My dear friend Diana happens to have her birthday on the same day as my father.
Every year it has given Diana great joy to harass me, because each year I religiously forget it is her birthday, also.
With each passing Sept. 10, Diana would ask, “Whose birthday just passed?” Naturally, every year I would respond with, “It was my dad’s birthday!”
Well, being the great lady she is, this year she spared me the pain and annual humiliation of forgetting that it was her turn to celebrate the big day. We celebrated dad’s and her birthday at a true Las Vegas watering hole — the kind that dad would’ve been comfortable at and totally within Diana’s comfort zone. There were people from all walks of life enjoying a cold beer, great conversation and, at times, political debates.
As we toasted, I asked my friend to make a birthday wish. She said, “What I wish for is the impossible.”
Well, just tell me something is impossible and watch me find a way to make it possible. My friend knows that about me.
Diana wished for the days when, in polite company, it was rude to talk about politics or sex. This was a time when sex was considered dirty and politics was considered clean yet very controversial.
I believe her request is possible and, in fact, very doable, just not within my power. This birthday wish is in the hands of the voters and the American political powers-that-be.
I am often told that I look at people and life through rose-colored lenses. But restoring the reputation of politics after removing my rose-colored glasses is still doable.
As we continued our celebration, we got around to listening to the latest rumors out there regarding the races in the local, state and national political arenas. While I will not repeat the rumors — it’s not my style — I will share with you my response to one of them.
I do hope the candidate is a Latter-day Saint, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or a member of any other religion or is atheist or agnostic. This is America, like a diamond strong with many facets of races, colors and creeds.
I hope the candidate is Independent, Republican, Democrat or Libertarian. That’s American.
I hope the candidate’s ethnic background is Hispanic, Irish, Italian, German, African-American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Native American or Indian or any other nationality whose people have come to live in our country. That’s American.
I hope all the candidates worked their way up to achieve their goals and dreams or the dreams of their parents or grandparents who gave up their businesses, land and families to make America their home. Imagine how difficult that must have been to leave everything behind to flee from religious, ethnic or political persecution.
I know and understand that politics can get dirty. My girlfriend may want to turn back the hands of time, in more ways than one.
I would like to grant her one birthday wish. Can we make politics clean and get back to the day when sex was dirty?
Colleen O’Callaghan-Miele, co-publisher of the News, can be reached at 990-2653 or colleen@vegas.com.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
It's assessment time for government
Is socialized healthcare just around the corner for the U.S.?
Enjoying my pasta the other evening, observing the crowd and watching John McCain and Sarah Palin’s speech on the big screens at Tuscany Grill, a local Italian bistro, was quite an event. It was apparent that the crowd was mainly Republican, scattered with a few Democrats.
Everyone was definitely inspired as the speeches emanated with hope while outlining futuristic plans for our country.
As I listened and evaluated each speaker’s message, I walked away with a desire to see this country unified, regardless of party (sounds good, but ultra-idealistic).
Well, as the conversation amongst the crowd continued, it became slightly heated regarding the subject of whether socialized medicine is coming to the U.S. and the candidate supporting its implementation. This debate bypassed all pros or cons and went directly to the horror story of a young man sitting directly across from me with his left arm bandaged.
His name is Josh, and here is his story.
Josh is a 21-year-old baseball pitcher from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is a lefty pitcher who played college ball here in the states for the past three years, first at Taft College then at Cal State Northridge.
Josh went back to Canada to train for his last year of eligibility, and he took a construction job. On the job, he injured his left elbow. After an initial assessment, he was referred to physical therapy and, because of the socialized healthcare system in Canada, it took more than eight months before his need for surgery was acknowledged.
Since he was injured on the job, his healthcare fell under the worker’s compensation program. A stipulation to qualify for the surgery under worker’s comp was that it must be performed in Canada. He saw three doctors, all of whom said they didn’t have the skill or surgical technology that would guarantee he would be able to pitch again.
So, his only option was to come to the United States and see a doctor who had the skills and technology to successfully perform the surgery.
Josh went to a doctor in Cincinnati, where he had to fork out $10,000.
The doctors in Canada took an extremely long time to get him the help he needed and, in addition, his MRI was unreadable. According to this young man and his fiancee, this is a true indication of what happens with socialized medicine in Canada and shows why Canada can afford to offer free health care.
It lacks the expertise and resources the American health care system provides. (Also, look at the tax rates in other countries, such as Canada, but that’s another column.)
Another example of a country with socialized healthcare is Ireland, where my sister and I learned that patients have waited up to three years for hip replacements.
I am, at this point, definitely not pro-socialized medicine. Josh’s story is a true story, and it is only one of many highlighting the downside of a socialized healthcare system.
I would like to see our government properly manage and improve other services that we, the taxpayers, pay out of pocket. Let’s take a look at Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Medicare, Medicaid and our government-owned and union-operated public schools!
Colleen O’Callaghan-Miele, co-publisher of the Home News, can be reached at 990-2653 or colleen@vegas.com.
Enjoying my pasta the other evening, observing the crowd and watching John McCain and Sarah Palin’s speech on the big screens at Tuscany Grill, a local Italian bistro, was quite an event. It was apparent that the crowd was mainly Republican, scattered with a few Democrats.
Everyone was definitely inspired as the speeches emanated with hope while outlining futuristic plans for our country.
As I listened and evaluated each speaker’s message, I walked away with a desire to see this country unified, regardless of party (sounds good, but ultra-idealistic).
Well, as the conversation amongst the crowd continued, it became slightly heated regarding the subject of whether socialized medicine is coming to the U.S. and the candidate supporting its implementation. This debate bypassed all pros or cons and went directly to the horror story of a young man sitting directly across from me with his left arm bandaged.
His name is Josh, and here is his story.
Josh is a 21-year-old baseball pitcher from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is a lefty pitcher who played college ball here in the states for the past three years, first at Taft College then at Cal State Northridge.
Josh went back to Canada to train for his last year of eligibility, and he took a construction job. On the job, he injured his left elbow. After an initial assessment, he was referred to physical therapy and, because of the socialized healthcare system in Canada, it took more than eight months before his need for surgery was acknowledged.
Since he was injured on the job, his healthcare fell under the worker’s compensation program. A stipulation to qualify for the surgery under worker’s comp was that it must be performed in Canada. He saw three doctors, all of whom said they didn’t have the skill or surgical technology that would guarantee he would be able to pitch again.
So, his only option was to come to the United States and see a doctor who had the skills and technology to successfully perform the surgery.
Josh went to a doctor in Cincinnati, where he had to fork out $10,000.
The doctors in Canada took an extremely long time to get him the help he needed and, in addition, his MRI was unreadable. According to this young man and his fiancee, this is a true indication of what happens with socialized medicine in Canada and shows why Canada can afford to offer free health care.
It lacks the expertise and resources the American health care system provides. (Also, look at the tax rates in other countries, such as Canada, but that’s another column.)
Another example of a country with socialized healthcare is Ireland, where my sister and I learned that patients have waited up to three years for hip replacements.
I am, at this point, definitely not pro-socialized medicine. Josh’s story is a true story, and it is only one of many highlighting the downside of a socialized healthcare system.
I would like to see our government properly manage and improve other services that we, the taxpayers, pay out of pocket. Let’s take a look at Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Medicare, Medicaid and our government-owned and union-operated public schools!
Colleen O’Callaghan-Miele, co-publisher of the Home News, can be reached at 990-2653 or colleen@vegas.com.
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