I posted the following to Facebook yesterday, but thought I'd share it here as well. It sort of sums up my thoughts on the whole political stuff these days....
Hey everybody. I realize that the vast majority of my posts over the past few days have been overtly political and/or religious in nature and some of them may be considered a bit harsh. If I've offended you, I apologize. This is gonna ramble for a bit, but I feel the need to share this and hopefully clearly explain my position once and for all. Please. Take a moment and read on....
I've been really sick lately. I missed 9 days of work, visited several doctors, had multiple lab tests done, had a colonoscopy (which involved anesthesia), and been prescribed a slew of medications.
By my estimates, the costs associated with this illness run somewhere near $20,000 so far. Add to that the follow-up visits, the cost of medication for the forseeable future (one med runs about $900 for a 30 day supply) and we're looking at a lot of money.
Two years ago, my wife had a heart attack and was out of work for a year. The ER visit, hospital stay, catheterization, follow-up visits, and continued medication would total roughly $100,000. Add to that the lost wages and you've got a hefty sum of money.
Thanks to my employer, my wife and I have good health insurance. This insurance is part of the compensation I receive from my employer for the work I do. This insurance has allowed our family to maintain a reasonable standard of living and not have to worry about how we were going to pay for what would otherwise have been astronomical medical bills. In fact, we've been able to keep our home, our automobiles, and keep our bills payed pretty much on time (for the most part), although we have seen our fair share of struggle and lean times and had to make some sacrifices.
I am an American. I am a PROUD American. As luck would have it, I'm also southerner, so I'm double lucky. I was brought up to believe in the Bible, in Jesus Christ, and in the principles of love which are at the heart of the Christian faith. In my life, I have veered off course and done terrible things of which I am not proud, but the God I serve is loving and forgiving, although many of the actions I have taken are not worthy of forgiveness.
I was brought up to believe that we are one nation under God. To me, that means that the principles upon which this country was founded were the same principles I learned in church. I always felt like I fit in America.
I was taught that Jesus loved everyone equally and took mercy upon the poor, the hungry and the sick. I was also taught that it was my duty as a Christian to emulate Christ and to do the same. It stands to reason that if my country is based in these principles, then my country also has a duty to do this as well.
The God I serve does not discriminate based upon job or luck of the draw. The God I serve came to earth as man, healed the sick, fed the hungry, chastised the greedy and taught us to love the Lord God with all of our hearts and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
The same God gave us the wisdom to develop medical techniques and tools which can preserve and prolong life. This gift did not come with strings attached. This gift was not given to us so that we might share it only with those who are fortunate enough to work for an organization that provides the right insurance coverage.
The United States of America is the result of an incredible experiment. We have this crazy history of saying one thing and doing another. We say "All men are created equal" yet we don't treat them equally. We've come a long way from the days where that "All men are created equal" actually meant "All land-owning heterosexual males of European descent are created somewhat equal". A lot of good people sacrificed their very lives so that we may reach this point where there is a greater amount of equality than ever before.
I believe in equality. I believe "God don't make no junk". I believe that the same God that created me created you and you ain't no better than me and I ain't no better than you.
It is only by the grace of God (or luck) that my family is not facing foreclosure because of our medical bills. Why should I be treated any differently than anyone else? My life is of no greater value than anyone else's. The amount of material wealth a person possesses should not dictate the value of their life, nor should it dictate the manner in which they are treated or the amount and quality of health care they receive.
If this country is truly rooted in Christian principles and values, then we must keep up the fight for equality for all Americans. But if that's not the case and it really is all about the money and the only thing that matters is the bottom line (which is what I'm hearing from more and more people who claim to be Christians) then never mind. I was mistaken and I'm heartbroken. We have the opportunity to help, but instead, the people who claim to be followers of Christ are trying to slam the door in the face of the poorest among us... again.
Okay. I'll stop now.
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