A Historic Day! Against All Odds Health Care Reform is Law!!!
health care reform Wednesday, March 24, 2010
President Barack Obama signs the Health Care Reform bill into law on March 23,2010 while Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid observe. It's too late for me, but it isn't too late for my daughters. This is a day that was one hundred years in the making. Millions of people will be affected by this law. Yet this law has flaws. It has no real public option for those people who can't afford to get health insurance. We are not there yet, and as a progressive I feel sad that some of the core principles that we have worked years to achieve are not addressed. One in particular is the prohibition of federal money for abortions. I am not thrilled with anyone getting an abortion, but I believe it is a woman's right to choose and decide for herself. These will be addressed and hopefully there will be changes soon.
I am reminded of my post about Senator Ted Kennedy and what I said in that post about how they should pass health care for Ted Kennedy and now I am hearing Senator Chris Dodd talk about Ted Kennedy's input on this law. I said at that time when everyone was mourning Ted Kennedy:
"...it will be Ted Kennedy's ghost observing from his Senate seat holding his thumb up and cheering... for Health Care Reform as they work to pass the best health care reform bill ever to reach the Senate. And I see the victorious press conference of those who worked to pass the bill giving credit to Ted Kennedy for his untiring efforts while he was alive."Not only did he get credit, but Nancy Pelosi spent time discussing his commitment to passing health care reform. The President also gave him a great deal of credit. It seemed that health care reform was going to be tabled earlier this year, but suddenly it arose out of the committees and wound up on the floor of the House and the Senate. Then Progressives started finding flaws with the bill and on the other side Republicans and Conservatives started telling us that it was dangerous. Now the Republicans are trying to repeal this law. But too many people need it and I have a feeling that the Republicans have no idea what is going to happen when it goes into effect. No one is going to want to give up some of these new things.:)
In case you don't know how I feel about the new Health Care Reform Law from all that I have said so far, either you were interrupted while reading, found a great TV program that you had to watch, or maybe you don't care, I am thrilled that the Congress was able to pass such an extensive law and I support it one hundred per cent. Though I would like to see some additions to it.:)
Okay, enough of the politics. I wanted to let you know about an awesome event happening on one of my new friend Evelyn's blog. She calls it a Writing-Prompt Carnival. Of course, I entered something on there and you can go check it out. If any of you remember, it is the post that I wrote for the last day of April last year when I posted a poem a day each day in April. The post is about my Newfoundland dog's last night, and it was written because I wrote the poem about him. The writing prompt so touched me and reminded me of the expression in my dog's eyes the last time we saw him. He died the next day without us there.
One last piece of business. When Janie Franz was the guest author here we gave away a free book. The person who won that book has not contacted me and it has been over a month. So I have to do a new drawing and will be sending that book to a new winner. I feel sorry for the person who didn't contact me. They missed out on a great little novel.:)
Now for more shameless promotion.:) This Thursday, March 25th is the day of my show, Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages and my guests will be Jody Feldman and Melanie Hope Greenberg. Jody is an old friend from one of my first critique groups and Melanie is also someone I know a long time who is an amazing illustrator and writer. Melanie Hope Greenberg is back this month to continue the discussion we started about the celebration of Women's History Month in March by her group with an exhibition of their illustrations, panel discussions and book readings in independent bookstores in Brooklyn. Last month we focused on the authors themselves, who are all children's picture book writers. Melanie is back to talk about both herself and this event. Please join me and my co-host Freda Roberts at 3PM Central Time for this outstanding show.
Also, I hope people are reading my Examiner. com articles. I am the NY Literature Examiner, which is funny, since I don't live there anymore.:) My next article is going to be an interview with a new author, Zoe Magnon who has published her first poetry book. Zoe also is the originator of an organization to help developmentally disabled children in the Caribbean.
Until the next time, thank you to all my readers. I appreciate all your comments and if this is your first time here, yes, I always meander like this.:)
