Healthcare Reform

Yes, Mama knows how desperately all of her little darlings have waited patiently, including baited breath, for her opinion. Mama wanted to take time before composing a brief entry on the subject.

One of Mama's precious little sweetums has asthma. Mama has Lupus. We manage to fall through the cracks. Coverage from employer is too high. Yet we make too much to take advantage of state insurance for the children. We will be getting a private policy for the sum of $350 a month to cover us, but Mama's two medicines won't be covered for a year.

Mama does believe the system needs reformation. Mama's mama, your grand nanny, is on Medicaide. Can you say, "Big honkin' joke!" Sure, Mama knew you could. She gets "three punches" on a card. She can use them for either medicine OR doctor's appointments. Grand nanny is schitzophrenic, diabetic, and has COPD. Grand nanny recently stopped smoking (yay for grand nanny!). Now, tell Mama what grand nanny should do. There are times when grand nanny can't get everything she needs. Mama and Uncle Baldy take care of it, but if the system is so excited and pleased to take care of the needy, tell Mama why they aren't doing it.

Additionally - if the public system is so fantastic...explain to Mama why our elected officials won't give up their private insurance.

Instead of pointing out flaws, and Mama could sit here all day and do that...but her precious little sweetums wants some fried chicken and a cake for Sunday dinner. So Mama came out with a solution. That's what Mamas are for!

What did we do to the tobacco companies (aside from sue)? We taxed the crap out of them. What did the money go toward? Supposedly the money went to education and smoking cessation programs. Did the tobacco companies go out of business? Nope.

Drug companies charge Americans significantly more money because, according to them, we can pay more. Countries like Mexico and Canada pay much less for the exact same drug. Mama aint talking about online Mexican or Canadian "pharmacies". Mama is talking prescription per prescription comparision. Why? The answer is that these countries can't afford to pay what we pay. So, essentially, it is not that the drug companies must charge these prices. It is that the drug companies know they can get that amount out of us.

Merck had an 83% profit margin last year. If it was an oil company we'd all cry out that we are being gouged.

Mama proposes that we sue the crap out of these big pharmaceutical companies. Once we get the difference in what we pay and what another North American country pays we use that money, invested wisely, to pay for a public option.

For all of you little darlings so excited about socialized medicine you can do one of two things. Go to Canada next time you need a bypass. You'll probably die while you wait. Another option is that you can go visit a reservation here in the good ole' U S of A. Native Americans have socialized, government ran medicine. What do you hear about reservation clinics on the news? Not enough money, tight budgets, no medicine, long waits, etc. The last big report Mama saw was about the "Indian Clinic" here in Oklahoma. More Native American children in Oklahoma are diagnosed with Diabetes than any other disease. Why? Some could say lack of exercise or some could say lack of proper nutrition. Well, who runs those programs for our true founders? The government. Do you really think government rations are healthy options? No. They're cheap.

The entire nation deserves better than government ran health care.

One size fits law

For the most part - Mama thinks the legal system is wonderful. Mama wouldn't want to be tried in any other country. Mama wouldn't want to live in any other country...and as far as Mama is concerned - if you don't like this country, Mama is glad that her Big Strong Man fought for your right to say what you want...but he also fought for Mama's right to tell you to get the hell out if you don't like it here.

Anyway...sometimes, though, Mama gets a little frustrated at one size fits law. What is one size fits law? This will be a new topic here where Mama will talk about the problem with the law.

Our very first, and most serious, instance is the 17 year old girl in Ohio. She is a native of Sri Lanka and recently became a Christian. Her parents are muslim. Very muslim. As in death honor killing muslim. She's afraid for her life because of her conversion. She ran away and now a court case has ensued (no pun intended). The main issue right now is jurisdiction. Since she is technically a run away she may be returned to her parents in the original jurisdiction despite the danger she faces.

What happened to give me your poor, tired, huddled masses, etc., etc? Mama's first question is age of consent in general. Mama realizes this is not marriage or sex or anything of the like. However, if we decide that children can legally decide their own choices regarding sex and marriage as early as 14 in some states...shouldn't, at least in extenuating circumstances, they be allowed to leave a potentially deadly situation?

One size fits law.

Cosmic Justice

Mama doesn't really believe in karma...but Mama couldn't think of a more fitting title for this post.

You see, little darlings, there is a man in the UK that is a convicted arsonist. A couple of people broke in to his house and stole some things including his computer. Burglary is, in general, an awful thing. In fact, it directly violates on of God's Ten Commandments.

However, the burglers did something rather unexpected. They went to the police. You see, the computer was loaded down with child porn. That's some cosmic justice, don't you think? The guy apparently didn't do much time for arson (he's only 24 and obviously wasn't in jail). Mama's question is whether or not the burglers should be rewarded for getting such a schmuck off the streets.

Deep Thoughts

Now of course those didn't come from Mama.

Mama was on Facebook (spawn of satan that steals your soul and time) and saw a post from one of her high school acquaintances. The post said that he was experiencing a time of deep reflection. You see, boys and girls, his little son was with him and they saw an Army tank (don't ask Mama where they were because Mama doesn't know). The little boy asked him what it was. Mama has boys and they've always known what a tank is.

Mama is curious to know whether or not that reflection was based on the fact that his kid was not educated about what a tank was, its use, and its history...or if he was reflecting on how glad he is that his kid doesn't know about tanks.

Either way it makes Mama a bit sad. Children do not learn history. Liberal schooling systems do not like to talk about the past, but yet most liberals like to throw up the past at inopportune, eye-gouging moments when they are so for "moving on". If the schools aren't teaching...and the parents aren't teaching - what will happen to our children, our history, and our future? We must know where we came from in order to know where we are going. Our past shows us not only where we came from, but also our mistakes and provides examples of where we could do better.

If he was happy, and Mama didn't ask to find out, about his son not knowing what a tank was that makes Mama sad, too. What next will we deny? Will we deny the existance of war? War is ugly and beautiful at the same time. It is freedom and oppression. It is death and life. In short, it is what it is. If we aren't teaching them - who will? Do you want someone else teaching them? Consider Hitler. Consider the anti-christ who will come eventually. Do you want your children easily falling as prey to the roaring lion?

We can't have a future if we don't acknowledge the past. We stalemate. We stall. We become a gray area instead of a nation founded on rights, principles, and self-evident truths.

What subject do you keep from your kid? Mama isn't talking about sex or drugs or alcohol. Mama is talking about the necessities of American history. We are where we are because we did what we did. No other country is greater or has a richer history. There's a reason for that. Like it or leave it. Teach it or risk losing it all.

Vegans and Vegetarians

Dear Vegans and Vegetarians -

Mama doesn't care that you don't eat meat or things derived from animals. Mama does care about the stink being raised about schools not offering vegans and vegetarians. Unless you all would like to pony up the cash to allow schools to fund such options, might Mama suggest you get up earlier and pack your kid a lunch?

One of Mama's precious little sweetums has an allergy to milk fat. Does Mama complain that the chocolate milk at the school is made from 2%? No. Mama just gives him a thermos OR he can do without. Mama could just let him drink the mean ole' milk fat that makes him barf all over the place, but Mama knows teachers don't make enough to put up with that.

So, be sweet little darlings and take responsibility for your own life choices.

Love,

Mama