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Tell Me Where It Hurts by Therí Pickens

Written by Theri Pickens
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
In a moment of poetic irony, spoken wordsmith Bridget Gray tells hip-hoppers to toast with champagne and blunts to their health so that they can celebrate their creative demise. Advertisements Gray's somewhat obscure Dear John letter to hip hop (which used to be heard on California's (KCRW) points out the disgust she has with the genre. But, for me and for voters in the upcoming election, her moment of poetic irony takes a different slant: given the political concern with health care,hip-hoppers (and others in their age demographic) may be celebrating a demise more literal than metaphorical. One of the issues looming large in the upcoming presidential election is health care. Who gets it? Who pays for it? Those are the two questions to answer and, to be quite honest, the latter takes precedent in most debates. The Democratic candidates, as per their usual, lean heavily on the socialist side: looking toward more government intervention and keeping an eye on the poor. The Republican candidates, as per their usual, press onward toward the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness for private business. Despite my sardonic description of the Grand Ole Party's view, I don't actually side with either of the two. Both dismiss a group of people we all know as "the least of these." The majority of Democratic campaign's would look toward insuring the majority of people who tend to be insured now: the working, the middle class, the elderly. The Republicans have an eye – whether they've explicitly stated this or not – toward those who can afford private insurance: the wealthy and, occasionally, those who wish to go into debt to keep up with the Combs'. Both plans would leave out most of the working poor, new veterans (who, may I remind all you out there in internet-land, happen to be majority Black and Latino), and those with chronic or debilitating health concerns. As I ask my students, so what? After all, the working poor is always left out in our democratic capitalist society. Living veterans get nothing more than a measly holiday and a well-kept cemetery in which to retire. Those with chronic or debilitating illnesses are considered a drain on society's resources anyway. I can tell you with certainty: if these people are not taken care of, you are not far behind. The working poor undergird the very lives we take for granted. We owe living veterans more because they are the proof of our insipid greed, and imperialist impulse. Those with chronic or debilitating illnesses, despite what people may think, contribute to society in more ways than people are willing to acknowledge. If there is no plan to insure them, the compassion and wherewithal it takes to insure others may whittle away as well. Advertisements Perhaps that argument contains a few too many 'maybes' and 'perhaps'for you. Maybe it just screams bleeding heart liberal. Let me present another scenario for my unsatisfied customers: The problem is not just the plan; it is the motivation behind the plan. Pundits seem to think that the baby boomer generation's desire to age gracefully is the impetus for all of the health care discussions. This is true, but it isn't right. A politically motivated problem will yield a politically motivated solution. That is to say: catering to baby boomer voters will yield a health care plan for baby boomers. As a result, it definitely leaves out new veterans, mentally impaired, working poor, homeless, the hip-hop generation, those with chronic or debilitating illnesses, and, yes, those who may not age gracefully (e.g. sudden illness, accidents, et cetera). Sorry, folks. I don't have a solution. I will say this: take a look at Massachusetts. They're coming up with a bi-partisan plan that works for their state. Take a good look at the candidates running in both the upcoming presidential and state elections. In all honesty, I like some things about a few of the candidates, but if they can't be sure that I'll be insured, they won't get my vote. And, they shouldn't get yours. Comments (3) ... written by Vers Brown , August 01, 2007 Uncle Sam, Oh Uncle Sam, You can't leave me alone, I have been shot, but pain is not, what makes me want to moan. Instead, it's when I call for help and you pick up the phone, And tell me, "Since you're not insured, you now are on your own." - Vers Brown ... written by Ametra , September 02, 2007 Well this is an issue if you have a big problem that needs surgery. First let's look at the past and even before our Ancestors came over here. What did they do when a child or adult got sick. They didn't call the doctor if it wasn't that serious. They took care of it at home. Home remedies. Ok then let's look at America from the past to now. The medical industry is booming, especially off the elderly. To insure everyone would be almost like Death to America. This is the biggest Drug Dealer of today. What we need is people who are willing to learn from our ancestor and other countries who use natural methods of healing, watching what we eat & drink, because that plays a big part. It really goes beyong just insuring everyone. ... written by TPickens , September 02, 2007 You're right about home remedies and alternative medicines. But, I think you may not have considered how precarious everyone's health is. It doesn't apply to people who need surgery only: It applies to all of us who would ever require medical care. Insurance is for the moments 'just in case.' Incidentally, those who would rely most on this would be the ones that cannot afford health care under either system. As for the history of America, its actually the history of the Western world from the Age of Enlightenment til the present. The Age of Industry buttressed the idea of doctors as diety. I say buttressed because healers and shamans hold the same positions in other cultures. It does go beyond insuring everyone, but it goes toward reliquishing the hold that doctors have over our understanding of medicine, developing patient centered care, acknowledging that some things cannot be fixed by natural or Western medicine (only treated), and taking care of those who need assistance. Write comment Name Email Website Comment Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 07 August 2007 )

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