Perusing the internet today, I noticed an article that described how a recent American Nurses Association House of Delegates meeting ended with several notable resolutions being passed. Let's take a look at those resolutions and their potential impact.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Hate and Healthcare
With physical intimidation, racial epithets and other threats being aimed at lawmakers who voted for health care reform, a newly appalling era of American politics seems to have dawned.
As members of The Tea Party call Representative Barney Frank a "faggot" and scream the "N-word" at Representative John Lewis, a true Civil Rights-era hero, the level of debate in the country has certainly taken a decidedly downward turn.
The controversial vote on health care reform has indeed made many enemies, and it is widely agreed that there is no way that this legislation will please everyone. While some on the left feel that the "reform" is nothing but a capitalist grab at health care dollars, many on the right opine equally strongly that "socialism" is now simply lapping at the shores of the country against the will of the majority of voters.
Never having purported to be terribly politically astute, I have admittedly had a difficult time sorting through the fact and fiction about the legislation in question, and my personal jury is currently out. While I am glad that Congress took bold action, I have concerns about provisions that may line the pockets of some insurance companies, other provisions that could hurt small businesses, and the glaring lack of a single-payer option similar to that of other industrialized nations.
Misgivings about the legislation aside, there is no room in such a debate for hateful speech, legislators being spit on, bricks being thrown through windows, physical intimidation, and other tactics which underscore the divisiveness of the issue with a complete lack of intellectual prowess or forethought. As we learned during the Civil Rights era, change is painful, and those who resist change can sometimes resort to actions and words that are hurtful, divisive and sorely regrettable.
Racial slurs and homophobic language have no place in this debate, nor do threats of death and injury. Heckling is one thing, but the foul language and violent actions of those protesting health care reform have no place in our society.
No one knows how the health care debate will unfold, and neither can we predict how the political fortunes of its authors and supporters will be changed. What is crystal clear to me at this time in history is that there are still elements within the United States who are willing to use intimidation and hateful speech to make their discontent known. Such angry action and speech is a waste of breath and energy, and will most likely only backfire on those who use it. Shame on those who stoop so low, and shame on those who sit back quietly without protest as such ugliness spills into our streets.
As members of The Tea Party call Representative Barney Frank a "faggot" and scream the "N-word" at Representative John Lewis, a true Civil Rights-era hero, the level of debate in the country has certainly taken a decidedly downward turn.
The controversial vote on health care reform has indeed made many enemies, and it is widely agreed that there is no way that this legislation will please everyone. While some on the left feel that the "reform" is nothing but a capitalist grab at health care dollars, many on the right opine equally strongly that "socialism" is now simply lapping at the shores of the country against the will of the majority of voters.
Never having purported to be terribly politically astute, I have admittedly had a difficult time sorting through the fact and fiction about the legislation in question, and my personal jury is currently out. While I am glad that Congress took bold action, I have concerns about provisions that may line the pockets of some insurance companies, other provisions that could hurt small businesses, and the glaring lack of a single-payer option similar to that of other industrialized nations.
Misgivings about the legislation aside, there is no room in such a debate for hateful speech, legislators being spit on, bricks being thrown through windows, physical intimidation, and other tactics which underscore the divisiveness of the issue with a complete lack of intellectual prowess or forethought. As we learned during the Civil Rights era, change is painful, and those who resist change can sometimes resort to actions and words that are hurtful, divisive and sorely regrettable.
Racial slurs and homophobic language have no place in this debate, nor do threats of death and injury. Heckling is one thing, but the foul language and violent actions of those protesting health care reform have no place in our society.
No one knows how the health care debate will unfold, and neither can we predict how the political fortunes of its authors and supporters will be changed. What is crystal clear to me at this time in history is that there are still elements within the United States who are willing to use intimidation and hateful speech to make their discontent known. Such angry action and speech is a waste of breath and energy, and will most likely only backfire on those who use it. Shame on those who stoop so low, and shame on those who sit back quietly without protest as such ugliness spills into our streets.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Crisis, Opportunity, and a New Reflection
There are ground-breaking changes afoot in Washington, DC. Hopes---and tensions---are high as the Obama Administration takes wing, and we all take a collective breath as the transition of power becomes complete.
As much as I am listening to the accolades being strewn across the land, I am also aware that walls of opposition will rise as soon as change comes into play, and the cynics will surely raise their voices high at every opportunity. Yes, the country is in crisis, with a dysfunctional health care system and a crippled economy collectively hobbling us at this moment in time. But a crisis is also an opportunity, and we can only hope that this opportunity for rebirth will lead to great things.
These past eight years have been, for me, a time of much consternation and despair, politically speaking. Several months after 9/11, my best friend was murdered by the police in a small New England town under questionable and egregious circumstances, and the abuses of power---both small and large---seemed to ripple out in ever-widening circles from that day forward. My friend was erroneously perceived to be a threat to others, just as those non-existent weapons of mass destruction posed a threat that eventually was proved to be groundless. We all chase phantoms at some point in our lives, and many a phantom has been hounded in these first years of a new century.
So, here we are, with the nation poised for change, and the rest of the world on tenterhooks, expectantly watching our every move.
Despite my own cynicism throughout most of the presidential race, I feel a responsibility as a citizen---and as a new local public health official---to see how I can play a part in the changes that are now underway. I have never felt such a feeling of truly wanting to be a part of something so large, so far beyond the personal. Perhaps this is what some felt when the New Deal was created in order to invigorate a nation on its knees, or when the country pulled together in the face of a world war that came on the heels of the Great Depression.
As I see the faces of the new administration---the women, the diverse ethnicities, and the diversity of the Obama extended family itself---I am enthralled to see that there is a new reflection when America looks into the Reflecting Pool on the Washington Mall. I feel a stirring of hope and a potential for greatness, all of which is mitigated by a guarded sense of optimism and a memory of how hopes can be dashed, especially when those hopes are placed in the unreliable hands of the political and legislative processes.
Still, despite the voices born of worry, cynicism and concern, I am the most hopeful that I have ever been as a politically aware adult American, and that in itself is a feeling worth celebrating.
(c) 2009 NurseKeith
As much as I am listening to the accolades being strewn across the land, I am also aware that walls of opposition will rise as soon as change comes into play, and the cynics will surely raise their voices high at every opportunity. Yes, the country is in crisis, with a dysfunctional health care system and a crippled economy collectively hobbling us at this moment in time. But a crisis is also an opportunity, and we can only hope that this opportunity for rebirth will lead to great things.
These past eight years have been, for me, a time of much consternation and despair, politically speaking. Several months after 9/11, my best friend was murdered by the police in a small New England town under questionable and egregious circumstances, and the abuses of power---both small and large---seemed to ripple out in ever-widening circles from that day forward. My friend was erroneously perceived to be a threat to others, just as those non-existent weapons of mass destruction posed a threat that eventually was proved to be groundless. We all chase phantoms at some point in our lives, and many a phantom has been hounded in these first years of a new century.
So, here we are, with the nation poised for change, and the rest of the world on tenterhooks, expectantly watching our every move.
Despite my own cynicism throughout most of the presidential race, I feel a responsibility as a citizen---and as a new local public health official---to see how I can play a part in the changes that are now underway. I have never felt such a feeling of truly wanting to be a part of something so large, so far beyond the personal. Perhaps this is what some felt when the New Deal was created in order to invigorate a nation on its knees, or when the country pulled together in the face of a world war that came on the heels of the Great Depression.
As I see the faces of the new administration---the women, the diverse ethnicities, and the diversity of the Obama extended family itself---I am enthralled to see that there is a new reflection when America looks into the Reflecting Pool on the Washington Mall. I feel a stirring of hope and a potential for greatness, all of which is mitigated by a guarded sense of optimism and a memory of how hopes can be dashed, especially when those hopes are placed in the unreliable hands of the political and legislative processes.
Still, despite the voices born of worry, cynicism and concern, I am the most hopeful that I have ever been as a politically aware adult American, and that in itself is a feeling worth celebrating.
(c) 2009 NurseKeith
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day: Walking Forward
On this Inauguration Day, there were so many smiles, so many tears shed, such an outpouring of hope. We rejoiced with hundreds of others in our local independent movie theater, watching a live video feed of the day's proceedings on the silver screen.
Even as the naysayers begin to rev the engines of opposition, I am simply stunned that an African American man of such stature and eloquence now holds this most powerful office. And a beautiful African American family now begins their residence in the White House on this very evening, two young star-struck schoolgirls tucked into unfamiliar beds, perhaps only realizing how their lives have truly changed.
Personally, I am ready to give what I can, to volunteer my time, to share my thoughts, and to sacrifice when sacrifice is needed. It is an ebullient time, a hopeful time, and a time of tremulousness and uncertainty. I have frequently volunteered throughout my adult life, and will certainly volunteer more if I am called and inspired to do so. No matter the doubts that some of us may have about whether the wrongs can be righted and the crooked made straight. This is an unmistakable moment of opportunity for the entire world, and I am certain that this opportunity will not be squandered.
As a writer, I was moved by the poem written and read by Elizabeth Alexander this afternoon, a poem that celebrated the mundane even while it exalted the highest power of love. I am moved to share a transcript of that poem here with you, and to leave you with the notion that, no matter your political persuasion or civic affiliation, there is much to praise on this day, and much room for hope tomorrow.
Even as the naysayers begin to rev the engines of opposition, I am simply stunned that an African American man of such stature and eloquence now holds this most powerful office. And a beautiful African American family now begins their residence in the White House on this very evening, two young star-struck schoolgirls tucked into unfamiliar beds, perhaps only realizing how their lives have truly changed.
Personally, I am ready to give what I can, to volunteer my time, to share my thoughts, and to sacrifice when sacrifice is needed. It is an ebullient time, a hopeful time, and a time of tremulousness and uncertainty. I have frequently volunteered throughout my adult life, and will certainly volunteer more if I am called and inspired to do so. No matter the doubts that some of us may have about whether the wrongs can be righted and the crooked made straight. This is an unmistakable moment of opportunity for the entire world, and I am certain that this opportunity will not be squandered.
As a writer, I was moved by the poem written and read by Elizabeth Alexander this afternoon, a poem that celebrated the mundane even while it exalted the highest power of love. I am moved to share a transcript of that poem here with you, and to leave you with the notion that, no matter your political persuasion or civic affiliation, there is much to praise on this day, and much room for hope tomorrow.
Praise Song for the Day, by Elizabeth Alexander
Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other, catching each other’s
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
walking past each other, catching each other’s
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble, thorn and din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.
Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.
We encounter each other in words, words
spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,
words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of some one and then others, who said
I need to see what’s on the other side.
I know there’s something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.
Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?
Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,
praise song for walking forward in that light.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
The Obama-Biden Health Care Agenda
The Obama-Biden Transition Team is requesting that all interested citizens pay a visit to the transition's website, Change.gov, and voice ideas and concerns regarding American health care and health care reform. By clicking here, you can go directly to the web page dedicated to the health care agenda and submit your opinions and views.
The Obama-Biden web page discusses health care in this manner:
"On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes -- government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.
In terms of the plan, I would also like to see the following:
Despite my reservations, doubts, and dubiousness, it is indeed exciting to see a new administration apparently dedicated to transparency, as well as the active participation of all Americans in the process of change that is underway.
Meanwhile, I am willing to suspend my disbelief, listen to the conversation, join in on the conversation when I have something useful to say, and watch as the story unfolds. These are exciting and nerve-wracking times, and I do indeed hope that the change that has been promised will indeed be delivered. Until that time, patience is one virtue we will all need to put into practice.
The Obama-Biden web page discusses health care in this manner:
"On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes -- government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.
"The Obama-Biden plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors, and plans. Under the Obama-Biden plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.
"Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year. If you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options."
Allegedly, the plan would:
- Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums.
- Create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees.
- Lower costs for businesses by covering a portion of the catastrophic health costs they pay in return for lower premiums for employees.
- Prevent insurers from overcharging doctors for their malpractice insurance and invest in proven strategies to reduce preventable medical errors.
- Make employer contributions more fair by requiring large employers that do not offer coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of their employees' health care.
- Establish a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private insurance options as well as a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.
- Ensure everyone who needs it will receive a tax credit for their premiums.
- Lower drug costs by allowing the importation of safe medicines from other developed countries, increasing the use of generic drugs in public programs, and taking on drug companies that block cheaper generic medicines from the market.
- Require hospitals to collect and report health care cost and quality data.
- Reduce the costs of catastrophic illnesses for employers and their employees.
- Reform the insurance market to increase competition by taking on anticompetitive activity that drives up prices without improving quality of care.
In terms of the plan, I would also like to see the following:
- details regarding a more robust national plan of preventive health care initiatives
- sufficient funding for public health initiatives
- sufficient funding for emergency preparedness and the national Medical Reserve Corps
- a comprehensive plan to decrease the nursing shortage, including grants and loan forgiveness
- a plan to assuage the nationwide shortage of primary care physicians
- a plan to create an Office of the National Nurse
Despite my reservations, doubts, and dubiousness, it is indeed exciting to see a new administration apparently dedicated to transparency, as well as the active participation of all Americans in the process of change that is underway.
Meanwhile, I am willing to suspend my disbelief, listen to the conversation, join in on the conversation when I have something useful to say, and watch as the story unfolds. These are exciting and nerve-wracking times, and I do indeed hope that the change that has been promised will indeed be delivered. Until that time, patience is one virtue we will all need to put into practice.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
A New Day
Well, here I am in Europe, and Belgian television is awash with news of Barack Obama's massive win over John McCain, and the increasingly Democratic Congress. The news and talk-shows here are absolutely buoyant, and Europe seems to be rejoicing at this turn of events vis-a-vis American politics and world diplomacy.
As for me, I am struck by the historical significance of an African-American President of the United States. I am equally struck by the message that his election sends to young people of color everywhere.
Based on what I'm gleaning from my European perch, I can also see that the world is expecting change, openness, inclusivity, and a major about-face by the U.S. on climate change, global security, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global economy, and more. Meanwhile, many of us who voted for Barack are also demanding and expecting the same, and much more.
Power is corrupting, and the ways of Washington are devious and deceitful. I send my support and prayers out to the President Elect that he can truly deliver at a time when all eyes are turned on him, ears pricking up at the long-promise of deliverance to a land of hope.
As for me, I am struck by the historical significance of an African-American President of the United States. I am equally struck by the message that his election sends to young people of color everywhere.
Based on what I'm gleaning from my European perch, I can also see that the world is expecting change, openness, inclusivity, and a major about-face by the U.S. on climate change, global security, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global economy, and more. Meanwhile, many of us who voted for Barack are also demanding and expecting the same, and much more.
Power is corrupting, and the ways of Washington are devious and deceitful. I send my support and prayers out to the President Elect that he can truly deliver at a time when all eyes are turned on him, ears pricking up at the long-promise of deliverance to a land of hope.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Healthcare, Politics, Cynicism and Hope
If you are aware of the following current statistics vis-a-vis healthcare in the United States, then you are aware that the system is broken and apparently breaking more every day.
At any rate, I have plenty of misgivings about both candidates' healthcare plans (see my previous post entitled Obama, Healthcare, and a Trio of Mythic Figures). While I hope that somehow, as a country, we will some day figure out how to actually provide quality healthcare for the majority of Americans, my inner cynic is strong these days when it comes to the machinations of government, and even the idea of a President Obama and a largely Democratic Congress does not assuage my deeply held feeling that America is simply not up to the task.
On that note, freelance writer Jen Rotman has posted an informative piece about the state of healthcare vis-a-vis the current election on the website Online Nursing Degrees, and I highly recommend giving her article a thorough read.
As a provider of healthcare, I certainly hope for the best when it comes to what will happen when a new Democratic administration gains control of the White House, but in light of the current economic turmoil, I feel little hope for the kind of healthcare reform that this country truly needs.
Perhaps in a year or two, I'll happily eat these words and smile as reports surface, detailing how a miraculous bipartisan show of intellect and economic astuteness actually created a conduit through which affordable healthcare for all was enacted.
Just imagine: every child in America fully insured; elders able to afford their medications; the employed and unemployed fully covered. It's a nice vision, and one to which I will cling by the slenderest thread of hope. But will it happen in my lifetime? Just in case, I won't hold my breath waiting to find out.
- Nursing shortage: 587,000 new needed by 2016
- Physician shortage: expected, indeterminate
- Uninsured Americans: 47 million
- National healthcare costs: $2.1 trillion/yr
- Employment-based healthcare: 9% drop since 1996
- Healthcare premiums, annual growth: outpacing wage increases x 3
- Long-term care: growing need
- U.S. life expectancy: 77-80 years of age
- U.S. population: 305.4 Million
- Median Income: $46,000
At any rate, I have plenty of misgivings about both candidates' healthcare plans (see my previous post entitled Obama, Healthcare, and a Trio of Mythic Figures). While I hope that somehow, as a country, we will some day figure out how to actually provide quality healthcare for the majority of Americans, my inner cynic is strong these days when it comes to the machinations of government, and even the idea of a President Obama and a largely Democratic Congress does not assuage my deeply held feeling that America is simply not up to the task.
On that note, freelance writer Jen Rotman has posted an informative piece about the state of healthcare vis-a-vis the current election on the website Online Nursing Degrees, and I highly recommend giving her article a thorough read.
As a provider of healthcare, I certainly hope for the best when it comes to what will happen when a new Democratic administration gains control of the White House, but in light of the current economic turmoil, I feel little hope for the kind of healthcare reform that this country truly needs.
Perhaps in a year or two, I'll happily eat these words and smile as reports surface, detailing how a miraculous bipartisan show of intellect and economic astuteness actually created a conduit through which affordable healthcare for all was enacted.
Just imagine: every child in America fully insured; elders able to afford their medications; the employed and unemployed fully covered. It's a nice vision, and one to which I will cling by the slenderest thread of hope. But will it happen in my lifetime? Just in case, I won't hold my breath waiting to find out.
Friday, October 10, 2008
China Off the Hook
Based on yesterday's post, most readers must have surmised that I have strong feelings about the Chinese government. Those same readers can also correctly surmise that I am disappointed this morning that none of the Chinese dissidents on the short list for the Nobel Prize were nominated. I'm sure that the Chinese government is breathing a sigh of relief, a reprieve that they simply do not warrant.
As I wrote yesterday, the awarding of the Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident struggling for basic human rights would have offered a counter-weight to China's moment in the sun as the undeserving host of the 2008 Summer Olympics. But that was not meant to be.
This morning, the Nobel Committee announced from Oslo that it was awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari for his role as an effective and accomplished global mediator who influenced the resolutions to conflicts in Kosovo, Namibia, and other troubled countries. While I am sure he is a very deserving and esteemed individual, I cannot help but regret the great opportunity squandered by the Nobel committee to make a globally impactful statement about China's continuing repression of free speech and political and religious freedom.
Perhaps next year will be the time when China's dissidents receive the attention, recognition and notoriety that they deserve. Many of us already know that China's ability to unrealistically polish its image only gets easier as its global economic power and influence grows, even as its penchant for environmental degradation and rampant repression of freedoms goes unchecked.
As I wrote yesterday, the awarding of the Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident struggling for basic human rights would have offered a counter-weight to China's moment in the sun as the undeserving host of the 2008 Summer Olympics. But that was not meant to be.
This morning, the Nobel Committee announced from Oslo that it was awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari for his role as an effective and accomplished global mediator who influenced the resolutions to conflicts in Kosovo, Namibia, and other troubled countries. While I am sure he is a very deserving and esteemed individual, I cannot help but regret the great opportunity squandered by the Nobel committee to make a globally impactful statement about China's continuing repression of free speech and political and religious freedom.
Perhaps next year will be the time when China's dissidents receive the attention, recognition and notoriety that they deserve. Many of us already know that China's ability to unrealistically polish its image only gets easier as its global economic power and influence grows, even as its penchant for environmental degradation and rampant repression of freedoms goes unchecked.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
The Nobel Peace Prize: Dissidents On the Short List
Tomorrow, Friday the 10th of October, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced. Following on the heels of the prizes in medicine, physics, economics and literature, the awarding of the Peace Prize is the crowning moment of the Nobel process.
Rumor has it that Gao Zhisheng, a Chinese dissident, will be awarded the prize. Zhisheng, who has been arrested, detained, and almost assassinated due to his role as the winning lawyer in a case against the Chinese government for the religious freedom of practitioners of Falun Gong, was kidnapped in 2007 and has never been seen again. It is believed that Gao is in the custody of Chinese authorities, that he has suffered torture at the hands of Chinese authorities, and that he was removed from Beijing during the Olympic games following a suicide.
Many of us around the world felt strongly that the International Olympic Committee's decision to give the Chinese the opportunity to host the Olympics sent the wrong message to a country where religious persecution and the revocation of basic freedoms is still widespread. The irony of China's sugar-coating of its horrendous environmental policies and deep-seated political myopia is not lost on those of us who opposed Beijing's hosting of the Olympics on moral and ethical grounds.
Thus, the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a well-known missing Chinese dissident would be a well-deserved slap in the face of a country that still has not learned to value the diversity, individuality, and basic human worth of its citizens.
Rumor has it that Gao Zhisheng, a Chinese dissident, will be awarded the prize. Zhisheng, who has been arrested, detained, and almost assassinated due to his role as the winning lawyer in a case against the Chinese government for the religious freedom of practitioners of Falun Gong, was kidnapped in 2007 and has never been seen again. It is believed that Gao is in the custody of Chinese authorities, that he has suffered torture at the hands of Chinese authorities, and that he was removed from Beijing during the Olympic games following a suicide.
Many of us around the world felt strongly that the International Olympic Committee's decision to give the Chinese the opportunity to host the Olympics sent the wrong message to a country where religious persecution and the revocation of basic freedoms is still widespread. The irony of China's sugar-coating of its horrendous environmental policies and deep-seated political myopia is not lost on those of us who opposed Beijing's hosting of the Olympics on moral and ethical grounds.
Thus, the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a well-known missing Chinese dissident would be a well-deserved slap in the face of a country that still has not learned to value the diversity, individuality, and basic human worth of its citizens.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Lobbyists, Health Care, and Open Secrets
In a report published by Open Secrets, a non-partisan guide to how money influences politics in the United States, the amount of money spent by lobbyists representing the health care industry is truly astounding.
According to a review of lobbyists' spending in Washington, D.C. during 2007, the health care industry itself spent $445 million dollars (nearly half a billion dollars) on lobbying contributions, 15.9% of all lobbying money spent during that calendar year.
Breaking down the numbers further, 51% of all healthcare lobbying was spent by---you guessed it---Big Pharma and medical products companies, for a total of $227 million.
Next, health insurance companies spent $138 million, and you can rest assured that they were not asking Congress to support universal healthcare legislation.
Following on the heels of health insurers, hospitals and nursing homes spent a paltry $91 million dollars, and interestingly enough, the American Medical Association itself spent $22.1 million on lobbying.
With all of this money flying around the halls of Congress in the form of dinners, golf games, campaign contributions, cruises, vacations, summer home rentals and the like, it's no wonder meaningful healthcare reform never seems to manifest itself. On average, $832,000 is spent on each member of the Senate and the House, money that is obviously paid to influence votes and potentially supercede the public interest.
As a nurse who sees the effects of a cumbersome and expensive healthcare system here on the ground, it is entirely unclear to me how so much money can legally be spent on buying power while the powerless struggle to make ends meet and care for their families.
When a senior citizen has to decide between food and prescriptions, something is wrong.
When a person becomes disabled but is forced to lose his home in order to pay his medical bills before his disability is approved, something is amiss.
When millions of children are still uninsured in this country, we are misguided.
When 45 million Americans lack health insurance, we are missing the point.
And when half a billion dollars can be frivolously spent on nothing but the purchasing of political power, we have lost our minds and our way.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Obama, Healthcare and A Trio of Mythic Figures
(Note: This is my second post under the auspices of the nurse blogger scholarship which I recently received from Value Care, Value Nurses.)
Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee for President, faces a tough crowd when talking about healthcare in America. As a nurse, I myself am a tough crowd, and my cynicism towards politicians of any stripe runs relatively deep. In my (potentially naive) hopes for a universal, single-payer health plan for all Americans, I see potential for such a future in some of Senator Obama's positions, but when it comes to his chances (and true motivation) to deliver the goods, my jury is still definitively out.
When perusing the Senator's website, we begin with a quote by Mr. Obama from a speech in Iowa City on May 29, 2007:
“We now face an opportunity — and an obligation — to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. My plan begins by covering every American. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is the amount of money you will spend on premiums. That will be less. If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law. No one will be turned away because of a preexisting condition or illness.”
At face value, this sounds like a wonderful idea and I'm interested to know the details. I heard similar rhetoric from the Clinton Administration in the early 90's (and we all know how that panned out). Still, the sentiment---of universal coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions and no change to current premiums---makes some salient points.
Further on, the data is there for all to see: an estimated 47 million uninsured Americans, including 9 million children. Health insurance premiums have risen four times as fast as wages over the last six years, and less than 4 cents of every healthcare dollar is spent on prevention and public health.
Mr. Obama's plan promises many things:
*Coverage for all Americans that is similar to the coverage now provided to members of Congress
*Guaranteed eligibility
*Comprehensive benefits, including mental health, maternity, and preventive care
*Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles
*Subsidies for those who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but cannot afford premiums
*Simplified paper work and decreased costs
*Easy enrollment
*A National Health Insurance Exchange which provides portability from state to state and job to job without loss of coverage
*Employer contributions with exemptions for small businesses
*Mandatory coverage for children
*Expansion of Medicaid and SCHIP
*Flexibility for states already implementing their own plans
I agree that all of the points outlined above are like music to this nurse's ears. With portability, 100% eligibility for all Americans, expansion of Medicaid---it all seems too good to be true. The site continues to describe plans for lowering costs by modernizing the healthcare delivery system, disease management programs, team management of chronic illness, patient safety, independent research on effectiveness, a comprehensive effort to redress health disparities, and stronger anti-trust laws with a goal of decreased malpractice insurance premiums and fewer lawsuits.
Obama's plan also addresses the need for electronic medical records, less reliance on paper charts, and increased competition for drug companies and insurers, not to mention increased biomedical research, an expansion of the global fight against AIDS, support for Americans with disabilities, mental health parity, lead and mercury poisoning prevention, and increased research related to Autism.
Reading my downloaded copy of the plan in further detail, I was disappointed by the omission of several key issues that have been very much on my mind in recent months:
1) The nursing shortage: although Senator Obama's plan states that the number of "primary care providers and public health practitioners" are dwindling, the plan makes no mention of nurses, the (global) nursing shortage, and the need for massive investment in training, increased nursing faculty, loan programs, and other incentives to a) keep nurses in the workforce, b) prevent burnout by decreasing nurse-patient ratios, c) provide financial incentives for those who wish to be nursing faculty, and d) expand enrollment in nursing education. Where does he stand on the nursing shortage, and how can he not consider it a cornerstone of any meaningful national healthcare policy?
2) Schools and student health: although the Senator's plan addresses the need for expanded physical fitness in schools, improved use of lunch programs, and "more healthful environments" in the nation's schools, the plan fails to mention that although the federal government mandates that there be one school nurse for every 750 children, the national average is more than 1,110 children per nurse, with some states far exceeding even that number. Nurses are essential to the health of our school-age children, and Senator Obama seems to have overlooked this very important point. However, we can rest assured that there is a full-time nurse on staff in any private school attended by Mr. Obama's privileged children.
3) Dental coverage: it is widely understood that dental health is one of the most important forms of preventive healthcare, but the Obama health plan fails to mention dental care in the large or the fine print. Millions of Americans who indeed have health coverage through their employers or a private insurance plan still lack dental coverage for even the most routine care. When it comes to the prevention of infection, improved immune function and proper nutrition, dental care is paramount. Unnecessary tooth and bone loss, oral cancers, and preventable complications from dental diseases are truly public health disasters. If the plan for American universal coverage does not include universal coverage for preventive and corrective dentistry, a serious source of chronic health problems will not have been addressed or alleviated.
4) Stem-cell research: one must take note that the Senator's plan makes no mention of advancing and expanding stem-cell research, a controversial issue stymied by the unscientific and "values-based" prognostications of the Bush Administration, although he does call for increased biomedical research (a euphemism, perhaps, in order to not alienate a certain type of moderate voter?)
I am in no way a policy-oriented person, and when it comes to politics, I tend to sit on the sidelines and watch the wheels turn (with the occasional blog post for good measure). Mr. Obama's healthcare plan is impressive in both depth and breadth, and if he can actualize his plan in the real world, we will certainly be considerably more better off as a nation than we are now. As far as the blind eye that the Senator has turned to the nursing shortage (at least as far as his healthcare plan is concerned), he would do well to realize the importance of nursing to the success of any national healthcare agenda and address the very realistic concerns which nurses have raised again and again.
As I said earlier in this article, my jury is still out vis-a-vis Obama's ability to actually manifest his vision when the campaign is over and the ticker-tape has been swept from the streets. History has illustrated again and again that "politics-as-usual" can rear its ugly head quite quickly when the mad dash of the campaign season is over.
Obama's hardest fight will not even begin until he sits in that famous Oval Office and attempts to wrestle with the troubles of the day. Will his ambitious healthcare plan survive the deluge of responsibilities and decisions (and special interests) which will make themselves painfully known after January 20th? Will he see that nurses really matter, and then succeed in bringing their needs to the table? This (somewhat cynical) nurse isn't so sure, but I am willing to give the Senator the benefit of the doubt as long as his efforts remain focused on the needs of ordinary Americans, and not on the desires of lobbyists, insurance company executives, Big Pharma, hospital CEOs, and others who feel that their agenda should supercede that of the American citizenry.
It is the uninsured, the disabled and the working poor (and their children) who truly carry the burden of our dysfunctional and top-heavy healthcare system. With more money spent per capita on healthcare than any other industrialized country in the world, the United States ranks embarrassingly low in terms of poverty, infant mortality, obesity rates, and many other statistical markers of overall public health. This is a travesty.
Transforming American healthcare is at best a Herculean task of enormous proportions, and any president who shoulders the burden could also be compared to yet another long-suffering mythic figure, Atlas. We can only hope that a President Obama would not instead become a figure more akin to Sisyphus, the mythical man doomed for eternity to roll a boulder up a hill every day, only to have it roll to the bottom before he begins the struggle once more. Mythically speaking, I believe that Sisyphus most accurately (and sadly) represents the life history of healthcare reform in America, with Bill and Hillary playing the parts of the last unlucky Sisyphean figures to traverse that cursed hill.
Obama will struggle against many forces united to defeat a movement towards healthcare parity for all Americans, and the interests with the financial wherewithal to thwart such a struggle are more powerful than most of us know. While my cynicism often gets the best of me, I do indeed hold out hope for a healthcare system that can function smoothly and efficiently, keep costs under control, improve public health, advance research, reverse the nursing shortage, and address the myriad concerns mentioned in this and thousands of other diatribes about the current state of healthcare in these United States.
I wish Mr. Obama Godspeed in attempting what has been up until now an impossible task, and I will continually strive to keep my cynicism at bay as we move closer to the day when a new administration assumes its (Sisyphean?) place in the Oval Office.
Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee for President, faces a tough crowd when talking about healthcare in America. As a nurse, I myself am a tough crowd, and my cynicism towards politicians of any stripe runs relatively deep. In my (potentially naive) hopes for a universal, single-payer health plan for all Americans, I see potential for such a future in some of Senator Obama's positions, but when it comes to his chances (and true motivation) to deliver the goods, my jury is still definitively out.
When perusing the Senator's website, we begin with a quote by Mr. Obama from a speech in Iowa City on May 29, 2007:
“We now face an opportunity — and an obligation — to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. My plan begins by covering every American. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is the amount of money you will spend on premiums. That will be less. If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law. No one will be turned away because of a preexisting condition or illness.”
At face value, this sounds like a wonderful idea and I'm interested to know the details. I heard similar rhetoric from the Clinton Administration in the early 90's (and we all know how that panned out). Still, the sentiment---of universal coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions and no change to current premiums---makes some salient points.
Further on, the data is there for all to see: an estimated 47 million uninsured Americans, including 9 million children. Health insurance premiums have risen four times as fast as wages over the last six years, and less than 4 cents of every healthcare dollar is spent on prevention and public health.
Mr. Obama's plan promises many things:
*Coverage for all Americans that is similar to the coverage now provided to members of Congress
*Guaranteed eligibility
*Comprehensive benefits, including mental health, maternity, and preventive care
*Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles
*Subsidies for those who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but cannot afford premiums
*Simplified paper work and decreased costs
*Easy enrollment
*A National Health Insurance Exchange which provides portability from state to state and job to job without loss of coverage
*Employer contributions with exemptions for small businesses
*Mandatory coverage for children
*Expansion of Medicaid and SCHIP
*Flexibility for states already implementing their own plans
I agree that all of the points outlined above are like music to this nurse's ears. With portability, 100% eligibility for all Americans, expansion of Medicaid---it all seems too good to be true. The site continues to describe plans for lowering costs by modernizing the healthcare delivery system, disease management programs, team management of chronic illness, patient safety, independent research on effectiveness, a comprehensive effort to redress health disparities, and stronger anti-trust laws with a goal of decreased malpractice insurance premiums and fewer lawsuits.
Obama's plan also addresses the need for electronic medical records, less reliance on paper charts, and increased competition for drug companies and insurers, not to mention increased biomedical research, an expansion of the global fight against AIDS, support for Americans with disabilities, mental health parity, lead and mercury poisoning prevention, and increased research related to Autism.
Reading my downloaded copy of the plan in further detail, I was disappointed by the omission of several key issues that have been very much on my mind in recent months:
1) The nursing shortage: although Senator Obama's plan states that the number of "primary care providers and public health practitioners" are dwindling, the plan makes no mention of nurses, the (global) nursing shortage, and the need for massive investment in training, increased nursing faculty, loan programs, and other incentives to a) keep nurses in the workforce, b) prevent burnout by decreasing nurse-patient ratios, c) provide financial incentives for those who wish to be nursing faculty, and d) expand enrollment in nursing education. Where does he stand on the nursing shortage, and how can he not consider it a cornerstone of any meaningful national healthcare policy?
2) Schools and student health: although the Senator's plan addresses the need for expanded physical fitness in schools, improved use of lunch programs, and "more healthful environments" in the nation's schools, the plan fails to mention that although the federal government mandates that there be one school nurse for every 750 children, the national average is more than 1,110 children per nurse, with some states far exceeding even that number. Nurses are essential to the health of our school-age children, and Senator Obama seems to have overlooked this very important point. However, we can rest assured that there is a full-time nurse on staff in any private school attended by Mr. Obama's privileged children.
3) Dental coverage: it is widely understood that dental health is one of the most important forms of preventive healthcare, but the Obama health plan fails to mention dental care in the large or the fine print. Millions of Americans who indeed have health coverage through their employers or a private insurance plan still lack dental coverage for even the most routine care. When it comes to the prevention of infection, improved immune function and proper nutrition, dental care is paramount. Unnecessary tooth and bone loss, oral cancers, and preventable complications from dental diseases are truly public health disasters. If the plan for American universal coverage does not include universal coverage for preventive and corrective dentistry, a serious source of chronic health problems will not have been addressed or alleviated.
4) Stem-cell research: one must take note that the Senator's plan makes no mention of advancing and expanding stem-cell research, a controversial issue stymied by the unscientific and "values-based" prognostications of the Bush Administration, although he does call for increased biomedical research (a euphemism, perhaps, in order to not alienate a certain type of moderate voter?)
I am in no way a policy-oriented person, and when it comes to politics, I tend to sit on the sidelines and watch the wheels turn (with the occasional blog post for good measure). Mr. Obama's healthcare plan is impressive in both depth and breadth, and if he can actualize his plan in the real world, we will certainly be considerably more better off as a nation than we are now. As far as the blind eye that the Senator has turned to the nursing shortage (at least as far as his healthcare plan is concerned), he would do well to realize the importance of nursing to the success of any national healthcare agenda and address the very realistic concerns which nurses have raised again and again.
As I said earlier in this article, my jury is still out vis-a-vis Obama's ability to actually manifest his vision when the campaign is over and the ticker-tape has been swept from the streets. History has illustrated again and again that "politics-as-usual" can rear its ugly head quite quickly when the mad dash of the campaign season is over.
Obama's hardest fight will not even begin until he sits in that famous Oval Office and attempts to wrestle with the troubles of the day. Will his ambitious healthcare plan survive the deluge of responsibilities and decisions (and special interests) which will make themselves painfully known after January 20th? Will he see that nurses really matter, and then succeed in bringing their needs to the table? This (somewhat cynical) nurse isn't so sure, but I am willing to give the Senator the benefit of the doubt as long as his efforts remain focused on the needs of ordinary Americans, and not on the desires of lobbyists, insurance company executives, Big Pharma, hospital CEOs, and others who feel that their agenda should supercede that of the American citizenry.
It is the uninsured, the disabled and the working poor (and their children) who truly carry the burden of our dysfunctional and top-heavy healthcare system. With more money spent per capita on healthcare than any other industrialized country in the world, the United States ranks embarrassingly low in terms of poverty, infant mortality, obesity rates, and many other statistical markers of overall public health. This is a travesty.
Transforming American healthcare is at best a Herculean task of enormous proportions, and any president who shoulders the burden could also be compared to yet another long-suffering mythic figure, Atlas. We can only hope that a President Obama would not instead become a figure more akin to Sisyphus, the mythical man doomed for eternity to roll a boulder up a hill every day, only to have it roll to the bottom before he begins the struggle once more. Mythically speaking, I believe that Sisyphus most accurately (and sadly) represents the life history of healthcare reform in America, with Bill and Hillary playing the parts of the last unlucky Sisyphean figures to traverse that cursed hill.
Obama will struggle against many forces united to defeat a movement towards healthcare parity for all Americans, and the interests with the financial wherewithal to thwart such a struggle are more powerful than most of us know. While my cynicism often gets the best of me, I do indeed hold out hope for a healthcare system that can function smoothly and efficiently, keep costs under control, improve public health, advance research, reverse the nursing shortage, and address the myriad concerns mentioned in this and thousands of other diatribes about the current state of healthcare in these United States.
I wish Mr. Obama Godspeed in attempting what has been up until now an impossible task, and I will continually strive to keep my cynicism at bay as we move closer to the day when a new administration assumes its (Sisyphean?) place in the Oval Office.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
AIDS and Abstinence
Earlier this month, Senators Diane Feinstein and Olympia Snowe introduced a budget amendment which would end the limitations imposed by the Bush Administration on American funds used in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The U.S. government's current rules stipulate that 33% of all funds for HIV/AIDS prevention be used for abstinence-before-marriage programs which the Government Accountability Office has shown to be a highly flawed approach, especially in developing countries. These limitations have curtailed local efforts to stem the tide of mother-to-child transmission, as well as efforts to protect blood supplies. It is also acknowledged that in some societies in the developing world, women have little or no ability to refuse sexual relations with men who hold the economic and cultural power in their communities. Abstinence-only programs do nothing to address these concerns and simply block needed funds from reaching the people who need them most. Thus, the Feinstien-Snowe measure will allow for "maximum flexibility" for those on the front lines to decide how these desperately needed funds will be spent. I strongly support the movement to jettison abstinence-only requirements which simply politicize the issue while imposing a moral paternalism which does little to protect anyone in the face of a growing pandemic.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Love and Intention
Under my email signature on all outgoing missives, the following quote by Mother Teresa is always attached:
"I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, only more love."
On this day of all days, love is the notion we are urged to consider. Of course, being Valentine's Day, romantic love is assumed to be at the epicenter of such considering, and well it is for many of us. But there are many more forms of love, and they are all worthy of our attention. As well, we also remember those who are bereft, lonely, impoverished, ill, and otherwise lacking love in their lives. Yes, the media deluge us with images of heart and flowers, chocolates and cards, forming the basis of what we think we know love is. However, it is in our minds and hearts where we truly decide the meaning of love, and it is in our relationships with the human and non-human worlds where we externalize our vision of love, manifesting our vision through action.
Many of us wonder how to celebrate love, embody love and partake in cultural norms which bring us and our loved ones pleasure, while still bearing in mind the wider effects of our way of life and the decisions we make as consumers. Flowers, chocolate, diamonds---the things we have been taught to freely associate with love---cannot escape the gravest blemishes when under scrutiny, especially as we use the power of the purse to support the industries that provide them on the shelves of our stores. This is not meant to be a wet blanket on this day. Rather, it is yet another way to love, wherein we remind one another that our choices as consumers have consequences beyond our immediate perceptions. It is in both the small and the large that our actions ripple out into the world.
Today on AlterNet, Courtney E. Martin offers a view of love as activism, asserting that freedom is gained through our choices vis-a-vis relationship, love, and our actions close to home. Also on AlterNet, Julie Enszer describes the subtle ways in which gays and lesbians do (or don't) reveal their partners' gender in social situations. She then challenges us on this Valentine's Day to go the whole day without revealing the gender of our lover in social exchanges, feeling that sense of ambiguity---and occasional discomfort---which is then communicated and felt by the parties on both ends of those conversations.
Meanwhile, on Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman presented an expose on the low wages, child labor, and other human rights violations which support the commercial sale of cut flowers in the United States, propagated to a large extent by the Dole Corporation. A sobering dose of reality which, like Blood Diamond, has begun to popularize the notion that consumer goods can fuel conflict, slavery, and indecent treatment of human beings in the name of profit. Furthering our perceived indictment of all things Valentine, even chocolate is not safe from political strife, economic hardship, and humanitarian controversy when considered through the lens of fair trade practices.
Moreover, the V-Day movement strives to end violence against women, with Valentine's Day designated as V-Day. Describing the movement on their web-site as "a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community", their goal is no less than the complete defeat of violence against women and the victory of human rights and peace.
What, then, you may ask, is a loving yet earnestly concerned Valentine to do?
I would submit that there is no end to what one can do to propagate love while making wise and informed choices. Choosing Fair Trade chocolate and coffee is itself an act of love---towards others, self, and economic equality. Do I always practice such advice, you ask? No, I do not, but continually reminding one's self of the power of choice is often the first step towards freedom. Further, by treating the women in one's life with respect, by standing up against their unfair treatment and subjugation, by communicating through actions and words one's dedication to such a notion---that is a most powerful personal statement.
And the flowers? Sometimes we can't help ourselves when we buy those lovely bouquets, and none of us can deny the joy and delight on the receiver's face when presented with the thoughtful sweetness embodied therein. These are all simply choices, and in this consumer society, we all are prey to the whims and winds of the marketplace. If I buy flowers, I will certainly enjoy them, bless the person who picked and processed them, and give them with the love with which they are intended. One cannot live life afraid to act, yet one must also understand that each and every choice we make in life carries consequences often beyond our ken.
On this snowy Valentine's Day, I am home with my love, workplaces closed, the world moving at a crawl, the icy precipitation confining us happily to our home. Yoga together in the morning, a DVD, a nap, a simple exchange of cards, and a mutual conscious decision to eschew the drive to consume, rather giving each other the gift of time, of space, of presence, of shared love. Although I did donate money to the V-Day campaign in Mary's honor today, it is not the money changing hands which holds meaning. Intention, of course, is the central force, and through our intentions our actions must naturally follow.
Even amidst a consumer frenzy, be it Christmas, Valentine's Day, or Mother's Day, intention and the consciousness behind that intention holds the key. Coupled with right action, there is no end to the love that can be shared, and no end to the satisfaction which we can glean from a life well lived.
Happy Valentine's Day, from my heart to yours.
"I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, only more love."
On this day of all days, love is the notion we are urged to consider. Of course, being Valentine's Day, romantic love is assumed to be at the epicenter of such considering, and well it is for many of us. But there are many more forms of love, and they are all worthy of our attention. As well, we also remember those who are bereft, lonely, impoverished, ill, and otherwise lacking love in their lives. Yes, the media deluge us with images of heart and flowers, chocolates and cards, forming the basis of what we think we know love is. However, it is in our minds and hearts where we truly decide the meaning of love, and it is in our relationships with the human and non-human worlds where we externalize our vision of love, manifesting our vision through action.
Many of us wonder how to celebrate love, embody love and partake in cultural norms which bring us and our loved ones pleasure, while still bearing in mind the wider effects of our way of life and the decisions we make as consumers. Flowers, chocolate, diamonds---the things we have been taught to freely associate with love---cannot escape the gravest blemishes when under scrutiny, especially as we use the power of the purse to support the industries that provide them on the shelves of our stores. This is not meant to be a wet blanket on this day. Rather, it is yet another way to love, wherein we remind one another that our choices as consumers have consequences beyond our immediate perceptions. It is in both the small and the large that our actions ripple out into the world.
Today on AlterNet, Courtney E. Martin offers a view of love as activism, asserting that freedom is gained through our choices vis-a-vis relationship, love, and our actions close to home. Also on AlterNet, Julie Enszer describes the subtle ways in which gays and lesbians do (or don't) reveal their partners' gender in social situations. She then challenges us on this Valentine's Day to go the whole day without revealing the gender of our lover in social exchanges, feeling that sense of ambiguity---and occasional discomfort---which is then communicated and felt by the parties on both ends of those conversations.
Meanwhile, on Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman presented an expose on the low wages, child labor, and other human rights violations which support the commercial sale of cut flowers in the United States, propagated to a large extent by the Dole Corporation. A sobering dose of reality which, like Blood Diamond, has begun to popularize the notion that consumer goods can fuel conflict, slavery, and indecent treatment of human beings in the name of profit. Furthering our perceived indictment of all things Valentine, even chocolate is not safe from political strife, economic hardship, and humanitarian controversy when considered through the lens of fair trade practices.
Moreover, the V-Day movement strives to end violence against women, with Valentine's Day designated as V-Day. Describing the movement on their web-site as "a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community", their goal is no less than the complete defeat of violence against women and the victory of human rights and peace.
What, then, you may ask, is a loving yet earnestly concerned Valentine to do?
I would submit that there is no end to what one can do to propagate love while making wise and informed choices. Choosing Fair Trade chocolate and coffee is itself an act of love---towards others, self, and economic equality. Do I always practice such advice, you ask? No, I do not, but continually reminding one's self of the power of choice is often the first step towards freedom. Further, by treating the women in one's life with respect, by standing up against their unfair treatment and subjugation, by communicating through actions and words one's dedication to such a notion---that is a most powerful personal statement.
And the flowers? Sometimes we can't help ourselves when we buy those lovely bouquets, and none of us can deny the joy and delight on the receiver's face when presented with the thoughtful sweetness embodied therein. These are all simply choices, and in this consumer society, we all are prey to the whims and winds of the marketplace. If I buy flowers, I will certainly enjoy them, bless the person who picked and processed them, and give them with the love with which they are intended. One cannot live life afraid to act, yet one must also understand that each and every choice we make in life carries consequences often beyond our ken.
On this snowy Valentine's Day, I am home with my love, workplaces closed, the world moving at a crawl, the icy precipitation confining us happily to our home. Yoga together in the morning, a DVD, a nap, a simple exchange of cards, and a mutual conscious decision to eschew the drive to consume, rather giving each other the gift of time, of space, of presence, of shared love. Although I did donate money to the V-Day campaign in Mary's honor today, it is not the money changing hands which holds meaning. Intention, of course, is the central force, and through our intentions our actions must naturally follow.
Even amidst a consumer frenzy, be it Christmas, Valentine's Day, or Mother's Day, intention and the consciousness behind that intention holds the key. Coupled with right action, there is no end to the love that can be shared, and no end to the satisfaction which we can glean from a life well lived.
Happy Valentine's Day, from my heart to yours.
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