This is Viewpoints for Monday, April 10, 2017

Confused

I’m confused about a lot of the terminology being bandied about in the media when discussing pending changes in the Affordable Care Act. First of all, I haven’t seen any evidence that the act has had any effect at all on the prices of medical care. Has your doctor reduced his price for office visits? Has the price of a hip replacement come down? How exactly does this act make health more affordable?

As far as I can tell, all the act has done is force healthy people to buy insurance they don’t need and force health insurance companies to go out of business and or raise premiums significantly. Finally, if the government forces insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, it can’t really be called insurance, can it?

Are we a wealthy nation?

Are the people of our country the richest people in the world? We hear this over and over so it must be true. Or is the wealth concentrated in the hands of a few? The 2015 allianz global wealth report concluded that of the 55 countries studied, the U.S. has the largest wealth inequality. We know that only four families in our country have the combined wealth of the bottom 40 percent of the population — a percentage that is rapidly increasing.

If we’re such a wealthy nation, why are over 564,000 people homeless every day and night? Over 200,000 of this number are families with children — many are working but are poorly paid and become homeless anyway. The number of homeless, 564,000, is approximately the entire population of the state of Wyoming.

If we are such a wealthy nation, why do one in six children go to bed hungry? For many their only meal comes from school lunch programs. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 13.1 million American children live in households where they are unable to get enough food for a healthy life.

If we are such a wealthy nation, why are 6.5 million seniors living below the poverty line? Without Social Security, now under attack, this rate would triple to nearly 20 million seniors.

If we are such a wealthy nation, why do we not provide health insurance for all Americans, as is done in all the other developed nations?

Jimmy Carter once stated that the measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens. Are we doing all we can for our weakest and most helpless citizens, or are we leaving them with inadequate or no help, and, instead giving our most fortunate and wealthiest citizens ever more of our nation’s wealth?

Americans are good people. Let us show our better angels. We can do so much better than we have been doing. That more than anything would make America great. Let us stop going down the path of bigotry and division.

Each sex is capable

Change is hard! This is especially true when the change challenges the cultural norms that were instilled in us as youngsters. Many of us were taught that “Girls should do these jobs, boys should do these jobs.” If we, as a society, are to grow, we must change our attitudes about these positions. If a young woman chooses to be a pipe fitter, welder, or combat soldier, and she performs these jobs with skill, then she should be allowed to do so. If a young man chooses to be a caregiver, preschool teacher, or nurse and he performs these jobs with skill, then he should be allowed to do so.

Women have served in battle throughout history. Deborah, the biblical judge, Joan of Arc, and, more recently, the brave young women now serving our military in war zones are only a few examples. Women step up to the tasks required when the need arises.

We need to teach our children that all people have worth and dignity, whether male, female, brown, black, red, or white. Perhaps if this lesson is driven home at an early age, then males will not feel that it is OK to belittle their female compatriots with indecent internet posts. The change starts at home.

Disappointed in Kathleen

I was very disappointed by Kathleen Parker’s derogatory comments in her column about President Trump’s family. Even Hillary Clinton acknowledged that President Trump did a good job raising his children. Mrs. Trump came to America seeking a better life. She has done well. She is an American citizen. She has not committed any crimes. As far as I can tell she and President Trump are doing a good job raising their son. They made the decision that she and their son would remain in New York until the end of the school year.

President Trump’s older sons are managing the family business. So far there has not been any indication of a conflict of interest. The youngest daughter is learning the family business. And like her older brothers keeps out of the lime light. The president’s son-in-law worked with him in the past, and is working for him now. Again, no hint of scandal.

I was surprised that Parker did not parse President Trump for publicly declared that he values his oldest daughter’s opinion. Most daughters would be delighted if their father asked them to be one of his key advisers.

I am always curious when a woman makes comments about another female’s clothes and looks. I can’t help it. It reminds me of the mean girls in middle school. I wonder what would be Parker’s reaction if someone publicly ridiculed her family?

No regard for the poor

Our own Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., after his recent back surgery, was wheeled into the U.S. Senate chamber in a wheelchair to vote to repeal “an Obama administration rule preventing states from blocking funding for family planning clinics, like Planned Parenthood, that also provide abortions.” And then Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie vote.

This vote denies poor women from receiving family planning and related services for women in Planned Parenthood clinics. Like contraception, as well as cancer and other disease screenings and treatments.

Our Republican congressmen and U.S. senators, plus our state Legislature, have done nothing for our state’s uninsured. Our Republican-controlled state Senate passed a law against photographing up a ladies’ dress, but nothing to promote health insurance for our uninsured citizens.

This story was originally published April 9, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Monday, April 10, 2017."