ON EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SOULS, PART 1

Trying to put the anger aside that has motivated me on several of my previous posts, I am exploring how I feel about this country, and its people.

There is something to be said about the soul of a country when that country makes taking care of one another a priority.

It seems to me that priorities of a nation reveals its true nature; its soul.

What does it say about the US that children don't have health coverage and we twice elected a President that doesn't want health care for a certain group of children?

What would Jesus do?

What does it say about the US when young college students enter the workforce thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and older college students those that are in their late 20's, early 30's and beyond to have to start sinking themselves into massive debt at a later age?

And from the perspective of a student/worker with his wife still in school and struggling to make ends meet, to have to go begging for help, feeling demeaned, with all of the resources in the US, instead of that help and support already there as a basic right.
I believe healthcare and education are basic rights. And the United Nation agrees:

Article 25 of the United Nation Declaration of Human Rights:

1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control

And from Article 26:

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit

Why do I care what the UN has to think? Because the United States signed it.

A single woman in Arkansas shouldn't have to worry about losing her home, working two or three crappy jobs to support herself, all the while wanting to go school (in a state with almost no services, or sympathy) to improve herself any more than a father in Washington should have to worry about milk for his son, or tuition for his wife or himself. To have to choose between groceries and electricity or rent/housepayment and education in the United States of America in 2008 is obscene.

Equally obscene is the tendency of some to label the woman in Arkansas, or the man in Washington as lazy, or dumb, or deserving.

What would Jesus do?

The right wing has done a great job in feeding the nation the idea that the poor are fully responsible for their plight.
Ditto for the brainwashing that cutting social services and education is somehow going to magically force the poor into the middle class.

What does it say about a country when you look at a map of the states red/blue, states like Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, these states of the Bible Belt where Obama is getting hammered, yet McCain and Palin have proven themselves to be frauds and liars, and people are still supporting them.
Even if it goes against their personal interests.

Amazing.

We need people in office that have the interests of the people at heart. It is time to bring back our social programs, shore up our infrastructure, and provide education for all. The only way to remain strong as a nation is to invest in the people.

Period.

We need a systemic change in the United States.
Peace-
Mike