Bringing The Human Element To The Fore Of The Financial Reform Debate
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 7th, 2010
Now that the Health Care Bill was passed, don’t think that for a moment we can take a breather and just relax. Pat yourself on the back and say ‘Good job’, but don’t think for a moment that our work is done. Our suffering economy is a work in progress and the work needs to be done by all to be successful.
I was speaking to my brother the other night during dinner and the discussion got pretty politically passionate. He feels that writing letters to congress and our representatives doesn’t help much. I came back with, “Then don’t complain about not getting what you want if you’re not going to do anything about it.”
But I was flustered. I adore, and respect, and love my brother so much, and because of a comment that he made about a minute before this particular statement, I was a bit thrown. And my emotions took over leaving me a bit speechless to respond any further to his statement about writing letters, which is something I do quite often. It wasn’t a moment that I was proud of which was one of the reasons that I woke up at 3:00 am the other morning.
What I really wanted to say to my brother, which I didn’t was, “Were you in support of the health care bill?” I knew his question would’ve been “Yes”; I know my brother very well. And my next question would’ve been, “And what did you do to help ensure its passage?” Now the answer to that question I really didn’t know.
But of course at 3:00 am in the morning, my ego took over and I assumed that he had not participated at all, so my response would’ve been, “Well I did. I made phone calls with groups of people that took the time out of their busy daily lives to fight for this passage. I wrote letters to congress and to our representatives letting them know that I supported this bill. I went to Feinstein’s office in San Francisco and met with other constituents in favor of this bill. And I blogged about it and encouraged my readers to do the same. So you can thank me and all of those that took the time to get this bill passed for EVERYONE. I really don’t think it would’ve passed had the American people not participated on a daily basis.”
Let me just say that as close as my brother and I are, we don’t live in the same state and we only talk about once a month on the phone. And when we talk on the phone, we do talk about the state of the economy, how it is affecting us, America. How could one not? But funny, we have never gotten into the discussion of what we do to help change it. The reason I tell you this is because I need to be fair, because in all honesty I really don’t know if my brother did absolutely nothing or actually participated in ensuring the health care passage.
Although in my imaginary discussion with my brother at 3:00 am in the morning, I was judging him as if he didn’t, to make myself feel better. I wasn’t upset with him; I was more upset with myself that I got emotional during our dinner conversation, and didn’t say what I wished I had said. Which would’ve given me the answers to my questions, and I wouldn’t have had woken up that early morning roll playing our imaginary conversation in my head.
That being said, I have sort of gotten a bit side-tracked in my write this morning. My point of bringing up my little story is that we can complain about the system all we want, but if we complain, be prepared to do something about it. Otherwise, I’m not going to take your complaints seriously. It’s easy to complain – everyone does it all the time. The work is in the actions that we take to change the situation – most people don’t do this even some of the time.
So…on the forefront of my mind this morning is Financial Reform. Arianna Huffington wrote her write a few days ago saying that we need to bring the human element to the fore of Financial Reform. I do agree with that statement. We got real when it came to Health Care Reform; we need to get real when it comes to Financial Reform too.
Getting real even if your financial situation is going well, even if you can’t relate to what is happening financially to others, helps bring out the compassion in people to do something for their fellow Americans. When I read stories of people and families who desperately needed health care, it made me want to fight harder for them, even though I had my own health care in place. Knowing how many people would die should the health care bill not pass, inspired me to do more.
Well…we are at that time again where we need to help others that are less fortunate than ourselves.
When I read Arianna’s article this morning I decided to print some of the stories that were included in her article. It’s time to get real again. Here are the stories from her article: Why The Fight For Financial Reform Needs To Get Much More Personal.
People like Ron Bednar and Mary McCurnin, of Rancho Cordova, California — a loving couple that got divorced last year not because their relationship wasn’t working but because it was the only way to make ends meet. Due to unemployment and a bankruptcy caused by a prolonged illness, they found themselves with only $300 in the bank. By getting divorced, Mary was able to collect Social Security widow’s benefits from her first husband, who died in 1989. “We literally live from week to week,” she told HuffPost.
And Kimberly Rios of Maryland, who sold her wedding ring on Craigslist so she could pay her utility bills. “This is no joke, please be a serious buyer,” her ad read. “It is too cold for us to be without electric and heat so if you have been looking consider my deal.” After selling her ring, she locked herself in her bathroom, pretending to take a shower, so she could cry without upsetting her family. “I just felt like it was the last piece of what little I had left,” she says. “I came out smiling as usual and tried to get my husband and daughter excited that this was a good thing.”
Faye Harris was laid off from her accounting job at Emory University Hospital last year. She had gotten cancer, and was fighting it successfully. But as soon as the time off she was guaranteed by the Family and Medical Leave Act expired, she received a letter of termination and her health insurance was canceled. “Do I just lay down and die? Am I not worthy anymore?” she says she asked herself. “I’ve worked all my life. Put myself through school, raised four children, played by the rules, saved money, and this one illness has just wiped me out.”
Ricky Macoy of Quinlan, Texas is a 52-year-old electrician who found himself among the long-term unemployed. With little work since late in 2008, he began pawning his possessions, including his tools, and holding yard sales to get enough money to feed his family. “The thing that hurt the most was we had to hawk my son’s Playstation 3, his Wii, his electric guitar,” Macoy said. “We lived a good life. Middle income America, man. I’m used to construction, the booms and the busts… [but] I was not expecting to be laid off this long.”
Heather Tanner of Pacifica, California put herself through law school, working during the day and attending classes at night — dreaming of one day being able to move her family out of their apartment and buy a house. In August, she was laid off from her $100,000 a year job as an attorney — and then struggled to find a job. “I applied for jobs at Target, Macy’s, as a camp counselor,” she said. “I’ve been on many interviews, but the comments I get at non-legal jobs are, ‘Why do you need this kind of job?’ I mean, I have a family to support.” She and her husband cashed in their 401K and used their savings to pay off bills. “The kids don’t understand,” she said, explaining that the thing that hurt the most was having to disappoint her children when it came to things like birthday visits to Disneyland the family could no longer afford. “I’d love to make their dreams come true, but right now we just have to focus on getting by.”
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Readers: Thoughts, Comments? Blog me.
Yancy: You’re welcome. I hope that your uncle is recovering quickly.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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April 7th, 2010 at 10:05 am
Herbs That Help Treat Arthritis
Andrew Heyman, MD
University of Michigan Medical School
These five natural remedies might keep arthritis pain from limiting your activities…
Devil’s claw has an anti-inflammatory component that may relieve pain.
Suggested dose: 750 mg of standardized 3% iridoid glycosides three times a day.
Extract of avocado and soybean oil can reduce pain and stiffness — 300 mg a day.
Phytodolor, a mixture of ash, aspen and goldenrod, may also reduce symptoms — 30 drops three times a day.
Niacinamide can ease pain and swelling — 100 mg three to four times a day.
Tart cherry juice. A daily cup can ease mild arthritis.
Note: Check with your doctor before taking any dietary supplements.
Bottom Line/Retirement interviewed Andrew Heyman, MD, adjunct assistant professor in family medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor.
April 7th, 2010 at 10:53 am
We intend to keep the earthquakes coming as long as we continue to meet with resistance.
They will get bigger.
April 7th, 2010 at 11:44 am
The firing of David Shuster shows that the Left has no balls. The anchors on the Right stations both TV and radio say the most ridiculous and insulting things without a hint of angst by their bosses.
Yet when Shuster called the creep James O’Keefe on his bad behavior, the week kneed MsNBC has suspended him indefinitely.
McVee
April 7th, 2010 at 11:52 am
West Virginia Governor is bringing back a Confederate History Month. But he left out any reference to slavery. This is like Germany launching a Nazi History month without mentioning the Holocaust.
This is simply another example of the average white boy’s lack of concern about the feelings of others. When this country loses its white majority they will be the biggest crying group in the history of the world.
April 7th, 2010 at 11:59 am
James “O’Keefe is the creep who made a fake tape to claim that Acorn supported prostitution.
The Left has no balls is so true. My retarded racist husband is teaching that bigotry to our children.
I thank you Michelle for opening up my mind to the lies that people like my husband believes because he needs to to continue his sick actions against any group and race he dislikes.
Heather.
April 7th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Shuster was the only broadcaster with balls to challenger Andrew Breitbart when he hired people to destroy Acorn.
Where are the people when a man stands up to those creeps?
This is shameful. I wish you the best Mr. Shuster.
Mary
April 7th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Shuster is amazing he is a bulldog when he attacks a lying politician.
I remember when he put John Ziegler in his place when he tried to lie about Sarah Palin.
He did it by quoting him and showing how ridiculous his assertions about MSNBC was.
Norman
April 7th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
MSNBC will never get the kind of following they are hoping for because they its leadership is full of gutless men.
They are too afraid to support Mr Shuster.
I don’t like MSNBE because of their lack of backbone when it comes to supporting their reporters or anchors. I remember when they flaked out on supporting Keith Olbermann.
He has become the most watched show of their anchors despite their lack of support.
Kate
April 7th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Hafa adai
Guam may join Saipan and California when it comes to asking the public whether they want to legalize marijuana.
That won’t be a drag on me.
April 7th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Michelle
I’m so proud to show how the women of Guam are a bit like you. We look out for women.
+++++++++++++++
by Lannie Walker
Guam – As April gets underway, so does Sexual Assault Awareness Month. One local doctor has received national attention for her dedication to sexual assault victims on Guam.
Dr. Ellen Bez, a consultant at the Healing Heart Clinic, is one of the 2010 recipients of the 2010 Visionary Voice Awards. “I heard people had submitted my name,” she recalled, “and I really hadn’t been informed until I got the phone call this morning.”
The honor is presented by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, the United States’ largest resource center focusing on education and prevention of sexual violence. Every April individuals across the country are recognized for the demonstrating outstanding advocacy to prevent sexual violence. Dr. Bez says she is very proud Guam was recognized, saying, “On behalf of all of our partners that do this all the time we work 365 days a year in the trenches. It’s not just Healing Hearts, but government agencies, non-government agencies, and community partners.”
Dr. Bez came to Guam in 1993, two years after Healing Hearts was founded. She began as a volunteer at the crisis center and became a medical consultant in 1997.
“I think it’s wonderful to work with such a great woman,” says Ann Rios, a nurse examiner of Bez. “She recruited me back in 2003; it’s nice to see people are recognizing her good deeds and where here heart has been for a long, long time.”
Bez can be found this weekend at one of the many events held to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month – she will be at the Hagatna Library on Saturday from 10am to 12pm leading a body safety study hour for children. “Here on island the unfortunately 85% of our victims are minors, so that is always a startling number,” she explained.
The focus may be on Bez today, but she say her goal is to raise awareness about the Healing Hearts Crisis Center, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist victims of sexual assault.
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I and probably not a few other women on this island admire your steadfast efforts to raise the plight of women everywhere.
Hafa adai
Anna
April 7th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
There were 500,000 slaves in W. Virginia at the time of the election of Lincoln as President.
The South went to war because a man was elected that was against slavery. They would destroy the nation to enable the to continue to keep other human beings as slaves.
Let’s see if this story has the legs that the Guam stupid statement did. I doubt it because white america is comfortable with one of theirs insulting any OTW member or race.
Penny