SUBMITTED TO THE AJC- DID NOT PRINT, SUBMITTED TO THE WASH POST-HOPE THEY PRINT
Dear Editor,
the old adage, "if you don't like the news, make some of your own." well, i don't like the news i'm hearing. i have watched, on CNN, the angry protesters, at town hall meetings across this nation. people are fired up over "government take over of healthcare." Obama has been compared to hitler, the joker and, of course, the S-word, "Socialism."
the REAL death panels? i'll come back to that. our own, Johnny Isakson, introduced this "end of life counseling" in the bill. it is something that is done, daily, by DR's and hospitals. i can remember taking grandaddy to the hospital and being told to make a decision as to, "how aggressive do you want us to be in treatment?" i'm thinking "SH*T!" it was just me and uncle robert. i start to think, "how can we make this decision?" a directive,done ahead of time, would have solved all doubts, worries over how to proceed, and alot of anxiety. a verbal directive or one in writing for all to see. Knowledge is Power. when is it more important, than to have power, over how you die. Isakson, just wanted DR's and healthcare workers to be compensated for providing this valuable service. now, back to the real death panels-CORPORATE AMERICA-the INSURANCE CO'S.
we all know how insurance co's deny coverage for pre-existing conditions and refuse patients treatment. another trick, their using, is rescinding policies. if you get diagnosed with an expensive condition, like cancer, the insurance co's pour over your initial health questionnaire. in most states, insurance co's can, retroactively, cancel individual policies, if any condition was not disclosed, even if the medical condition is unrelated and even if the person was not aware of the condition at the time. how this translate to real life-a texas resident found a lump in her breast. Wellpoint investigated her medical history and concluded she had been previously diagnosed with osteoporosis. the Insurer(Wellpoint), rescinded her policy and refused to pay for treatment of the lump. three large Insurers have rescinded almost 20,000 policies over 5 yrs, saving $300 million in medical coverage. employees performance evaluations reflect such savings. these insurance co employees are encouraged to revoke sick people's health coverage.* these are the real DEATH PANELS!!
a Public Option is IMPERATIVE! we have to have a public option to combat Corporate America. what's going on in our country, right now, is evidence of how we can make our government do the right thing. we can change the face of govenment, but we can't make Corporate America do the right thing. doing the right thing is last on their agenda. Corporate America has no ethics-only a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders-which means cutting cost and producing profits.
WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH?
do you know where the catch phrase "government take over of Healthcare" came from? it was started by the insurance co's. they perpetrated this phrase, on purpose, to scare, anger and incite americans.**
Corporate America is laughing all the way to the bank. with all the scare tactics, misnomers and false information being bandied about and all the angry americans, reading and believing the lies, Corporate America's dirty work is being done. i wouldn't mind, so much, if the opposition to healthcare reform were honest and educated with the facts.
come on people! you CAN do better! you owe it to yourselves and this nation to do a better job and arm yourself with the facts. the internet is full of false information. here say, doesn't count. cable news is another HUGE problem. stop watching news to "fit" what you believe. FOX News delivers the news to fit right wing conservatives. Bill O'Reilly, Beck, etc. are not news anchors, especially not the likes of Walter Cronkite. they give performances based on opinion-not facts. MSNBC caters to the left. they have their pundits, as well, whom wax profusely with opinionated news. CNN has a worldwide audience, they deliver both sides of the debate and "you" the viewer can make up your mind. they don't come any better than Wolf Blitzer "In the Sitation Room." i dare you to step out of your comfort zone and try viewing the world from a different perspective. remember knowledge is power.
the problems our nation faces are HUGE! the President cannot fix our problems by himself. the government cannot fix our problems by themselves. that's reality folks! fixing our problems- bottom line - is going to require sacrifice- real sacrifice- by everyone. but i think the majority of the sacrifice should come from Corporate America. they are responsible, totally, for where we are RIGHT NOW! all the horrible things we are trying to fix about healthcare, Corporate America created. instead of fighting healthcare reform they should voluntarily sacrifice to save Healthcare. Obama is not a socialist. he does not want socialism. he only wants capitalism with responsibility. we do not have THAT, in this country. we have had a long era of nonregulation, deregulation and unregulation. we have given Corporate America free rein- LOOK WHERE THEY HAVE TAKEN US:
AN ECONOMY ON THE BRINK\
JOBS LOST
HOMES FORECLOSED
AND PEOPLE GIVEN DEATH SENTENCES, ALL DUE TO ONE WORD "DENIED" AND WHEN I SAY "CORPORATE AMERICA" I'M INCLUDING CORPORATIST POLITICIANS, CORPORATE LOBBYIST AND CORPORATE AMERICA.
we have to have a public option to keep Corporate America straight- not honest -Corporate America has proven they aren't honest and that they are not willing to do the right thing.
income inequality is at an all time high. from Clinton, beginning in '93' til the recession in 2007, the top 1% got half of all economic growth. during the Bush years, 2002-2007, they got 2/3. one of the scariest things this nation faces is the erosion of the middle class, especially when it's being pulled apart at both ends.
Citigroup, a massive bailout recipient under Bush($50 billion TARP), is reportedly asking to write a check for $100 million to a single employee. the head of the Energy Trading Unit at Citigroup is due to receive $100 million for his performance- this is the disconnect between Corporate America and "we the people." this is the disconnect President Obama is trying to fix. he cares, little, for taking over peoples lives. he has canvased this nation and listened "well" to the plights of Americans. he is only asking, that this era of politicians, lobbyist and corporate America manipulating things to their own end, STOP! what's wrong with that?
i am highly offended at what i'm hearing at the town halls. people yelling, "i want my country back." back from WHAT? a democrat? a black man? i say, back from Corporate America.
people are, also, incensed over insuring the 47 million uninsured. are we really, that selfish , as a nation? let's not be like Corporate America.
we're better than that! last sunday, i spent 2 hours making phone calls for organizing america. i asked everyone whom answered if they supported President Obama's three main core principle's of healthcare reform:
1)affordability-make healthcare affordable
2)availability-making healthcare available to all including a public option
3)choice-everyone has a choice of dr, etc.
i made 90 calls in 2 hours. the majority were answering machines or disconnected numbers. i actually reached 22 people. out of 22 people, 21 supported president obama's plan. all 21 pledged public support, which means their names will go on a list, showing support for president obama's healthcare reform. the lone dissenter, simply stated, "i don't have time for this." out of the 21 pledging public support, 4 signed up to volunteer. i was calling GA residents. we aren't even a purple state. we're red. this is not a democratic problem. this is not a republican problem. this is an american problem. i have come to the conclusion, that all dissenters at the town halls, although vocal, are a minority.
i was watching Dana Gould do a set about healthcare reform. he highlighted the protesters- all angry - holding up signs, shouting. a few miles down the road, people gathered at 2 in the morning to get in line for free healthcare. Remote Area Medical, whom are meant to service third world countries, have found an enormous NEED, right here in our country. most, were working americans with insurance. one little girl was trying to find a pair of glasses. if Remote had not given her a pair of glasses, her alternative, would have been to live without. these people were not angry. they were thankful, they were hopeful. the question was raised, "why are the people whom have the most, angry and screaming and the ones whom need help, are hopeful? this nation is so afraid his neighbor is going to get more than him. the blessed are begrudging the not so blessed.
healthcare is not a privilege. if you have good healthcare- your lucky - not privileged. if healthcare reform is not passed, don't look to have your healthcare forever. remember it's not a right. do you think Corporate America will think twice about cutting your benefits for the sake of the bottom line? nobody's safe. i do not trust Corporate America.
we are #37 in healthcare, yet we spend the most money. dollars do not equivocate quality. France is #1 and they have a hybrid- a public and a private option. you think having a public option will kill the insurance co's? think again, they're like roaches. they'll adapt and survive. it may not be business as usual but, "hey", "that's a good thing!"
Dana Lewis
*Washington Post
**CNN
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