What Would You Do?

If you woke up this morning with a sore throat, earache, or swollen glands, what would you do? What if you found a lump in your breast, noticed a mole that didn’t look right, or  numbness in your legs? What would you do? If your answer is you’d call your doctor and get an appointment, do you realize how lucky you are?

For many people, a sudden illness or concern would mean panic and fear. Too many live with the fear of getting sick. Too many go without necessary meds. Too many go without the preventive care that might keep them from getting sick. I am one of them, as are many I know. My husband and I have been uninsured for nearly 5 years now. I had to forgo my asthma meds. I can’t get things like Pap Smears and regular physicals. Two years ago I hurt my back and suffered with severe pain and numbness for 6 long months because no doctor would see me without insurance and the ER treated me like a junkie looking for a fix. One doctor sent me for an MRI. We’d gotten a very generous tax refund that would have covered it, but they refused to see me, saying “No insurance, no service”.  I could barely walk,  and was absolutely terrified I’d never get better. I felt hopeless and alone.

No one should EVER have to suffer or live in fear because they can’t afford medical care. NO ONE. My husband and I, and millions like us, are not uninsured because we are lazy or want the government to take care of us. My husband was lost his job through no fault of his own, and has been unable to find one that provides health insurance. It’s the greed of corporations that is to blame for the healthcare crisis in this country. While CEOs collect fat paychecks and fatter bonuses, the workers at the other end of the ladder, the ones that made them all their money, are treated like disposable goods. They don’t think they have any responsibility to their workers. They aren’t people to a CEO, just easily replaceable parts in a big money machine.

I know some people think the uninsured can get free care at the ER. Yes and no. They’ll help you to a degree-if you have an ear infection you’ll get antibiotics (hopefully you can afford them-there’s no free care at the pharmacy!) Break a bone, they’ll set it. But there is a stigma attached to being uninsured in the ER, trust me. I’ve been there many times. I got wonderful care when I had kidney stones, but when I hurt my back I was treated like a nuisance. When I went there 8 weeks pregnant and bleeding, it was even worse. I saw the OB/GYN on duty for all of 10 minutes. He didn’t examine me, just told me it was too soon to know if my baby was okay and to go home. Then he handed me a paper saying I had been diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. As almost all women know, that is a life-threatening emergency. When  I questioned it, he bit my head off and yelled, “Didn’t you hear what I said? Go home!!” and walked out (I didn’t have an ectopic pregnancy thankfully, but sadly, I did lose my baby).

And then there are things like cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, and more. These things need regular treatment and meds, things an ER can’t give. So what do you do if you have no insurance and get sick with something like that? Some states have special programs that take care of uninsured cancer patients. Otherwise, you’re on your own. And that’s where the fear comes in. Every time you don’t feel quite right, every time you get an ache or pain, you worry. Every cough, every headache, every twinge brings fear. I live with that fear every day as do millions like me.

The systems in Canada and the UK are far from perfect. There are long waits and other problems, but those citizens live free of fear. They know if they get sick they will be cared for. They won’t go bankrupt or have to suffer. That’s how it should be. No one wants to live off the government. They just want to live without fear. They want to be cared for when they are sick and be able to get help when they are hurt. Health care should be a basic human right, not something you’re only entitled to if your bank account is large enough. Jesus tells us to love thy neighbor and care for one another. When He helped the lepers, gave sight back to the blind man and helped the crippled man walk again, He didn’t ask if they had insurance. He didn’t refuse them because they were poor. He saw their need and helped them. That’s what “Obamacare” is. It’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up many people desperately need. It will save lives.

Health care is a luxury in this country, and that should be a national disgrace. We must stop catering to the rich and start caring for each other. Benevolence before bank accounts. Philanthropy before profits. I am tired of being scared, tired of worrying. I know I am not alone in that. Don’t look down on us. One day you could be called into see your boss, as my husband was in 2009, and told your job of  15 years is gone. It could easily happen to you, and if it does I pray you don’t wake up sick one morning with no doctor to call, and no way to get help. It could happen to anyone. It happens every day.

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Secession: Be Careful What You Wish For!

As of this writing, the White House has received petitions for secession from all 50 states. The chances of any of those states actually seceding from the union are slim to none-even the governor of Texas, one of the only states to actually reach the 25,000 signatures needed in order for the petition to be reviewed by the Obama administration-has said he’s not interested in seceding. It’s really just a mass tantrum orchestrated by those who are upset that President Obama was re-elected.  Perhaps some are under the mistaken idea that they can force a state to secede if they can get enough signatures? Not gonna happen. New York is staying.

Ever wonder what would happen if a state did secede? Speculation about another Civil War aside, here are some certainties that a state that left the union would have to deal with:

Federal Aid- This is the most obvious. The state would lose Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, school lunch program funding, funding for highways, schools, access to Small Business Administration loans, Department of Agriculture assistance for farms, FEMA, federally funded flood insurance and housing programs, funding to help maintain critical infrastructure, unemployment insurance, Social Security, etc. The U.S. does allow expatriates to keep receiving Social Security IF they live in a country the U.S. hasn’t leveled sanctions against. It’s not unreasonable to think the U.S. might not be very friendly toward a state that seceded.

Economy-The now ex-state would have to create their own monetary system and then have it recognized by the rest of the world. Until then their economy would be in collapse. Citizens that work for companies not headquartered there will see their jobs disappear until they apply for and are granted a green card, since U.S. companies are not allowed to employ foreign citizens without one. They also have to hope their companies will want to keep employing people from the now ex-state. If the state was home to military bases or facilities for federal entities such as NASA, they’ll be gone, along with all the jobs and tax revenue they gave the now ex-state.

Trade– The ex-state would not be allowed to import or export anything until they establish trade agreements with the U.S. and other governments. That means they must be entirely self-sufficient as they would not be able to stock their supermarkets with food from other states or countries, or their stores with clothes and other supplies.

Energy and Infrastructure– The United States has a national power grid that sustains all it’s states except Texas. Therefore if a state other than Texas secedes, they’ll be taken off the grid. That means no electricity. Oil and gas pipelines are also owned by the federal government, and sorry Texas and Louisiana, but the off shore oil beyond the first three miles belongs to the U.S.

A state that secedes will also have to maintain its own water and sewer systems, build and maintain their roads and bridges themselves, and figure out how to run their airports now that the FAA isn’t doing it anymore.

Day to Day Life- Citizens wouldn’t have cable TV or internet service, the now ex-state would have to create their own, but since they also won’t have electricity, they wouldn’t be able to use it anyway. Cell phone service won’t exist either, as U.S. cell companies don’t offer service in foreign countries. Instead they rely on roaming agreements with cell providers in those countries. Colleges and universities would no longer be accredited and would lose money when students from the U.S. leave. The National Weather Service would be gone, meaning the state would have to rely on its own means to figure out when a hurricane or other severe weather is coming. Companies with government contracts would lose them, which could lead to mass layoffs or shutdowns. Schools would lose funding, meaning programs could be shut down. Headstart and school lunch programs would end. Students would not be able to get federal student loans or grants any longer. Food shortages could be a possibility since the now ex-state won’t be allowed to import food shipments from the U.S. until a trade agreement is put into place. Say goodbye to all that lovely California produce,Idaho potatoes and New York apples.

Aside from what secession would mean for a state that chose to leave the union, it would also be a problem for the U.S. We would face having enemy territory in our own backyard. We’d lose valuable imports, tax revenue, natural resources, national parks, and our sense of unity. Companies based in a seceded state could refuse to do business with the U.S.

Let’s face it, secession hurts us all, and no matter what side you’re on, we all lose.

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