Is it just me, or are they really beating the VA Tech thing into the ground? I mean, seriously, talk about the victims, talk to the victims, whatever, but stop showing these “horrific” videos, and stop showing pictures and airing text of the killer. It is just validating what he did. He did it for attention, and the more time we spend on him, the more we give him what he wanted.
Am I alone here?
In light of the events that transpired this week, there is buzz on the internets about gun control and whatnot, and I was seriously thinking about chiming in, but I realized that there is something that is far more critical to focus on: mental health and the lack of support for those that need it. The man that committed these murders at VA Tech this week was suicidal and declared officially mentally ill and a harm to himself by a court and professional mental health professionals. So why didn’t he receive treatment? A teacher even threatened to quit if he wasn’t removed from her class because he was so disturbing; yet the system still failed him. If he would have had the support of a working mental health system, there might not have been an incident as awful as this one.
I am not saying that a mental health program that truly works to treat those that need it will solve all of these problems, and I am certainly not suggesting that this was a simple solution that could have definitely prevented the attack at VA Tech. But, it is ignorant to think that it couldn’t have at least opened up the chance that it could have been prevented.
The key philosophy of public health is prevention. It is the foundation upon which all of our epistemological approaches to handling epidemics and pandemics is built. Preventing the disease, and preventing it from spreading is always more important than waiting for the fall out of what happens when people become infected, or in this case, if the disease is allowed to run its course without treatment.
Cho was mentally ill. Severely disturbed. He should have gotten the help he needed. There were at least three known incidents in which he was deemed unstable before this attack, and yet, he was never forced to get the treatment he needed; even though that forced treatment was recommended by a court. We need a system in this country that provides that level of service for people like Cho. We need a system in place that will work to help people like Cho, instead of letting them fall through the cracks.
When youth act out in ways that are characteristic of mental illness, what they need is treatment. This treatment can save them; and more importantly, it can save others. Currently, there is no such program, because if there were, there wouldn’t be mentally ill youth sitting in juvenile detention facilities instead of mental institutions getting the treatment they need.
This lack of services, and the lack of those getting the help they need when they need it is backed by this statement, taken from the National Institute of Mental Health’s website:
The study indicates that the U.S. mental health care system is not keeping up with the needs of consumers and that improvements are needed to speed initiation of treatment as well as enhance the quality and duration of treatment. For instance, over a 12-month period, 60 percent of those with a mental disorder got no treatment at all.
60% is a lot. We must do something about that. Our government must do something about that. Whether or not you agree with socialized medicine, I would hope that you can see how crucial this health service is to our society. It can not only save those that need the help directly, but it can save others. If only Cho would have been able to get the help he needed, things might be different. I personally hope that this sends a loud message to the government, that they immediately work to invigorate and revamp the current mental health services available in this country. I hope that action will be taken before another tragedy like this occurs; because apparently, it didn’t happen after Columbine, which happened under similar circumstances.
The time for mental health is NOW.
So here it is, the follow up post to the post I wrote a few days ago requesting the answer to this question:
If you could describe the state of HIV and AIDS today, how would you describe it?
Alright, first of all, I didn’t realize something until sometime yesterday, which I honestly don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner, but I think that I unintentionally intimidated people by posting this question, because of where I work. I have been pretty frank with my feelings about public health because of where I work, my educational background, and what I believe, and I know that did prevent some folks from responding and thinking that their perspective mattered. For that, I wish I would have realized it, and accommodated accordingly, but alas, I did not, and there it is. Regardless, I got some great perspectives, and I will focus on those, rather than the intimidation.
First of all, I got a strong sense of complacency that people recognize with respect to HIV/AIDS today. People definitely feel that HIV isn’t as focused on today, mainly because of the availability of treatments, and the diminished face of AIDS in the news and in the media. Basically, we try to cover up the real need for help with campaigns for ipods, and that just reinforces that sense of complacency. In addition to this complacency, we have become disillusioned to believe that the treatments available for HIV have actually made this a manageable disease that isn’t so difficult to live with; as, again, is illustrated by the lack of the true face of AIDS in the media and on the news. In addition to the complacency, many see that HIV/AIDS is hidden, and this is illustrated by the belief that HIV isn’t as bad in industrialized nations, and that the people that tend to become infected in the US are junkies, and really high risk individuals; not just anyone who happens to put themselves at risk by simply having sex.
This is the new, current face of HIV. There is a lack of reality, and it has caused us to see the disease as it isn’t. We don’t see it as a problem that we still face day to day, because we have it “under control”, and because we have “treatments” that will “let us live happy healthy lives” if we should somehow become infected. Sadly, this complacency for the disease is exactly what is wrong with the stance we have taken in fighting the epidemic. Many correctly pointed out the sheer willful ignorance in the lack of proper education for our nation’s youth, and the improper use of “values” that impose horribly useless abstinence only tactics to try and convince teens to not having sex. Regardless of this “head in the sand” take on preventing teen pregnancy and HIV transmission among youth, many of you again correctly surmised that these tactics are not only NOT working, but they are doing way more harm in the process. And that level of complacency is unacceptable.
The reason I initially posted this question, was because I was going over the data from the study that I work on, and a continual theme among the respondents was that HIV was not only manageable, but it wasn’t really that big of a deal anymore. People didn’t see the disease as a problem, and I wanted to see if that was reflective of the general population as well; well, at least the general population of people that read my blog. What I found was a similar belief, only with a definitive higher level of concern and awareness of that complacency; which was to be expected from those that are smart enough to be pretty internet savvy.
I also wanted to write this, because I honestly feel like the problem that is causing this increased complacency with the disease, and with the active participation of people in this country in preventing the spread of it, rests on only a few specific things. First, there is a major problem with people thinking that HIV is readily treatable, and is actually a manageable disease. HIV is still a terminal illness, and the drugs that you take for it are not like taking an aspirin for a headache. There are horrible side effects. Those drugs cost thousands of dollars, and without them, people still die quickly. This does even take into account the drug resistant strains of HIV, which are certainly a faster death sentence. The point I am trying to make, is that when the pharmaceutical companies portray a happy healthy HIV positive gay man in their ads, they are reinforcing a belief that having HIV isn’t really all that bad. That does so much harm, because it lulls us into a sense of complacency, and as we all saw, as represented by your comments, that is a large part of the problem. The pharmaceutical companies have got to change the way they portray the disease, as well as the media at large. Until we start to see the true face of AIDS again, much like we did in the early and late 80’s, we are only back peddling. Things have got to change. The face of AIDS must be seen, or the problem will continue to get worse. Part of the reason we don’t see this face of AIDS, is because that face has largely gone more and more brown over the years, and it is easy for the media to turn away from the disenfranchised. Again, this is bad, bad news for the epidemic. Hopefully, through our own awareness and education, we can all start to make changes.
The other problem that comes from this complacency, is the belief that we cannot be infected, which is largely a part of the media ignoring the disease, that is, except to sell a red ipod. Sure, it does some good, and we do help out a few of those suffering in Africa, but it isn’t enough. This is just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound, and it is clear that it is hurting more than helping. This lack of real action and realistic exemplification of the disease, displaces our belief that we are still at risk every time we have sex. Additionally, risk factors like drug use are rampant throughout the gay community, and this increases risk of HIV transmission so much so, that it makes me dizzy. Yet, people are still willing to take these risks. But why? Because they have displaced HIV to another part of the world, or to another community other than their own, and that, coupled with the idea that it is treatable, creates and implements a fatal combination of complacency and ignorance. It is used as an excuse for someone who was already looking for a way to say, “nope, not me, no need to worry”.
I am sorry this post is as long as it is, but this is something that is truly passionate to me, and something I hope to do good with in my life. I want my mark on this world to be a positive benefit towards public health, and if that means helping one person, or many people, understand the real causes that force the epidemic to go on, then I am doing good. We must make pharmaceutical companies change their advertising methods. AIDS is not a pretty disease. You will not get infected, and then live a normal life. HIV should not be something we are complacent about, and we must really protect our youth. We must be more vocal about HIV, and make it way more visible. We must inform ourselves, and we must be realistic about this; because if we aren’t, it will just continue down this same old road. AIDS isn’t going anywhere, and it is just as bad as it was before; sure, more people are living longer lives, and there are less instances of HIV becoming AIDS, but HIV infection is still VERY high, even here in the US. Yet, still, we pretend that it isn’t a major concern. And that, is what’s wrong. We focus on getting people tested, without worrying about preventing them from getting the disease. We worry about knowing your status, but only for the few that believe they are at risk. This needs to extend to everyone, and HIV needs to become something that is talked about again. HIV needs to be made real again.
Thanks for weighing in your opinions, and feel free to weigh in more if you would like. I think finding a holistic view of the state of HIV today is a great conversation to move us out of complacency, and into really talking about and dealing with the epidemic. Until then, there are only a few that are forced to do the heavy lifting, and I for one, would like to see us coming in to help them carry the burden. It is up to us, we are the generation that can affect this change, and we need to get on it now.
Here’s what we Americans have to say about respect, honor, and your service for our country:
FUCK YOU! Enjoy your extended stay in HELL! BWUAHAHAHAHAHA!
The preceding message is sponsored by the Robert Gates is an effing douchebag campaign. Also sponsored in part by Capitol Hill Idiots Union; “when you need an idiot, look no further than Capitol Hill! We got ’em by the bushel!”
But hey sad clown, don’t fret, because you know, we do have a guy watching out for you for reals! AWWWW YEAH!
Mr John McCain backs you, troops, and points out how us Democrats are the evil forces that have turned their backs on you! He believes things in Iraq are going so great that there is no reason the Democrats should deny the senseless oil war you are dying for more money, and allow the big ass mistake of a war to go on! Cool! In fact, Mr McCain has personal knowledge and proof that Iraq is safer, now more than ever! Knowing this information should make you feel okay about sticking around longer, as Mr. Gates has decided for you, because it means that you guys are in a safer place, so no need to fret, right?! Hooray, joy and love in Baghdad! We are winning the senseless, initiated under false pretenses, oil war, and violence is coming to a halt; DESPITE everything you hear about it increasing!! No more soldiers are dying! No more people are dying! It is fucking party in Baghdad time!
But don’t get all sloppy now, because remember that things could quickly slip away from us. Remember that bastard Saddam??? Remember how we gave him all that money and all those guns and shit? Yeah, that kinda blew up in our faces, so we don’t want the cleaning up of that mess to bother us again. Four years into a senseless war waged under false pretenses and lies is a long time to put into this, and now that we have re-established the peace, the peace that we caused to be taken away, you can’t forget the journey you have endured. But live it up! Because we appreciate your efforts so much, that we will continue to ignore your needs for combat training and appropriate materials, because hey, that’s how we show you we care! And don’t worry, sure the Republicans will continue to blame us silly Democrats for taking away these things, even though you were never getting them before, but again, don’t worry! According to Mr. McCain, things are fine anyway, so you shouldn’t even need it anymore. In fact, you are probably just going to be hanging out there forever, but that is nothing to worry about, since things are going so fetchingly! Rock!
But since you are there for a while longer, and have nothing to do since things are so safe and awesome, make sure to do yourself a favor and take in some culture. And don’t forget to pick up your cheap ass carpets! Only a dollar each! What a deal! Also, enjoy your extended stay in Baghdad, which is now the closest thing to a peaceful Indiana marketplace on the planet; that is, other than an actual Indiana marketplace in Indiana! Woo Hoo! Nothing else to worry about, other than sun tanning and enjoying that fabulous desert heat (darn, too bad the beach isn’t nearby… then it would be paradise! aw shucks). God, it must be great to be deployed… And it must be super awesome to know that a Republican candidate for president has your back! Shit, if he wins, I am sure you will get to enjoy more awesome deployment time!! Stay safe (but you don’t need to, since it is sooooooo safe there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)!!! War is awesome!
This glimmer of awesome news is courtesy of Mr. “totally awesome humanitarian” McCain. Work it!
The preceding message is sponsored by the John McCain must be smoking some serious amounts of crack if he thinks he has a snow cone’s chance in hell of getting elected as the POTUS campaign. Also sponsored by the “shut the fuck up McCain, because you are a completely and utter dumbass” fund.
See! Sexual orientation is not a choice! Science is doing what it can to prove what we “sexual deviants” have always known to be true. Now, getting people to accept it… that’s the tricky part.
I don’t see how an anti-American protest and a call for American forces to leave Iraq on the 4th anniversary of the fall of Baghdad shows “progress” in the “war on terror”. To me, that just gives us more and more face time with the reality that we shouldn’t be there at all. The progress will come when we stop occupying a country that we have no business occupying. Sure, they weren’t able to assemble like that under Saddam (which is why it was touted as progress), but, uh, can’t we see that WE are their enemy? We weren’t the enemy before the war, so apparently, the progress here is in creating new enemies for ourselves.
On another war related thought, why don’t we hear more about the American troops that are killed every day in Iraq? I mean, there were 30 some odd troops killed over the weekend, and I don’t see that article or that reference anywhere. Instead, you have idiots like Mccain saying that Iraq is actually safer, speaking from under his body armor and from inside his heavily guarded human border. If Iraq is getting safer, how come more than a hundred people are killed there almost every day? That doesn’t sound very safe to me, especially since violence is surging in other parts of Iraq. So I guess “saving” Baghdad is all we need to say that things are going great? Gah.
Who the fuck eats peeps? I mean, they are pretty and all, but they are fucking gross. I love marshmallows, and I wonder why they had to ruin them by coating them in sugar. Who even eats just sugar anyway? It is gross! I did get a bunch of them though, and have been, and will continue to, take pictures of them. Like I said, they are pretty.
I worried about Sydney. He is still not feeling well, and I am letting my emotions get the better of me. I hope that he is back to normal very soon. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to him. I pray that nothing will.
Drinking every day is not a bad thing. Nope, not at all. Would you like another glass of wine?
I am really looking forward to dinner and drinks with my friends tonight. I love spending time with good friends.
That’s about it.
Remember when I freaked out because someone thought that spreading the good news about circumcision in Africa was a good idea? Yeah, well, apparently, my fears were correctly placed, as New York City has decided to go forward with suggesting circumcision to reduce the spread of AIDS.
Now, I know that this isn’t as bad as saying, “hey! Have as much unprotected sex as you want now! You’re cut and therefore less likely to get AIDS!”, but it might as well be; because it is crystal clear, that there are so many men out there that already think with their dicks, and any excuse to take accountability out of the picture is an excuse they are willing to accept. I for one am seriously upset with the people that decided a research study conducted half a world away where the HIV incidence is extremely high, and where condoms are not readily available, and where this is used as a “last ditch” alternative, should be used and applied to the HIV situation in NYC. Additionally, something not widely talked about, is that the strain of HIV in Africa is different; meaning this may have NO effect in preventing transmission here. This is EXACTLY why I was so pissed at the article that was written, and this is a sad and extreme example of the right people taking the wrong information out of context and disseminating it as a viable alternative to prevention.
This really bugs me, because I was so happy to see NYC take such a grand step forward with the NYC condom campaign, and show how a city can be truly accountable for public health, and offer true prevention; but now, I am horrified to see these gigantic leaps backward. Can anyone tell me why people are so willing to bury their heads in the sand on issues like this? Seriously, HIV is a terminal illness, and isn’t something to fuck around with; especially when you are fucking around with other people’s lives.
If HIV incidence is affected by this in any way, it will surely increase the prevalence of unsafe behaviors, and therefore put more people at risk for HIV infection. People are already tired of having to worry about protecting themselves in the “heat of the moment”, and now that there are officials telling them that having a cut cock is protective against the virus, they are going to capitalize on that thought and throw caution to the wind. I for one hope that this gets buried quickly, and I hope that someone who has a truly holistic and factual understanding of the study they are pulling this information from puts a stop to the whole thing. This is just as bad as saying there is a cure that might work about 40% of the time, because people are always willing to believe they are part of the cured; even though the odds are largely stacked against them.
This just makes me hang my head in sadness. Why oh why, in this day and age, can’t people be more responsible, especially when it will affect so many? Sigh. I can’t fucking believe this.
If you are sexually active man, especially in NYC with this nonsense spreading, listen up:
MEN, if you have a cut cock, or if you have an un-cut cock, PUT A FUCKING CONDOM ON YOUR DICK BEFORE YOU HAVE SEX!!! If you are a bottom, MAKE SURE HE WEARS A RUBBER! Don’t trust everything you hear, because it is YOUR LIFE at risk. Don’t bury your head in their sand, because AIDS is real, and you will greatly increase your chance of getting it by following this HORRIBLE advice. Please, PROTECT YOURSELVES! YOU are the only one that can protect yourself from infection; take action!
Do people really think that people are poor, live in poverty, or are homeless because they are too lazy to do anything about it? I ask, because I know that there are a few readers and commenters that have either hinted that they believe this, or have stated it repeatedly. While I do always welcome comments and opinions here on this blog, I also ask this question, because it upsets me that people over simplify serious issues in this manner, in order to justify their beliefs and make themselves feel better about the problem. I ask this, because I couldn’t just let it go without saying what I truly think and feel about this subject. And so, this blog post is born.
To begin, I will illusrate just a few of the real reasons why we have poverty and homelessness in this country:
The sad fact is, that these are just a few of the reasons people are living in poverty, or are homeless. Are these all of the reasons? No. But, you have to realize and understand that not all people start out with the same opportunities in life. The American dream is not real for most people, and most will never truly see a rags to riches story written about their lives. Many people that live in this country live paycheck to paycheck, with little or no savings in the bank; barely making ends meet to feed their family, and themselves. If something happens, something unexpected, something that you cannot afford, you have to choose; what goes? Power? Food? Clothes? Home? Car? These are the real facts that many people face everyday. Working more isn’t going to solve this problem. If you are sick, you can’t work, and if you can’t work, you can’t get the medical attention you need to get better. It is a vicious cycle. The fact is, that these people aren’t lazy. They aren’t looking for a free hand out or a free ride. They are looking to survive.
Without decent wages, affordable housing, and a chance, they won’t. They can’t. The system, that is, our capitalistic system, is built to exploit and forget about them. But it doesn’t have to be that way. First we use them for jobs that we won’t do, and then we turn a blind eye to their troubles, all the while those at the top of those very exploitative corporations cash multi-million dollar annual paychecks. Again, many of these people aren’t lazy at all; working two jobs just to make ends meet and still, they can’t get a leg up. They work and try, but yet, they can’t seem to get out of debt, and are at a constant risk of losing their homes. If they get sick, it could result in a loss of everything.
Sure, there are people that are lazy out there that are looking for a hand out. In fact, there are many lazy people that lucked out, and got all the money and power that they could ever want or need from their families. They did absolutely no work for it, they just happened to be born to the right people at the right time. And there are those that are too lazy to do anything that live in poverty, too; but I refuse to allow people to classify all people suffering from the effects of poverty and homelessness as lazy. Lazy is not a cause of poverty, lazy is a choice, lazy can change. Blaming homelessness and poverty on laziness is sheltered and ignorant. Survival isn’t as easy as “don’t be lazy”.
I write this because I was upset at some comments that transpired on previous posts about homeless people and people that live in poverty in this country. Mainly, it really pisses me off that people don’t realize that there are any number of contextual factors that contribute to a person’s daily life, and they continue to deny these things to justify their own selfish beliefs. If you truly believe that all poverty-stricken people, and all homeless people are the cause of their own problems, and are all just looking for a hand out, you are not only out of touch with reality, you are obviously not cognizant of the fact that each and every one of us, given a shitty set of circumstances, could end up right where these people are.
I know that I don’t have tons of money in the bank, and if a myriad of problems were to suddenly occur, I could be facing many of these problems. In fact, we all could (at least, those of us not lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in our mouths). But the reality that I could face poverty or homelessness isn’t because I am lazy, it is because this is the way the world works, and sometimes, it isn’t enough to just want to survive.
Sometimes, as a part of calling ourselves a society, we have to help those that cannot help themselves. We have to empower those that do not have the voice to empower themselves. If we don’t, we will never truly respect that delicate balance in which we too are a part of; you never know when you are going to be the one in need. You never know when you are going to need that hand to help you up, and hopefully, it won’t happen to you, but realizing that it does happen doesn’t have to go unnoticed and unaddressed. We can help, and we should. If for no other reason than because we can. Sure, there are those that will exploit the system, but they are not the majority. Turning your back on everyone because of them is cruel and merciless. I just can’t let it go that the richest nation in the world can turn a blind eye to these problems; the problems of its own people.
I don’t really know how I should feel about this, other than, I think that it is pretty messed up. Neither Anderson Cooper, nor Jodie Foster have publicly come out of the closet, and I don’t think that Out Magazine should be doing it for them. I personally would be extremely offended and freaked out if I were outed without my permission, and without my consent, especially on the cover of a national magazine. Sure, they MAY or may not be gay [retracted], but, either way, that is their press conference to hold; not Out Magazine’s. Bad form, Out Magazine, bad form. I know that it is important to have gay figures in society, and especially, in the public eye, but it is not right to go around outing people that, for whatever reason, have chosen not to come out publicly themselves. Not everyone needs to be pressured into a situation where they have to air their private lives in the tabloids. If Jodie and Anderson are true to themselves, and comfortable in their lives, and are out to their friends and lovers, it is up to them to choose who to share that information with.
What do you think? Do you think that Out was out of line? Or, do you think that because it is pretty clear that both Anderson and Jodie are gay, that it is Out’s privilege to push them out of the closet and proclaim them as gay to the world? I personally would be deeply offended if I were in their position; not because they were smearing my name or saying anything wrong about me, but because they took the extremely personal thing of coming out, out of my hands. Again, what do you think?
Mr. Bush, if you veto a FUNDING bill, then YOU are the one that is denying the troops funding. The bill is giving them money, and for that money to forward, YOU have to okay it. Since you haven’t come up with any plan other than “this is unacceptable” and “we aren’t leaving”, I suggest that you realize how hypocritical it is for you to continually say you support the troops when you take actions like this. The blame for the troops not getting the funding they need, and are being offered by the Congress, lies solely on your Mr. President. Your veto is a strong statement; it says loud and clear that you cannot accept responsibility for anything as complicated as rational thought and rational decision making, and that you, above all, do not support the troops, and do not want to give them the funding they need and deserve. Passing the buck here isn’t going to work. (link)
I for one hope that Congress doesn’t back down. I say, that if Bush does veto it, then that’s fine, just make sure that people realize that he had a funding bill sitting in front of him, one that would have given the troops the funding they needed, and he turned it down. HE turned it down. Ridiculous. But then, so too is the logic these people use, right? I for one am sick of this mess. Either give them the funding they need, and be realistic and realize that the American people want to actually get out of Iraq, or be your usual “head in the sand”-self, and pretend that you are the “decider”. I just hope that this time, credit is given where credit is due, and this isn’t blamed on the Democrats (who, again, are offering funding). Offering a funding mechanism that the President turns up his nose to and refuses is NOT taking money away from the troops, at least, not on the part of those offering up the dough. THIS JUST IN… Apparently, Bill O’Reilly is the voice of those idiots I was speaking of, that think that this has anything to do with the Democrats “holding up funding”:
Americans fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are caught in the middle of a nasty political brawl between President Bush and the Democratic party. Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi want a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. The president says that’s a foolish military strategy and will not do it, so the Democrats are holding up military funding. (source… I know it is hard to link fauxnews, but that’s where the idiocracy is…)
Hey Bill, sweetness, um, Bush is holding up the funding, the Democrats are trying to give them the money. And it isn’t just the Democrats, it is the Congress. Be a peach and gain some perspective, mmmkay?
Also, this is hilarious how completely daft these people are:
Harry Reid is wrong to force a timetable and try to cut funding at this moment. He and Speaker Pelosi are putting American troops in a very bad position.
Can anyone explain to me how PROPOSING FUNDING is CUTTING IT? Or better yet, how it is DENYING funds??? Wow. Can’t. See. Past. Own. Bullshit. Wow, we really do have a long way to go if these are the people that are running the world. Perhaps there needs to be another “i” and one less “n” in running… (ruining anyone)?
Right now, there is a debate going on over at my flickr page, on a specific photo that I posted of the new NYC sponsored condoms. While I know that there are varying opinions on whether or not the government has a stake in providing either health care or public health services to the people of this country, I honestly wonder; why can’t there be a happy medium? I mean, seriously, if you think government sponsored prevention programs are a bad idea, then you obviously don’t understand the impact that they have on health care. If you can prevent disease, you don’t have to treat it! (hence why I think the NYC condoms are such an amazing and awesome idea and execution of that idea!)
Most of the people that argue against public sponsored health care and public health services don’t believe that there should be any government support. A lot of people that are in the opposite camp, who are for those services, think that they should be available to everyone. I want to ask, why can’t there be a solution that falls somewhere between all and nothing? Sure, socialized medicine in theory is a great idea; everyone is taken care of. But, as dave, and others that believe what he believes about socialized medicine correctly point out, there are inherent problems when the government tries to take over and control something that it doesn’t really know how to do. Case and point: medical services for troops and veterans. Talk about a huge fuck up. And that is not what we want for everyone in the country.
Unfortunately, those fuck ups are then used to smear the idea of having any assistance from the government for public health services, and that is something I don’t understand. The main reason I don’t understand it, is because if you look at the countries that have socialized medicine, while it may not be the best possible solution, they far exceed our mortality rates, infant deaths, life expectancies and so on. It is obvious, that overall, government involvement in providing public health services does have a net benefit. So why can’t we take what we know (the government can fuck it up) and use that to come up with a happy medium that isn’t all (everyone must use government sponsored health care), or nothing (fuck em if they can’t afford it on their own)?
I wonder this, because my own personal views of public health and government supported health care come from a place of extensive education and research. I work for the top government public health organization, and have a masters degree of study that was mainly focused on public health. In addition to that focus, my masters degree focuses even more on what happens when the application of that public health means well, but goes wrong, or, in even worse situations, when it is ignored, and not provided at all. Speaking as someone who is very well educated in the subject, I think that it is ignorant to think that the government does not have any stake in providing people with some public health and health care services. Currently, the services that are provided are good in many respects, but are really awful in other areas. I think that it wouldn’t be very difficult to have governmental support in the areas that are bad, and that would provide for those that need the support. This does not equal total government support in the least; what it does do, is it helps those that need it get it.
Isn’t that what society is for? If everyone went around with the attitude of, “me, me, me, me!”, then we wouldn’t be able to function as a society. With specific regards to public health and health care services, the government does provide some services, and SHOULD, because if you want to support and maintain a society with a thriving economy, you must consider and support the health of the people that a part of that system. If you rely solely on charitable support for your health care, you will never get anywhere near what people truly need, as most of the people that have the money to give large charitable donations will never give enough to adequately cover what tax dollars can cover. Everyone can benefit from a government sponsored public health and health care services plan, which would include things like insurance changes, regulations on doctor fees, lowering of prescription prices, and so on. I just don’t see why a happy medium is such a bad thing.
The only people that I can see that would be so against this happy medium that I am suggesting (which again, does NOT include forcing everyone to have government sponsored health care), are people that don’t care about anyone other than themselves. It is interesting to me that these are the people that usually tout charitable donations as the solution (sorry to call you out dave), because being so selfish obviously means you wouldn’t be giving charitable donations. It is like saying, the solution would be to color it red, and you are the only one in the room with a red crayon, and you are unwilling to share it, or color it red yourself. That is not only selfish, it is undeserving of being a member of society in my opinion. We have to sacrifice things to be a part of society, sacrifice things to the one body that can govern and protect us. That body is the government, and while I too don’t agree with what all of our tax dollars go to, I think that public health is one of the most critical and substantially important places that money should be going to, and some sort of government involvement in that is not only required, but expected. To suggest otherwise is negligent, in my opinion.
Now, I know you are itching to, so go ahead and rip me a new one. I know that you may disagree, and that is fine, these are our opinions after all. We are entitled to them. This is mine. It isn’t like what is said here will become the policy of the government, even though I hope that some form of what I have stated could eventually find its way into our current policies. To be quite frank, I also think that it is a good thing that these opinions will not become policy, with specific regard to the thought that government has no place in providing public health services! I write this, because I truly don’t understand how the richest and most powerful nation in the country can turn its back on the citizens that live here. Those people are not entitled to anything more than anyone else, but they are also not to be denied anything that everyone else may have (and do have) a better chance at receiving. If you believe that everyone has the ability to get whatever they want (the “American dream”), then this argument is falling on deaf ears, because you have decided to tune out what is really going on in this country (and throughout the world) long ago. I only hope that one day, each side of this argument can find a way to come together and simply provide what is needed. THAT is what will make for stronger society. That is what will make for better and more robust economy. And that is what will make us stronger and better as a nation.
Continuing to go in the direction of wealth, power, and destruction at all costs, even the cost of our own citizens, will ultimately be our own demise. We will not need terrorists to destroy us, we will destroy ourselves. We are already doing it. And that is scary, but real.
