Oh, what a week it was. Judge Sotomayor is now Justice Sotomayor. Don't you love it? Laura Ling and Euna Lee were pardoned and returned home, thanks to President Bill "Big Dog" Clinton. (Note to President Clinton: I forgive you and Secretary Clinton for anything you did or said during the election that I found objectionable.) And Americans everywhere were voicing their opinions, loud and strong, against health care reform in town hall meetings.
But wait. Don't these angry town hall health care opponents look familiar to you? They look like the Tax Tea Party folks from earlier on this year, down to their very lack of racial diversity. Can't pick them out of a lineup, but they sure do look familiar.
My feeling is this: If they don't want health care reform, they should be able to opt out. Really. Sign a waiver saying that they are waiving their right to any government subsidized health care whatsoever -- the so-called "public option," as well as Medicaid and Medicare. We'll put a special designation on their social security numbers, and their federal income taxes will be reduced accordingly so that they're not paying for "socialized medicine."
But here's the catch: They don't get to change their minds.
If they fall on hard times as seniors and don't have health care provided through their former employers, well, tough nuggies. They have just given the hospital the right to roll their broke asses right out of the emergency room. Oh, but get off the gurney, 'cause the hospital is gonna need it for the insured folks.
Can't afford their statins, their Aricept, and other old age drugs on their pension-provided health care? Well, no federal supplemental program for them. They've just become their own damn "death panel." They'll need to choose between drugs and that cat food they're going to have to eat, since they probably opposed defined benefit pensions and cost-of-living increases, too.
Get dropped from their employers' insurance because it's too costly? Well, better find another employer, 'cause they like how that whole free market works anyway, right? That's how THEY roll.
And when their insurance companies deny coverage and they -- what? -- want to switch to the public option because it does provide coverage, well, they'll have to suck it up. They didn't want that ol' Nazi medical plan, right?
And don't even think about getting federal money for Viagra, which I think shouldn't be federally subsidized under any measure. A limp penis, although sad (even sadder if you're on the receiving end, but I wouldn't know nothin' 'bout that), is not life threatening.
Quite frankly, I want these familiar-looking and probably broke-ass citizens to opt out and waive federal coverage and any benefits of health care reform. They're probably the same ones who will turn around, have no coverage, and roll up to the emergency room of my HMO, driving up my rates. If they want to be non-covered health care lemmings, I say, let them walk right off that cliff. As for me, I'm willing to pay what it takes to get everyone covered and give the real "death panels" -- the insurance companies -- a run for their money by competition with the government. Because we do like competitive free markets, don't we?
Showing posts with label Euna Lee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Euna Lee. Show all posts
What Older Sisters -- Or Siblings -- Do
I watched the families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee appear on “The Larry King Show” last week and could not help but see the profound sadness in Lisa Ling’s eyes. Although she maintained a calm and slightly smiling visage, you could see the fear in her eyes that belies the hope of which she spoke, hope that her sister and Euna Lee would be released by the North Korean government.
I knew then that Lisa was the older sister of the two. You could tell.
I’m the youngest of my mom’s four daughters and my dad’s five, and the youngest of my mom and dad’s children. As the youngest, you enjoy the blissful position of not having to be responsible for anyone younger than you, or anyone else for that matter. You are free of having to account for any harm that befalls a sibling. You don’t have that “You are in charge of your younger siblings” thing seared onto your brain as my mom’s oldest daughter does, as do all of my older siblings. As the youngest, you don’t get punished for the actions of others in the family because you’re not responsible for anyone else.
I doubt my mom’s oldest daughter would be as composed as Lisa Ling were she on Larry King seeking my release. As my mother got older, a lot of mother-type activities got farmed out to her and my mom’s second oldest daughter – Girl Scout stuff and the like my mom didn’t have time for. Even as old as I am, my mom’s oldest daughter refers to me as “Bad Baby” when I act out of line or say or do something of which my late mother would not approve. She just slowly shakes her head and says in a low, disapproving voice, “Now, c’mon, Bad Baby. You know better.” We’re ten years apart, and she still feels responsible for me, to the point of making sure that my birthday is observed with a cake as my late mother always did (BTW, she baked me a slammin’ carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for my last birthday. I still can’t button some of my pants because of it.). I would imagine that were I detained by a despotic government, she would feel responsible for seeking my release. She would probably feel responsible for my being detained in the first place. Responsibility for her five younger siblings has been drummed into her, against her will, for her entire life. I don’t think she knows anything else, despite the fact that she never really wanted to be responsible for us. As she told my mom when I was in utero, “I don’t want another brother or sister. I want a puppy.” A fifth younger sibling, and the responsibility that came with it, wasn’t what my oldest sister wanted.
I could see that sense of older sister responsibility in Lisa Ling’s eyes. I sensed that she, too, felt responsible for her younger sister’s situation, as illogical as that seems, and powerless to extricate her sister from it, as she was probably programmed to do since childhood. I would imagine that, in the world of older sisters, that is the worst condition to be in, especially when responsibility for your baby sister has been your “normal” all your life and the consequences of harm to her had always been placed on your shoulders.
To her credit, Ms. Ling held it together, gave a cogent and seemingly non-propagandist account of how this all happened, to the best of her knowledge, and stated the fact that her family was seeking a humanitarian release of her sister and Ms. Lee. She apologized more than once for “the girls,” stating that it was never their intention when they left the U.S. to stray into North Korea. As the older sister, however, I would imagine she would say or do just about anything to get her baby sister back. I know my older sisters would, even my oldest brother.
I hope for the return of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, not just for themselves, but for their families. I hope to see the sadness in Lisa Ling’s eyes disappear and be replaced with joy and relief because of the return of her baby sister. And if Lisa is anything like my oldest sister, I would imagine that, upon Laura’s return, there would definitely be an "older sister lecture" coming, somewhat like, “Now, Bad Baby, what in the HELL were YOU thinking? Don’t you ever worry me and our parents like that again!
I hope Lisa Ling gets the chance to give her "older sister lecture." Keep Laura Ling and Euna Lee in your prayers, y’all.
I knew then that Lisa was the older sister of the two. You could tell.
I’m the youngest of my mom’s four daughters and my dad’s five, and the youngest of my mom and dad’s children. As the youngest, you enjoy the blissful position of not having to be responsible for anyone younger than you, or anyone else for that matter. You are free of having to account for any harm that befalls a sibling. You don’t have that “You are in charge of your younger siblings” thing seared onto your brain as my mom’s oldest daughter does, as do all of my older siblings. As the youngest, you don’t get punished for the actions of others in the family because you’re not responsible for anyone else.
I doubt my mom’s oldest daughter would be as composed as Lisa Ling were she on Larry King seeking my release. As my mother got older, a lot of mother-type activities got farmed out to her and my mom’s second oldest daughter – Girl Scout stuff and the like my mom didn’t have time for. Even as old as I am, my mom’s oldest daughter refers to me as “Bad Baby” when I act out of line or say or do something of which my late mother would not approve. She just slowly shakes her head and says in a low, disapproving voice, “Now, c’mon, Bad Baby. You know better.” We’re ten years apart, and she still feels responsible for me, to the point of making sure that my birthday is observed with a cake as my late mother always did (BTW, she baked me a slammin’ carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for my last birthday. I still can’t button some of my pants because of it.). I would imagine that were I detained by a despotic government, she would feel responsible for seeking my release. She would probably feel responsible for my being detained in the first place. Responsibility for her five younger siblings has been drummed into her, against her will, for her entire life. I don’t think she knows anything else, despite the fact that she never really wanted to be responsible for us. As she told my mom when I was in utero, “I don’t want another brother or sister. I want a puppy.” A fifth younger sibling, and the responsibility that came with it, wasn’t what my oldest sister wanted.
I could see that sense of older sister responsibility in Lisa Ling’s eyes. I sensed that she, too, felt responsible for her younger sister’s situation, as illogical as that seems, and powerless to extricate her sister from it, as she was probably programmed to do since childhood. I would imagine that, in the world of older sisters, that is the worst condition to be in, especially when responsibility for your baby sister has been your “normal” all your life and the consequences of harm to her had always been placed on your shoulders.
To her credit, Ms. Ling held it together, gave a cogent and seemingly non-propagandist account of how this all happened, to the best of her knowledge, and stated the fact that her family was seeking a humanitarian release of her sister and Ms. Lee. She apologized more than once for “the girls,” stating that it was never their intention when they left the U.S. to stray into North Korea. As the older sister, however, I would imagine she would say or do just about anything to get her baby sister back. I know my older sisters would, even my oldest brother.
I hope for the return of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, not just for themselves, but for their families. I hope to see the sadness in Lisa Ling’s eyes disappear and be replaced with joy and relief because of the return of her baby sister. And if Lisa is anything like my oldest sister, I would imagine that, upon Laura’s return, there would definitely be an "older sister lecture" coming, somewhat like, “Now, Bad Baby, what in the HELL were YOU thinking? Don’t you ever worry me and our parents like that again!
I hope Lisa Ling gets the chance to give her "older sister lecture." Keep Laura Ling and Euna Lee in your prayers, y’all.
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