Empathy & Sympathy -Things of the Past
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| Fri, 09-25-2009 - 9:24am |
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
At the Richmond Times-Dispatch “public square†forum yesterday, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) took questions from his constituents on the health reform debate for the first time this summer. One such constituent, Patricia Churchill, spoke about a close family member, now unemployed and thus uninsured, who is dying of tumors. Cantor suggested that Churchill’s relative seek “existing government programs†or find charity.
This is all interesting, because Cantor is against a public option, yet he wants Churchill to find a government program (or charity). Yeah, we know how easy that is.
CHURCHILL: I have a very close relative, a woman in her early forties, who did have a wonderful, high-paying job, owns her own home and was a real contributing member of society. She lost her job. Just a couple of weeks ago, she found out that she has tumors in her belly and that she needs an operation. Her doctors told her that they are growing and that she needs to get this operation quickly. She has no insurance. I am just wondering gentlemen, we can talk about high-flown ideas and we can talk theory all we want to. But this person is a very close member of my family, she's ill, and she has no way to get this operation. So I'm asking you, what would you do if this were your close relative
CANTOR: First of all, I guess I would ask what the situation is in terms of income eligibility and the existing programs that are out there. Because if we look at the uninsured that are out there right now, there is probably 23, 24% of the uninsured that is already eligible for an existing government program Beyond that, I know that there are programs, there are charitable organizations, there are hospitals here who do provide charity care that if there’s an instance of indigency and the individual is not eligible for existing programs that there can be some cooperative effort. No one in this country, given who we are, should be sitting without an option to go be addressed.
What? Cantor is saying no one in this country should not have an option? That would be the public option, or universal health care, that all other industrialized nations have, in one form or another.
But, truly, why would Representative Cantor CARE about anyone else? He HAS gold standard healthcare for himself and his loved ones. Everyone else can just go DIE.


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So... today I stop at the only permanent produce stand in our neck of the woods.
America is filled with people who hear something on TV or the radio or a rumor from a friend or relative and take it as gospel. They don't research, they don't inquire, they don't do anything to inform themselves better. They simply hear and accept.
In an age where information is right at our fingertips, it's hard to understand how and why people continue to be so easily misinformed.
I've read posts on other boards that were completely and utterly insane. I open a new window, look up the correct information, cut that information, go back to the first window and paste it as a reply. Now if it's THAT easy for me, how is it so difficult for anyone else. We're all sitting at a computer. We're obviously on the internet. We have the greatest source of information right in front of us. Find a reliable source and check information out before forming a solid opinion on something.
Maybe people believe false things about healthcare because that's what they WANT to believe. They want to believe that socialism, communism, facsism or some other - ism is taking over. They want to believe Obama is going to destroy the world. They want to believe that there will be a government committee that will decide if you live or die. They want to believe that Elvis is alive and selling
"How do people think Obama could shut down all health insurance companies?"
Amazing isn't it?
He surely wants to ....
"My commitment is to make sure that we have universal healthcare for all Americans by the end of my first term as President."
SEIU's New Leadership Health Care Forum on March 24, 2007,
"I don't think we're going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There's going to be potentially some transition process..."
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