Health

                I know that I’m very lucky in life. I have a wife who loves me despite my many faults. I have kids that love me because of my many faults. Beyond that though, I have a steady job and have been able to provide for my family. Too many people are not able to say that. Too many people work multiple jobs and still are not able to fully provide for their families. Something is wrong here. Why is human strife part of the American way? Why do we keep people down? What have they done that says they deserve poverty?
                I understand that not everyone is willing to work to improve their lives, but why do we punish those who do? America is built on the principle that you if work hard and you believe in yourself you will succeed. That just isn’t true, it can’t be. There are good ideas and bad ideas. Some will work and some won’t. If we truly believe in the American way even the bad ideas will pay off if enough hard work is put in. We want to reward people who have a good idea, as we should. At the same time, we shun those who have a mediocre idea. They can put in the same, if not more, energy in marketing their idea. They fail because their idea didn’t work, it happens.
                The American dream as I understand it is to be able to pursue ideas as they pop into your head. Hopefully you will create some jobs along the way. You may fail, which is part of progress. If you succeed your employees benefit. If you fail, your employees get screwed.
                Why is this model still prevalent in the 21^st century? Why would anyone take a risk to join a startup knowing that they might not have any healthcare at all? What benefit would anyone have to join a company that could be volatile? Workers take on the most risk in any employment agreement. And yet, their healthcare is still up for debate, and likely not a factor. These workers can put their entire lives on the line to back the company. There are many mundane things that can crop up to cut short the life of an employee, but they will still choose to work for the startup. Money has become a bigger factor than health. It’s appalling, one should never have to choose between a way of life and life itself.

                                There are still way too many factors in adjusting our healthcare in this country to say that something can be done quickly. However, we need to address the issue. Frontline workers likely don’t have access to good healthcare. Many likely feel that they can’t leave their jobs that put them in direct danger because they would have ZERO healthcare if they quit. We don’t do enough to support these workers. We try to put up signs thanking them, but we don’t do enough to acknowledge the sacrifices that they actually take. They are out there every day, risking their health so that we can eat popcorn. They need proper healthcare, and they need proper pay. We cannot sit idly by as these Americans suffer while we rely on them.
                We can do better as Americans. We can ensure that everyone has access to health care. We can ensure that everyone has access to a fulfilling life. In the end it doesn’t take much. We just need to care for everyone around us. Maybe we won’t be able to afford all the luxuries we want, but we should sleep better knowing that we are doing our fair share to help someone else.