HOLA! This is two small posts in one. They kind of flowed together so I kept it as is. I originally posted this on 7 October 2010, but did some revisions/corrections. So, if you saw this before, this is why it looks different.
To hear some people tell it, all Christian women should dress in billowy clothes that hide their figures, read bible verses all day and hope that some man will deign to look and see their inner beauty. Don't exhibit any sexiness at all. That is how they did it in the Bible, right?
I call garbage!
I graduated from a Christian academy. I remember that the ugliest girls in my school were still ugly and dateless, the hottest girls still got dates and the average ones were doing the best they could. Going into their adult lives, many remained single, if they didn't find a man by the time they left high school or college. One trait they had in common was that they all tried to land their man by any means possible, within reason (Let's study the Bible together. By the way, I made some carrot cake. You say that's your favorite? Wow! I didn't know . . . *in head high five*). Left to muddle through of their own devices, they do what they can. What this has resulted in is a good deal of single ladies (and men) in the church. All you have to do is look around at many of the churches today and see how many single people there are or see how many people have just given up on finding a man/woman in church.
Why is this? It is because many "true" Christian churches don't teach their women to be sexual or how to righteously attract a mate. Now, there is a difference between being sexual and being slutty. Classy/Trashy. You get it. We as humans are sexual beings. If it wasn't meant to be this way, well, we would be extinct. There are always ways to be sexual without over exposure. But it is o.k. to put a little tease on the table. And if you don't believe the need for this kind of teaching, all you have to do is look at the "worldly" competition.
Speaking of the world, I am always amazed by my friends who "find" religion. Or, better yet, those who "rediscover" religion after having taken in all the world had to offer and rejecting it. Especially those that have attracted your mate/spouse or reached a certain point in life, good or bad. After you see the "world" isn't what you thought it was, you ran back to your Faith. That's cool, I guess. However, to me, this usually happens when you have used the tools you learned out "in the world" to get what you wanted. It's kinda like the minority who makes it to the top and then wants to take away affirmative action (Clarence Thomas). Then you will evangelize to the world about the "evils" of it all, especially when talking to, and about, your gender mates. Usually, this will be women talking about/cutting down other women's actions in a very non-Christian way.
But, instead of taking a judgmental tone, perhaps it should be instructional. You may be the person who made mistakes and wants to help people not make them. You may be the person who feels they lived a righteous life. Either way you could be helping your friend/church congregant/gender mate with insights about showing how they could do better without belittling them. Oh, wait, did you forget that all of this is a journey? Let me help you with that.
Why such a harsh tone? Because all religions like to emphasize the great and forget the bad happened. But as a Christian, I remember that our religion was founded by the wounded. I remember that there were prostitutes, killers, adulators and polygamists in our past who found their way. By passing instant judgment like you never "sinned" is an affront to the very tenant of this religion. Before you take the twig out of your neighbors eye, take the tree out of yours(and the stick up you ass while at it).
Especially when you were in the club on Friday/Saturday and in church Saturday/Sunday. Oh, you forgot? Let me help you. And you wonder why they call many Christians hypocrites.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Breast Cancer Awareness and Why you shouldn't be worried
***Warning***
This post will offend two people, in particular. To those people, read this with an open mind, then judge for yourself. To everyone else, this post will take a left curve. I hope you enjoy.
***End Warning***
I love Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I always feel attached to it. Why? Because I love the female breast. I do, with NO APOLOGIES. I am straight, however, even gay men love the breastises. I won't go any more graphic than that. But anyone who knows me in IRL (in real life) knows how I feel about the female form. My mom has breasts and she gave me life and fed me from those things. So, what is there not to love?
On a serious note, I have a friend who's mother died of breast cancer, fairly recently. She is religious (Christian) and prayed for her mother. But, I guess it was her time to go (God decided or let it happen). My friend has been all about breast cancer awareness. She does the walks and she shares the news. She is a new convert (think about your friend who just stopped smoking or just losta great deal of weight/adopted a healthier lifestyle).
Well, if you have a Facebook/MySpace/E-mail, you are probably aware that, for the past few years, there has been a gimmick to make people more aware of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, it was "Put the color of your bra in your status". This year is "Put where you like to put your purse when you come in from work". You can find a link to an article explaining it here.
Well, said friend feels that it is a mockery of "The Fight" and as a Christian woman, it demeans all women of Faith. She feels that breast cancer is not sexy and should not be put in such a light. Several of her friends made the same comment. They feel it is unbecoming of a Christian woman and is misleading, causing people to lust in their hearts and advocate women of Faith not to participate. At this, I have to draw a line in the sand and call bullshit. The following is an open letter to her.
Dear Friend,
Right now is a really tough time for you. My heart bleeds, know of the pain that you go through, everyday, knowing that your Mother was taken away from you before the time that anyone was ready for. I wish I could share your pain, but I can't, because your experience is unique and I would not insult you by pretending that I know otherwise. I don't know the pain of having to explain what death is to two young children or comfort the emptiness that you have. All I can do is be the best friend that I can be, when you need me. That is what this poor sinner will do.
But to pass judgement on people who are trying to bring a light-hearted face to a very serious cause is beneath you. Right now, it runs counter to what you feel. Your mother was a victim of this terrible disease. But, by condemning those people, you belittle the people that have survived and use humor to deal with a very serious cause. I want you to look at the woman who is getting a double mastectomy. She sees a major sign of her womanhood lost forever. Tell her that she can't be sexy any more. Tell the woman who went through/is going through chemo and is stuck with the stigma of a cancer patient that it is not o.k. to make light of her situation. I point this last one to you. I followed you through your family's struggle and I KNOW that your mother tried to make the best of a bad situation. This current way was not her way, but I don't think your mother would have been so harsh on people trying to shed light on serious thing.
Who cares, if some men, think it is sexual. When they find out what it is about, they are most likely to back you vs not having cared in the first place. Doesn't a cracked vessel not still carry water? And truth be told, if your pastor/fellow church congregants/church leaders read that in your status and the first thing they thought about was where you "like *sex* wherever", this is not an issue for me or the public, but for you and them and your husband. Please don't love me any less for this, I am just trying to bring a little different perspective to you.
With all Love and Respect,
T.O.
P.S. To argue from a religious standpoint that this is wrong . . .I have another point reloaded for you in three days. It just needs to finish cooking in the kitchen.
This post will offend two people, in particular. To those people, read this with an open mind, then judge for yourself. To everyone else, this post will take a left curve. I hope you enjoy.
***End Warning***
I love Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I always feel attached to it. Why? Because I love the female breast. I do, with NO APOLOGIES. I am straight, however, even gay men love the breastises. I won't go any more graphic than that. But anyone who knows me in IRL (in real life) knows how I feel about the female form. My mom has breasts and she gave me life and fed me from those things. So, what is there not to love?
On a serious note, I have a friend who's mother died of breast cancer, fairly recently. She is religious (Christian) and prayed for her mother. But, I guess it was her time to go (God decided or let it happen). My friend has been all about breast cancer awareness. She does the walks and she shares the news. She is a new convert (think about your friend who just stopped smoking or just losta great deal of weight/adopted a healthier lifestyle).
Well, if you have a Facebook/MySpace/E-mail, you are probably aware that, for the past few years, there has been a gimmick to make people more aware of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last year, it was "Put the color of your bra in your status". This year is "Put where you like to put your purse when you come in from work". You can find a link to an article explaining it here.
Well, said friend feels that it is a mockery of "The Fight" and as a Christian woman, it demeans all women of Faith. She feels that breast cancer is not sexy and should not be put in such a light. Several of her friends made the same comment. They feel it is unbecoming of a Christian woman and is misleading, causing people to lust in their hearts and advocate women of Faith not to participate. At this, I have to draw a line in the sand and call bullshit. The following is an open letter to her.
Dear Friend,
Right now is a really tough time for you. My heart bleeds, know of the pain that you go through, everyday, knowing that your Mother was taken away from you before the time that anyone was ready for. I wish I could share your pain, but I can't, because your experience is unique and I would not insult you by pretending that I know otherwise. I don't know the pain of having to explain what death is to two young children or comfort the emptiness that you have. All I can do is be the best friend that I can be, when you need me. That is what this poor sinner will do.
But to pass judgement on people who are trying to bring a light-hearted face to a very serious cause is beneath you. Right now, it runs counter to what you feel. Your mother was a victim of this terrible disease. But, by condemning those people, you belittle the people that have survived and use humor to deal with a very serious cause. I want you to look at the woman who is getting a double mastectomy. She sees a major sign of her womanhood lost forever. Tell her that she can't be sexy any more. Tell the woman who went through/is going through chemo and is stuck with the stigma of a cancer patient that it is not o.k. to make light of her situation. I point this last one to you. I followed you through your family's struggle and I KNOW that your mother tried to make the best of a bad situation. This current way was not her way, but I don't think your mother would have been so harsh on people trying to shed light on serious thing.
Who cares, if some men, think it is sexual. When they find out what it is about, they are most likely to back you vs not having cared in the first place. Doesn't a cracked vessel not still carry water? And truth be told, if your pastor/fellow church congregants/church leaders read that in your status and the first thing they thought about was where you "like *sex* wherever", this is not an issue for me or the public, but for you and them and your husband. Please don't love me any less for this, I am just trying to bring a little different perspective to you.
With all Love and Respect,
T.O.
P.S. To argue from a religious standpoint that this is wrong . . .I have another point reloaded for you in three days. It just needs to finish cooking in the kitchen.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
It Is Better To Be Thought A Fool in Silence . . .
I was occasioned to remember a quote that I heard when I was a child. It has been reworked many times but, essentially, the passage is, "It is better t be thought a fool in silence, then to speak and remove all doubt."(Abraham Lincoln or Socrates). The reason why this is the subject of my post, today is that, during my college career and in life, I have come to the realization that I don't know ANYTHING. This is true for most people. Now, I don't mean that people are stupid, it is just that we don't seek information that could be detrimental to our world view.
An example of this is a person who I have become recently acquainted with who lives in my dorm. This comes from a very sheltered home life and has a very limited view of the world. Anytime that you try to introduce a new side of an argument/statement/discussion with him, he tries to make it fit his view of things, even if he is wrong. You could tell him something that is a fact, a verifiable fact, and he will get upset and say that you are calling him ignorant and being dismissive. I told him that I wasn't criticizing him, I was just letting him know that he was misinformed and pointing him to the truth.
Another example of this is someone who makes up facts just to fit their argument. I get furious when someone is making an argument and you can just see them making up the "fact" just to make their point. Instead of admitting they may not have the full answer, they will just plow through, trying to justify themselves.
However, more directly, I see this in my classes. I see this a great deal. Especially with the younger kiddos. The will argue with people with PhDs over things that are a settled fact/theory just because it doesn't go with the "thing my brother's best friend's sister who worked as a secretary for so-and-so said". It is funny how they want to be right in the face of being wrong.
In these cases, you have people who are trying to make an argument with incomplete/missing information. Many of us have been guilty of this, myself included. The difference is, if you don't know, say you don't know. Because, when everything comes out, you end up just looking stupid if you don't have your facts right. And even when we are wrong, we should be able to admit it. It makes you look more intelligent by acknowledging that you were not correct and that you are open to changing.
That's my take.
An example of this is a person who I have become recently acquainted with who lives in my dorm. This comes from a very sheltered home life and has a very limited view of the world. Anytime that you try to introduce a new side of an argument/statement/discussion with him, he tries to make it fit his view of things, even if he is wrong. You could tell him something that is a fact, a verifiable fact, and he will get upset and say that you are calling him ignorant and being dismissive. I told him that I wasn't criticizing him, I was just letting him know that he was misinformed and pointing him to the truth.
Another example of this is someone who makes up facts just to fit their argument. I get furious when someone is making an argument and you can just see them making up the "fact" just to make their point. Instead of admitting they may not have the full answer, they will just plow through, trying to justify themselves.
However, more directly, I see this in my classes. I see this a great deal. Especially with the younger kiddos. The will argue with people with PhDs over things that are a settled fact/theory just because it doesn't go with the "thing my brother's best friend's sister who worked as a secretary for so-and-so said". It is funny how they want to be right in the face of being wrong.
In these cases, you have people who are trying to make an argument with incomplete/missing information. Many of us have been guilty of this, myself included. The difference is, if you don't know, say you don't know. Because, when everything comes out, you end up just looking stupid if you don't have your facts right. And even when we are wrong, we should be able to admit it. It makes you look more intelligent by acknowledging that you were not correct and that you are open to changing.
That's my take.
Friday, September 3, 2010
The First Days of School
School started on Thursday.
WHAT? Why not on Monday or a Wednesday? What kinda sense does that make? Who knows. All I know is that I was there. Coming back, getting into the swing of things is really cool. Now that I am in my second semester of University, I feel that I have everything under control and I am all Kool-n-the-Gang. Now, for some simple observations.
1.) I moved back into the dorms (which I am not in love with) but, since I didn't have a job, I gotta go with what I can afford. However, this will probably be my last semester in the dorms, for two reasons. the first is, I don't care for it here. It's small and I share it with another dude. We sleep a foot away from each other. My dorm room is the size of a hotel room because, it USED to be a hotel room. My dorm is a converted Motel 6/Super 8/fill-in-the-blank. I also have a good amount of things. And you can't have people over. Especially, if you want female company (not THAT kind of company, perverts). Just sayin'. Plus, I didn't get my old roommate and it takes patience to put up with me at times. He "got" me. And that is saying a lot when you live *that* close together.
Second reason: The dorms are cool, but I will be looking for a "real" job or internship soon and I need to start establishing for the future. A more space with furniture and cooking facilities future. The grown-up look future. The, "Hey, let's get together at my place." future. See where I am going?
2.) People keep asking my stuff like I know things. This is cool because it means I look like I belong. SWEET!
3.) The college bookstore is a racket. Every time I go there, I feel my wallet screaming from getting ass-raped. I am taking a statistics class. $100+ for the book and $175 for a F'ING GRAPHING CALCULATOR?!?!?! Another $175 and I would have a netbook and I could do the calculations while surfing the web through this boring class.
4.) I am going to my first college football game. I am really excited for that.
5.) I GOT A JOB!!! I start the paperwork tomorrow. It is working for the Catering department at my University. It wasn't the job I was really looking for, but hell, I need money sooo, yea. Back to skills that pay the bill.
WHAT? Why not on Monday or a Wednesday? What kinda sense does that make? Who knows. All I know is that I was there. Coming back, getting into the swing of things is really cool. Now that I am in my second semester of University, I feel that I have everything under control and I am all Kool-n-the-Gang. Now, for some simple observations.
1.) I moved back into the dorms (which I am not in love with) but, since I didn't have a job, I gotta go with what I can afford. However, this will probably be my last semester in the dorms, for two reasons. the first is, I don't care for it here. It's small and I share it with another dude. We sleep a foot away from each other. My dorm room is the size of a hotel room because, it USED to be a hotel room. My dorm is a converted Motel 6/Super 8/fill-in-the-blank. I also have a good amount of things. And you can't have people over. Especially, if you want female company (not THAT kind of company, perverts). Just sayin'. Plus, I didn't get my old roommate and it takes patience to put up with me at times. He "got" me. And that is saying a lot when you live *that* close together.
Second reason: The dorms are cool, but I will be looking for a "real" job or internship soon and I need to start establishing for the future. A more space with furniture and cooking facilities future. The grown-up look future. The, "Hey, let's get together at my place." future. See where I am going?
2.) People keep asking my stuff like I know things. This is cool because it means I look like I belong. SWEET!
3.) The college bookstore is a racket. Every time I go there, I feel my wallet screaming from getting ass-raped. I am taking a statistics class. $100+ for the book and $175 for a F'ING GRAPHING CALCULATOR?!?!?! Another $175 and I would have a netbook and I could do the calculations while surfing the web through this boring class.
4.) I am going to my first college football game. I am really excited for that.
5.) I GOT A JOB!!! I start the paperwork tomorrow. It is working for the Catering department at my University. It wasn't the job I was really looking for, but hell, I need money sooo, yea. Back to skills that pay the bill.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The End of Summer, New School Year and this blog.
WOW!!!!
So, it has been a full month since I have posted anything. Truth be told, I haven't had anything worthwhile to post. But, to get this thing rebooted and get the creative juices flowing, I will recap the summer as best as I can. I think the best way to do this is to set out the goals that I had for myself and tell you how everything shook out. Vamanos!
Goal #1: Work and save money
Yeah A lot of the former, none of the latter. I ended up not working my old job as a tour guide and worked in a restaurant. It was cool, but in a down economy in a tourist destination, not that profitable. Which means I worked a lot of hours. For not that much money. Yep.
Goal #2: Hang out with my friends:
I did very little of that. See #1.
Goal #3: Go toobing, A LOT:
I went three times. See #1.
Goal #4: Have fun:
As much as possible. Yet again, I refer you to #1.
Goal #5: Decide on the direction of my blog:
That, I did do. I am going to post once a month, minimum, something that has to do with International Studies/Relations. That will be a schedule, promise. I just haven't decided the day to pick. I am leaning towards the 1st (cheesy), the fifteenth (because it is mid-month payday) or just pick some random date for utterly ridiculous reasons. The other stuff I post will just be stuff that happens to me as a student (mainly) and random observations. That is what you can expect. I promise.
Yeah. Like I haven't said that before.
So, it has been a full month since I have posted anything. Truth be told, I haven't had anything worthwhile to post. But, to get this thing rebooted and get the creative juices flowing, I will recap the summer as best as I can. I think the best way to do this is to set out the goals that I had for myself and tell you how everything shook out. Vamanos!
Goal #1: Work and save money
Yeah A lot of the former, none of the latter. I ended up not working my old job as a tour guide and worked in a restaurant. It was cool, but in a down economy in a tourist destination, not that profitable. Which means I worked a lot of hours. For not that much money. Yep.
Goal #2: Hang out with my friends:
I did very little of that. See #1.
Goal #3: Go toobing, A LOT:
I went three times. See #1.
Goal #4: Have fun:
As much as possible. Yet again, I refer you to #1.
Goal #5: Decide on the direction of my blog:
That, I did do. I am going to post once a month, minimum, something that has to do with International Studies/Relations. That will be a schedule, promise. I just haven't decided the day to pick. I am leaning towards the 1st (cheesy), the fifteenth (because it is mid-month payday) or just pick some random date for utterly ridiculous reasons. The other stuff I post will just be stuff that happens to me as a student (mainly) and random observations. That is what you can expect. I promise.
Yeah. Like I haven't said that before.
Friday, August 27, 2010
The Break and the Malaise
YEAH! Internet access.
So, it has been a month since I have written anything. The last two weeks has been laziness and the entire month of July and part of August was because of lack of computer or reliable access to internet service. But it feels good to be writing and today I want to write about breaks. Not the kind of breaks like something got destroyed in a physical sense, but break in the way of...well, taking a pause in something.
One thing that I have discovered about summer vacations is that they are not the same, for me, as they used to be, when I was a child. It used to be fun, getting out of school and just playing all time and not havingany much responsibility. I remember that we used to travel as a family and do a great many things. However, now that I have returned to school, as an adult, I don't view this break in the same way, especially this summer. It isn't that I have more or less responsibility than I did before. This break was different in that I wasn't in summer school, like I was at community college. I didn't travel. I didn't do anything "interesting". I didn't do anything but work. I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere, learning anything and could feel myself kind of falling away. And all summer, I couldn't wait until school started again. And here it is and I embrace it with open arms. And I wasn't sure why, at first. Then, the answer hit me.
It is in the doing of something that we enjoy or a goal that we wish to pursue that gives us meaning. It could be anything like being a parent, working a good job, being a better partner or person. It could be traveling or bettering yourself through some type of education (ie. taking a class in pottery). Whatever that "thing" is, the happiest, most fulfilled and successful people I know found it. I want to ultimately find mine.
Until then, school will suit me juuuuust fine.
So, it has been a month since I have written anything. The last two weeks has been laziness and the entire month of July and part of August was because of lack of computer or reliable access to internet service. But it feels good to be writing and today I want to write about breaks. Not the kind of breaks like something got destroyed in a physical sense, but break in the way of...well, taking a pause in something.
One thing that I have discovered about summer vacations is that they are not the same, for me, as they used to be, when I was a child. It used to be fun, getting out of school and just playing all time and not having
It is in the doing of something that we enjoy or a goal that we wish to pursue that gives us meaning. It could be anything like being a parent, working a good job, being a better partner or person. It could be traveling or bettering yourself through some type of education (ie. taking a class in pottery). Whatever that "thing" is, the happiest, most fulfilled and successful people I know found it. I want to ultimately find mine.
Until then, school will suit me juuuuust fine.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Moral Hazard...Just a little bit.
Written on 3 July 2010.
This was a Facebook post that a friend of mine posted. Although this would make for a lively in person debate, this is not possible. However, I felt my thoughts on it deserved more than a quick reply. And, since I was not able to actively participate in the ongoing discussion at that time, this is my humble reply.
“Americans who appose governmental control always make the claim that they prefer social responsibility instead, case in point the growing crisis of obesity. In principle that sounds great, assuming that people are inherently responsible. However, people are not, and they will always take the path of least resistance. So what should the government do? Watch as society leaps to its demise and do nothing?” –M
M. What we have here are two questions that are up for debate. One is the question of how much government is too much government and the second is how much responsibility is given to the individual. You and I have had debates about the former, so I wan to address the later. As a social liberal, I feel that you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t affect anyone else or affect the collective good of society.
Having said that, I believe, in our current society, that people don’t realize the TRUE COST of a thing. It is funny that you mention obesity because a fellow student and I used this example in an argument. If you get fat on your own accord, we in a society are encouraged/forced to accommodate you. Granted, there are some people that are obese for medically valid reasons. However, in a majority of cases, people are obese because of lifestyle choice. Now, for some that fall in the lifestyle choice category, they make these decisions without the full benefit of knowledge or education. For others, they willfully do it to themselves. For others, they simply don’t have a choice (i.e. poverty makes them choose cheap, unhealthy food over more expensive healthy food). I would like to exclude this third group for a moment and address the first two.
Follow me here. I promise there is a point.
Let’s frame this argument in the realm of Universal Healthcare. For the sake of argument, let’s assume everyone is entitled to the same basic amount. Two checkups a year, free emergency care and free primary care. Now, we tell everyone, “If you get sick, we will take care of you. If you have an emergency, we have you covered. Your basic care will be taken care of, cost free. But anything that you do to yourself, you have to pay for, full cost, unless you have supplemental private insurance.” Who wouldn’t want a chance at that? You go to the doctor and the doctor tells you, “You are 20 pounds overweight. You need to change your diet, drop twenty pounds in the next three months or you will be paying a fee/penalty for every visit.” Would you do it? What if this free care included lifestyle help? Classes that would help you make better choices? Even surgeries if you are obese? We have now eliminated the uneducated, because now EVERYONE has access to the same info. This only leaves us with those who willfully make a lifestyle choice. So that person goes back to the doctor, and says, “Hey Doc, I didn’t lose the weight and now I have complications. Can you help me?” Then the doctor helps them, but at the TRUE COST of the decision (i.e. the costs of pills, treatment etc., that can easily go into the thousands). Those tow problems solved, without grossly invasive government intervention. There are some that say that this doesn’t work. This is untrue because it is already being done in the private sector, without government involvement. This is a good case for moral hazard.
Now, I want to address the issuse of people knowing better, but not having money to do it. This is where we need government intervention. Those who want to eat better but can’t afford it need the government’s help. We are all aware (I hope) about the dangers of our current food supply situation. However, this is a private business concern. I don’t want to go all Food Nation on you, but until the government intercedes in the broken parts of our food supply, the government should help those who want to help themselves, insetad of subsidizing the obesity of America.
M. This went a little longer than I anticipated. I welcome your insight into this. Or, if any of your friends read this, I would be interested to see what they see in your feed.
This was a Facebook post that a friend of mine posted. Although this would make for a lively in person debate, this is not possible. However, I felt my thoughts on it deserved more than a quick reply. And, since I was not able to actively participate in the ongoing discussion at that time, this is my humble reply.
“Americans who appose governmental control always make the claim that they prefer social responsibility instead, case in point the growing crisis of obesity. In principle that sounds great, assuming that people are inherently responsible. However, people are not, and they will always take the path of least resistance. So what should the government do? Watch as society leaps to its demise and do nothing?” –M
M. What we have here are two questions that are up for debate. One is the question of how much government is too much government and the second is how much responsibility is given to the individual. You and I have had debates about the former, so I wan to address the later. As a social liberal, I feel that you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t affect anyone else or affect the collective good of society.
Having said that, I believe, in our current society, that people don’t realize the TRUE COST of a thing. It is funny that you mention obesity because a fellow student and I used this example in an argument. If you get fat on your own accord, we in a society are encouraged/forced to accommodate you. Granted, there are some people that are obese for medically valid reasons. However, in a majority of cases, people are obese because of lifestyle choice. Now, for some that fall in the lifestyle choice category, they make these decisions without the full benefit of knowledge or education. For others, they willfully do it to themselves. For others, they simply don’t have a choice (i.e. poverty makes them choose cheap, unhealthy food over more expensive healthy food). I would like to exclude this third group for a moment and address the first two.
Follow me here. I promise there is a point.
Let’s frame this argument in the realm of Universal Healthcare. For the sake of argument, let’s assume everyone is entitled to the same basic amount. Two checkups a year, free emergency care and free primary care. Now, we tell everyone, “If you get sick, we will take care of you. If you have an emergency, we have you covered. Your basic care will be taken care of, cost free. But anything that you do to yourself, you have to pay for, full cost, unless you have supplemental private insurance.” Who wouldn’t want a chance at that? You go to the doctor and the doctor tells you, “You are 20 pounds overweight. You need to change your diet, drop twenty pounds in the next three months or you will be paying a fee/penalty for every visit.” Would you do it? What if this free care included lifestyle help? Classes that would help you make better choices? Even surgeries if you are obese? We have now eliminated the uneducated, because now EVERYONE has access to the same info. This only leaves us with those who willfully make a lifestyle choice. So that person goes back to the doctor, and says, “Hey Doc, I didn’t lose the weight and now I have complications. Can you help me?” Then the doctor helps them, but at the TRUE COST of the decision (i.e. the costs of pills, treatment etc., that can easily go into the thousands). Those tow problems solved, without grossly invasive government intervention. There are some that say that this doesn’t work. This is untrue because it is already being done in the private sector, without government involvement. This is a good case for moral hazard.
Now, I want to address the issuse of people knowing better, but not having money to do it. This is where we need government intervention. Those who want to eat better but can’t afford it need the government’s help. We are all aware (I hope) about the dangers of our current food supply situation. However, this is a private business concern. I don’t want to go all Food Nation on you, but until the government intercedes in the broken parts of our food supply, the government should help those who want to help themselves, insetad of subsidizing the obesity of America.
M. This went a little longer than I anticipated. I welcome your insight into this. Or, if any of your friends read this, I would be interested to see what they see in your feed.
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