Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

I was physically nauseous this morning reading posts from various friends about their opinions on Obamacare being passed. Is it just me, or do things seem to be getting more and more ridiculous? Everyone seems to have an opinion. Well, I guess here's mine!

I was raised in the Statehouse of Indiana around politicians. I'm the daughter of a retired law enforcement Lieutenant. The government and it's actions have always had a direct effect on my family. My mother was a republican and my father has mostly swayed democrat. This doesn't make me smarter than the next guy. All it means is that somehow, politics seeped into my blood. Politicians are supposed to stand for the people they represent. I am starting to get the feeling that's not the case these days!

Also, let me express the fact that my first goal in life is to try and be fair and just. I don't judge or dislike anyone based on their religion, race, sexuality, handicap etc. I think many of my friends can back me up on this. I'm a fairly tolerant person.

But enough is enough, people. Obamacare isn't even the issue. The fact that the intention behind Obamacare means "better" or "more" healthcare for the poor also isn't the issue.
But if we're going to talk about Obamacare...let's talk about it. Providing free healthcare should not be the government's job. It should also not be the government's job to feed you, shelter you and clothe you. What is fair for the government to do is assist Americans with the tools they need to be successful. Funding things that help people grow - like education costs or funding non-profits that assist the needy. I know! Why don't we mandate that everyone has to get a college degree or at least a Diploma and the government has to pay for that. If you don't get a HS diploma than your parents will be taxed. If you don't get a college degree then you will be taxed! You don't like that idea? Well, it's just about as ridiculous as mandating that everyone has to have insurance or be penalized for it. It takes away an element of personal freedom. The issue is freedom and it's place in our society. 


Freedom doesn't mean you should be able to "do whatever you want".  It also definitely does not mean if you're poor the government has an obligation to help you. It means you have a CHOICE to decide what you want to do with your life. It doesn't mean your choice is free from consequence, whether positive or negative. 

I grew up poor. I grew up in a single parent home with a father who, luckily, always paid child support and a mother who fought between trying to take care of me and take care of herself. We went without hot water sometimes. We ate ham and pickles for dinner a time or two. We spent a few years living in a really crappy neighborhood. My neighbors across the street were drug dealers. We even had food stamps some times. But my mom wasn't raised poor...in fact, she was raised the opposite. And as no reflection on the love I have for either my parents or their parents, my mom chose to be irresponsible with her money. Those choices meant we sometimes went without essentials. She was a smart, capable woman. She caught a tough break and the choices she made after that led to some crappy consequences. I was still loved and care for...which is why I feel like I'm a fairly adjusted person, but I struggle with balancing a budget for myself sometimes. Why? I could assume it is because I never really learned how to live within my means when I was a child. Even when we were poor and I went without, I don't really remember being told no very often.  I also lived as a teenager in the era where pagers (remember those!?), cell phones and the internet were just getting their edge. Entitlement became more and more a part of my generation. We are all a product of the choices we make and the way we are taught.

However, as a nation, we are the product of the choices our leaders make. We must not take this so lightly. We shouldn't like a President because he's cool, or because he's bi-racial, or because he supports gay marriage or because he's atheist, Christian, Buddhist, or a Texan. We shouldn't dislike a President for the same reasons.

At the end of the day, we need to look out for each other and be better neighbors. We need to be financially responsible OURSELVES. If we are ill, then we need to find a way to get better. Medicine is not the end all, say all of our health. Heck, a good dose of better sleep, healthy food, exercise and lots of water can remedy a lot! If the government really wants to help, then wouldn't it be smarter to invest money in people who want to fulfill their own pursuits of life and liberty by giving more grants and funding to mental health facilities, the arts, real food incentives and non-profit organizations? Why in the world would it be a good idea to make it mandatory for everyone to have health insurance? It only means that someone else has to pay for someone who can't afford it. Our children think they are entitled to everything before they hit puberty. How does this help? Americans think they are entitled to everything before they've worked hard to get it. Why is that? Because our leaders have allowed us to think that we are all entitled to the "American Dream" without having to really work for it.

As a Christian, I believe we are all created in the image of God and have the ability to love and be kind because of that. I also believe we are a fallen, mortal creature who has tendencies opposite to the ideal image of God and perfection. So, even as children of God, men are not born equal. And if you don't believe in God, then you probably would think this already. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all have challenges. Some of us are born Mozarts, Einsteins and Edisons. Most of us aren't! Some of us are taught to be angry, some of us are abused. We are the victims of other's freedoms until we are old enough to say or think differently. Someone has to be the janitor and someone has to be the CEO. We keep trying to make everyone "equal". I agree, we should be fair to everyone who is human and we should have the same rights as everyone else because we are human. But when did we start to blur the line with having rights and just having? We need less Veruca Salts and more Charlie Buckets in this world.

I digress....I could go on forever.

(Don't even get me started on how the government officially declared pizza and ketchup as VEGETABLES so they could be considered healthy lunches for kids in public schools.)

Let the discussion commence.