we would if we could

Healthcare is free where I live. It's not excellent, it's probably not where you want to be if you get into a serious accident. But it's here. And it's free. A friend of mine has a father, he's 99 (go, him) and he was sick over the weekend, sick enough to warrant hospitalization and so hospital they went. She's Canadian so she's used to the mecca of free health care, and her standards are not low. She described a rather comprehensive effort to help her father, the one criticism she had was the lack of food so she had to bring meals in for him to eat. She mentioned the nurses feeling bad about it but cited a lack of funding that made providing meals very difficult. They would if they could, she said. Her father was discharged yesterday, the interventions provided were good and now he's on the mend.

And I've thought about that all night. They Would If They Could. But wow, they sure did a lot and it was all for free.

It's such a contrast to what I am reading about America's fight for health care reform. How it's a bunch of fat cats who have health insurance cutting and cutting and trimming and reducing and making it into a bill that might mean something, but it's clearly not Reform.

They Would If They Could.

Where is that ethic? Where is the ethic that we should do what it takes. That the environment and housing and food and healthcare should not victims of oh well, we tried, it's a good compromise after all. Where is the Yes We Can? The Yes We Will?

It's doubly disheartening for me because this President is the first one I've actually believed in. The others I expected nothing much from and got nothing much and that was to be expected after all, and we are left screaming and grumbling and carrying on. But this one, this one I believed in. I still believe in. So when I hear it's the best we can do right now I call Bullshit. Bullshit Mr. President. And I mean that with respect, because I do respect you. But I am worrying about you now. About things. About what it all means and wondering where the fight has gone.

Because it's not enough. It's just not. And I think you know it no matter how it's spun so I have to hope we are still mid-game here, that this is part of your strategy, but it's not really feeling that way right now. So I'll keep watching and I'll wait. But we need you to show up.

it's a small world after all

Today Julie is talking about uninsured children and she's teaching me a lot over at Moms Speak Up. Did you know that 9.4 million kids in our country struggle without health insurance, including one little girl we all love very much, whose mom was incredibly brave this week, taking her fight for her child to the state capitol and speaking before legislators and media all in support of this very basic human right?

I sometimes wonder how much words can truly matter, but in a week where Kyla's words turned into advocacy I don't have to wonder too much. It matters when we speak our minds. It matters when we find an audience. And together we must keep up the fight, for all the causes that matter to us. Because if not us, who? If not now, when?

Brava, Kyla. Brava, Julie. Brava, us.

Speaking of, our Just Post Roundtable is coming up on the 10th. If you have a post you'd like included, written by yourself or another please email it to me at girlplustwoATyahooDOTcom. If this is new to you check out the purple buttons to your right.

healthcare and you

We are debating healthcare this week over at MOMocrats, from the political to the personal. If you have a story or opinion you'd like to share on this critical issue send me an email and let me know. If you out of country types can lend some thoughts as to how to make our system better (hint, more like Canada, more like France!), we'd love to hear from you too.

we are our sisters keeper

I've been writing for MOMocrats for a while now, and we've been dedicated to raising the public debate on the election and the candidates and policies involved. But politics are personal and Kyla graciously agreed to share her own story and you can read it here. Come sit with us and help figure out how to change a system that's failing people we love and those we've yet to meet.

Because if not us, then who?

And perhaps we can take a lesson from the smallest around us. Go and visit Carrie's son Wyatt as he raises money for orphaned children in Africa. That kid is money, I tell you. Pure money.

(Because we are our brothers keeper too.)