I have to take a time out. I don’t really want to but I think that my long term stability is at risk if I do not.
I spend an inordinate amount of time with the day’s news. Not just watching what passes for a local newscast but really doing a deep dive with the news and opinion shows that make up the 24 hour news cycles.
I take it all in, analyze it myself, and pass on what I see as interesting or thought provoking to others via the social networking sites. Then I watch the ones that hit the like button on Facebook and the others that tell me I am an idiot.
So for the past several months I have been following the story of young Kyle Van Nocker. A young boy diagnosed with cancer prior to his fifth birthday. He fought an amazing fight, kept his spirits and those around him up and even wore t-shirts printed with things like, bald is cool.
By all counts his parents insurance company, Health America, spent between 1.6 and 1.8 million dollars on his care. But before you start feeling sorry for Health America they reported a profit last quarter of 79 million dollars. Then Health America decided they had spent enough. They, not Kyle’s doctors, made the decision that he had received enough treatment. They were not going to pay for anymore.
Some actuary had made the decision that a young boys life was worth 1.8 million dollars and no more. They stopped paying. I defy anyone to tell me that this is not a death panel. The Republicans warned that with the new Health care bill we would create death panels. I say they already exist.
What happened to Kyle? If not a death panel, what? They decided what his life was worth. They made the decision that they were not going to pay for anymore treatment. They signed his death sentence and I’ll bet that they did not feel one bit of guilt.
Kyle has passed away. An unimaginable loss for this family and friends. Nothing but a damn statistic for American Health.
This is America. This isn’t supposed to happen here. Republicans say the Health Care Bill will destroy our current system. For once, I pray they are right.
When I watched the news of Kyle’s passing I broke down and cried like a baby. I didn’t know him but having followed his story I felt like I did. I was so upset and angry I spewed out a few choice words about The United States and what it was becoming.
Watching the news and looking at the Internet sites as much as I do has impacted me in a very negative way. I get very angry and feel very helpless. All I can do is vote. Which I do, and I don’t see things getting better.
I see people wanting to burn Korans, death panels killing little boys and people taking someone like Sarah Palin seriously.
So, I have to take a time out. I have to cut back my exposure. I will not stick my head in the sand and I will still continue to fight for what I believe in. I just cannot continue to be exposed to the gotcha debates, the hate from people like Rush Limbaugh, and the utter phoniness of Glenn “Lonesome Rhodes” Beck. I will also swear off Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann.
I’ll be back. In the meantime I have to take a little sanity break. Maybe a good David Baldacci mystery.
