AMERICAN DREAMS II

HEALTH CARE REFORM

Before I present statistics and survey results, I want to pause to point out that all polls and surveys are not alike. They’re not taken at the same time, they don’t all ask the same kinds of questions, and they don’t all report their findings in the same format. Still, I think these results bear looking at in light of President O’Bama’s succinct summary of Health Care Reform as “we will help people pay for their insurance.” Unless his help is a 100% subsidy, here are some of those whom it will NOT help:

(There are between 46 million and 86 million uninsured in America, depending on whom you ask.)

The numbers below, my friend, are in MILLIONS
(37,000,000 Live below the poverty line)
12,000,000 Illegal immigrants (or 20,000,000 according to other poles)
7,000,000 Work for minimum wage
15,000,000 Unemployed
9,000,000 In long-term care
31,000,000 Are single parents
34,000,000 Are homeless
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108,000,000 for whom “help” will not be enough

Even if we remove 25% from this (my standard incompetency rate), it leaves almost ONE THIRD of the population who will still be without health care other than emergency services (assuming that those continue). All happening in your town. Work out a way to provide health care to these, or face them across the cantaloupe. Ironically, these are the Americans least likely to vote, revolt, or be published.

But before you say to yourself, “Let them die, then,” remember that the only way polio, smallpox, cholera, and tuberculosis were wiped out in the U.S. was by vaccinating EVERYONE. When vaccines stop, it’s likely these will return with vigor.

Between the 51,000,000 on Medicare or State or Federal Disability and the 2,000,000 in prison, 53,000,000 are already 99% subsidized by the government.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Before I leave this subject, a note to immigrant-hopefuls; The American Dream is not as easy to get as to just work very hard. Yes, there is plenty of food here, but it is, in most cases, not free. That whole one man/one vote myth has been busted. We don’t have enough jobs for our own selves, and there are beautiful homes here, but almost half of Americans can’t afford a nice home. To get citizenship isn’t easy, especially if you can’t read, speak and write English. You may be resented for your heritage/religion/color/values and ability (or inability) to drive. And once you are here, your family becomes just as vulnerable to our crime, divorce rate, and incidence of run-aways as ours are. The pioneer days are gone; your children will want iPods. And if someone offers you a ‘credit’ deal, where you get something now and pay for it later, you might as well know the deck is stacked such that you can never pay it all back. It IS still possible to start poor and get somewhere, but remember that 5% of the people control 95% of the wealth. The other 95% of us are fighting, killing, dying to get that last 5%. And we’re not as lazy or as stupid as you may have heard. You will have to fight hard to make it here, and at the cost of your cultural heritage. Wouldn’t it be easier to improve things where you already are?

I’d like to be clear that I have nothing against immigrants, and in fact respect all races and cultures. And if you get here, we will try to help you. Help just may not be as satisfying as the comfort of your own friends, family, community, culture, language, and home lands.