Health Care debates have become a stage for the sob story. People from all walks of life are coming forward to share their suffering. It might take a while for each person to hear the case that cuts straight to their heart, but there’s no end to the variety. It might seem full-proof, after all, who could watch a mother speak of her dead child and not come around?
Lots of people. You may know someone, or be someone who feels indifference when faced with these tales of hardship and loss, motivated by the age-old belief that victims somehow bring their afflictions upon themselves. They did the wrong thing, or didn’t do the right thing, and now they’re paying for it.
The truth is, no one understands a particular pain until it arrives on their doorstep, but it’s our ability to empathize that allows us to connect, and without it, we may find ourselves alone when it’s our turn. So next time you find yourself turning away from someone’s suffering, try asking yourself what you can do before your own time is up. You might find that compassion is the opposite of weakness.
Category: Healthcare
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Thursday, 24. September 2009
I lost my job and health insurance. Two months later I had to be hospitalized and racked up thousands of dollars in debt. Then I couldn’t afford the pills. I got hospitalized again and got even more debt. Now I have to file for bankruptcy. That’s our health care system to me.
Friday, 25. September 2009
If I could get a 35 hour job making $10 an hour and take out taxes I MIGHT have $8 per hour. Then take away $5 per hour for one child in daycare. If two kids, I’m in the hole even before I buy cheap food, let alone pay for basic housing, public transportation, and some used clothes. How in the world would you pay for health insurance, let alone the extra expenses not covered, or worse, the fact you can’t go to work anymore?
Wednesday, 30. September 2009
You’re not alone on the job and insurance-loss front… we’ve managed to stay out of the hospital so far, but it wouldn’t take much to sling us into bankruptcy either.