What has become of us… or US

This post has been brewing for several weeks now – and I’ve tried to remain silent as long as I can.  But the vote on the health care bill this past Sunday has just been too much for my mind to grapple with.  I do believe there are some very sane, intelligent people who may have lost their minds a bit.  

The crazy fear mongering that has swept across some people in our nation is absurd!  Poisonous in fact.  I watched Glenn Beck the other day and would have wished to say that at most I found him laughable – except that it was too scary to even laugh at.    I get that there are a great many people who oppose Obama and the things he’s fighting for.  Fine.  I can respect that on some level.  The ability to voice our opinions in opposition is what democracy is all about.  But I’m so tired of all the blatant lies and false accusations and all the fear inducing sh*t that comes from certain people and groups.  Can we not, just have honest discussions about these ideas without trying to scare the living daylights out of people. 

And now all the death threats and hate mail coming to the Reps who voted YES to the bill….. please, please people opposed to the bill… please tell me that actions like that are not condoned by yourselves.    Please.

I am amazed at the newspapers, facebooks, and other social media outlets where people are saying things like “We should be fearful” and ‘I’m very afraid about our future”….. to you I would say, it’s time to turn FOX NEWS off and get back your grip on reality.  Don’t you get that these people are making money off of your fears and the sensational drama they create??  We are going to be fine.  The sun will come up tomorrow.  The day will go own.  And we’ll be fine.  And we will continue to have ridiculously MORE than other people in this WORLD!

In fact, I personally believe we’ll be better than fine.  This is a great country of Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, gays, straights, rich and poor.  And for far too long, I think we’ve looked past our neighbors and cared not to know too much about the people different from us.  We turn a blind side to these difference.  Not my problem.  Not my responsibility.

My family has medical insurance.  We have amazing medical insurance.  Yet when I hear of tragic stories of health and people without coverage, how can I not be moved by the injustice of it.  I take Beckett in to have a nurse check his ears for a possible infection without a blink of an eye…. yet for others, and far more major issues, have to make a decision to supply food or go to the dr.  And thankfully Leif works for a company that values their employees enough to provide outstanding coverage…. shouldn’t everyone be valued?  Smart companies – no matter how big or small – know the cost of valuing their employees.

I feel as if we’ve lost sight of what it means to be humanitarians to our own people.  Devastating earthquakes and tragedies hit around the world and billions of dollars are donated. It’s amazing to see that outpouring.  Amazing!   Yet, if we could also take a look around and see that we have devastation right here we turned a blind eye.  I saw a Facebook group the other day that was something about “Cutting off Welfare if they don’t pass a Drug Test.”  Seriously?!?  Like that would solve all their problems. 

The seriously big kicker for me about the fear of Big Government and controlling our daily lives (which I hear from my own midwestern farmer father), need I remind you of a little program called CRP.  ??  Is that not government telling you when to plant your own crops?  Yet I hear no one fearing that program! 

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Anyway, stepping off my soap box now and I have to tell you I feel like I’ve unloaded a ton off my chest.  I’m going back to my amazing, blessed life.  One where I am grateful to my God for all that I have and feel compelled by Him to do what feels right.   And I am not afraid of these changes to come,  because I know it is for great good of humanity.  

THis entire rant was spurred by not only Glenn Beck, but also one of my favorite bloggers.   She’s usually hilariously funny, but her personal story of how the health care reform will change their lives is one from just an ordinary, middle class person whose live will be greatly affected by this reform.  http://www.dooce.com/2010/03/22/mommyblogging

There are millions of Americans who strongly support this reform… so next time you hear some say ‘The American people don’t want this…..’,  know they aren’t talking about me and many others. Then ask yourselves if perhaps there are any other grossly misrepresented generalization sweeping the airwaves these days.