding was my most successful. That really wasn’t keeping in the spirit of Lent. The year that I gave up beer (Alcoholic beverages but primarily I drink beer.) was probably my least successful. I took penalties twice and they were not fun. Don’t ask. There are also habits and actions that I try and get better at with limited success.

       What I often hear around Lent but at other times of the year as well is that I should use Lent as a time to work on my relationship with God. Seriously! What does that even mean?

       “You know, God, it seems to me that you’ve been kind of moody lately. Things just haven’t been the same between us. I asked you to make those last lottery tickets winners and frankly you let me down. What’s with that? Is there something that you would like to talk about?”

       Just off the top of my head I’m going to postulate that isn’t a good way to work on my relationship with God and is not what people are talking about.

        There’s always the recommendation to study the bible. Well, that’s kind of reading about what other people think about God. Bible study is about words and what do they mean. That doesn’t seem to me to be a good way to build a relationship. I have studied a lot of different things including religions. While my understanding improved nothing happened in terms of building relationships.

        Now when it comes to the bible I am NOT erudite. I have a minimal grasp of scripture. I am happy if I can just get through the Lord’s Prayer in church. I’m getting older and I wasn’t that sharp to begin with. Scriptures are often less than useful especially when they can be used to support or oppose the same issue. What a person should or should not do becomes dueling scriptures. I prefer information or insight that makes some sense. You know—something that’s useful. If I’m going to build a relationship I want to know what’s going to work.

        It seems to me that to say we need to work on relationship implies that there will be some communication in the way of feedback. I watched a TV show where two people were praying for a particular something. One said to the other, “Are you getting anything yet?” “Nope!” That just about sums up the way I feel when it comes to working on a relationship with God. There is no back and forth dialogue. It’s a one way communication initiated by us. Not a great way to improve a relationship.

        In my history I have only had two instant communications from God. I know that this is where people say, “Uh oh, he’s a little cray” but there you are. In both instances I hadn’t been to church or even thought much about God for years. One instant occurred when I was stooped over working in a factory on second shift; the other when I was driving to the hospital to get to my dad after he suffered a heart attack. I did feel Holy Spirit when I was “saved” in a Southern Baptist church but that really wasn’t a communication like the other two.

        It’s usually after the fact that I realize God has been communicating with me. My wife and I were talking about this the other day. We were going over all the many decisions that led us to our current situation and talking about how everything worked out for the best. Then we talked about how we pray for guidance and direction on a daily basis. We can’t help but see how we often would both come to the same conclusion and make the same decision without fully understanding why. We acknowledge that as prayers answered.

       We aren’t engaged in a Q and A or direct sharing of words with God.  God communicates with us in the background. It’s hard to discern that in the present when things are happening. For me I think it would be better to say that I’m working on acknowledging and realizing my relationship with God rather than working on it. I need to be a better listener. God is.

NOTE:

       I downloaded the picture from The Met, Metropolitan Museum of Art. They have made their collection available for use in the public domain. The oil on canvas painting titled “The Dead Christ is by Edouard Manet, 1832—1883. The painting was criticized for the wound being on the wrong side and the realism. (Christ looks dead.)