Before I even begin let me say this; I am one of the most un-political people you will ever meet. I am largely uneducated and for years I was carelessly oblivious. I am trying very hard to change that. I voted for the first time this year. Being that I am 27 years old I know that I am late to the game. Since we are being truthful I will also admit that I could have done more research before marking those little ovals next to my choices.

Perhaps I picked the most difficult time to get involved, perhaps I’m not looking in the right places, perhaps there really aren’t any “right” answers. All I know for sure is that I am struggling to find MY answers and MY beliefs. I know what is important to me, I know absolutely where I stand on certain issues. Unfortunately none of those are the ones currently causing the most trouble for our country.

Heathcare and the call for reform has been a bit of a hot button issue in my house. It seems that my husband and I fall on opposite sides. He and I have ridiculously good insurance. I know without a doubt that we are covered for whatever services we need (and sometimes those we want). I rarely give a thought to insurance when choosing a doctor or deciding whether or not to make an appointment. My parents however are not so lucky. Their insurance is…well…not so great. Without going into all the gory details my dad has a condition, because of some loopholes his insurance is refusing him coverage and will not provide him with long term care coverage. End result being that when and if he should need long term care such as a nursing home there will be no insurance to help with the costs. Because of this I can’t say that our current system is working.

Today @Mommentator tweeted “Are you aware how many people are in this country? There.will.be.sad.stories. And we cannot fix every ill.”, I agree with that statement. I realize that no system works to perfection for every participant. That said I want an answer for my parents, I want for them what I have.

I wish that there was an easy answer but that is not the case. I wish that people on either side of the argument could come together and have civilized conversation and work together to find an answer that does more good than harm.

p.s. for the record I voted for Obama
p.s.s. I don’t know if I’m truly a democrat or not, I probably fall somewhere in the middle, you’d have to ask my stance on individual issues to “know” me
p.s.s.s. I love @mommentator, we may not agree on all the issues but I appreciate how she approaches her arguments and has never been critical of me for my personal beliefs.

© jenbshaw for Sarcasm in a Skirt, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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I have no intention of writing political fodder here on my blog, mostly because I don’t consider myself educated enough to do so. Sure I have my opinions but often times I don’t feel like I know enough about  both sides of the equation to start spouting off at the mouth. I waiver a lot on my feelings towards the war especially, there are days I’m for it and days I wish we could just bring our “guys” home. I do believe that the media doesn’t do a good job of telling the whole story. I personally know someone who was over there for two years and I can tell you that there are things he has told me I’ve never seen on a news report. Regardless of how a person feels about the war and whether they think it’s right or wrong I strongly believe that every soldier should be supported. The soldier doesn’t have the luxury of deciding which battles he has a moral/ethical belief in, they go where they are told and do what they are ordered. Each and every one of them deserves nothing less than our utmost respect. **stepping off the soapbox**

He  clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to  his dog tags.

You  talk trash about your ‘buddies’ that aren’t with  you.

 
 
He  knows he may not see some of his buddies  again.

You  walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty  girls.
He  patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and  terrorists.

You  complain about how hot it is
He  wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his  helmet to wipe his brow. 
 

 

 
You  go out to lunch, and complain because the  restaurant got your order wrong.
He  doesn’t get to eat today.

Your  maid makes your bed and washes your  clothes.
He  wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure  his weapons are clean.

You  go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He  doesn’t have time to brush his teeth today.
 

 
You’re  angry because your class ran 5 minutes  over.
He’s  told he will be held over an extra 2  months.

 


You  call your girlfriend and set a date for  tonight.
He  waits for the mail to see if there is a letter  from home.

You  hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do  everyday.
He  holds his letter close and smells his love’s  perfume.

 

You  roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He  gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and  wonders if they’ll ever meet.

You  criticize your government, and say that war never  solves anything.
He  sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own  people and remembers why he is fighting..

You  hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men  like him.
He  hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the  wounded.

 

You  see only what the media wants you to see.
He  sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You  are asked to go to the store by your parents. You  don’t.
He  does exactly what he is told even if it puts his  life in danger.

 


You  stay at home and watch TV.
He  takes whatever time he is given to call, write  home, sleep, and eat.

You  crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and  get comfortable.
He  tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and  helicopters all night long.

 

REMEMBER  our Troops, and do not forget them LATER

© jenbshaw for Sarcasm in a Skirt, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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