my two cents

I can't hold it in any longer. I have to be heard. most of you that know me know how passionate I am about health care reform. and when I'm this passionate, I can't hold it in. so... here are my two cents.

my parents both worked while I was growing up. they both still do. but I never had insurance until I got my first full time job on the Gephardt for President campaign in 2003. going to the doctor was a very rare occurrence. even when my sister had Pneumonia she wasn't taken to see a doctor until she looked and felt like she actually might die. they just couldn't afford it even though they worked harder than most Americans and paid just as much in taxes. there is nothing right about that.

when I was 19 my dad has his first heart attack. because we lived hours from the nearest hospital he had to be life flighted to Grand Junction, CO, had surgery and stayed for a week. over the next seven years he had four more heart attacks with the same result. life flights, surgery, extended stays in hospitals. with no insurance the bills added up to over half a million dollars. my dad lost his house, his truck, his job, and ended up having to go bankrupt - twice. all of this because of a health issue.

right now, my sister and her husband don't work. they are living on unemployment and food stamps. they get free doctor visits, dentist visits, and eye doctor visits. my other sister and her husband both work full time and have no health care. they pay taxes and get nothing while my other sister pays no taxes and gets everything.

these are just my own personal examples of what is wrong with our country's health care system. there are a million other reasons. check out this amazing article titled The Brutal Truth About America's Healthcare. it's been 97 years since the health care debate began in congress, and it's absolutely ridiculous that it still hasn't been fixed. the fact that anyone out there likes the status quo and sees no reason to improve the system just completely boggles my mind. they have to be sitting on a very pretty policy of their own. probably military health care. the best in the country. and oh yeah, who runs that? that's right - the government does! we know the government can do it, and do it well, and there are no reasons besides selfishness and ignorance to be against Obama's plan. your precious private health care will still be available to you, and the competition will still be alive between companies. the difference is that all those people out there struggling to make ends meet who need medication and care will finally be able to get it. their load will be lightened, their pain will be eased, their lives will be saved, and all with tax money they are already giving to their government. they deserve it. they work for it and sacrifice in their own way for our country every day.

Obama will not approve a plan that raises our taxes, and the quality of our system will not be effected. the plan is an improvement. plain and simple. so, please, read all the facts and think it through with an open mind before you go storm trooping against Obama and his plan. right now our helath care system is 37th in the world. yes, it's that bad. yes, millions of our citizens cross the borders to get more affordable health care. it isn't working here. our people are suffering. this country deserves better and has the capacity to do better for it's people.