No TWD This Week

We're feeling a bit under the weather.

Health Care Crisis: Solved By the Blogging World?

Politically I am very conservative.  I believe that the more government dips its greedy little fingers into our pockets--however good the intentions--it ends up wasting your money and mine. Government is inefficient.  Landon could recite a few good eye-witness accounts that would make your jaw drop.  It has endless resources without a lot of accountability. 

 

I do not like the idea of a socialized health care system.   In the military we have socialized health care and (although it is better than other socialized health care systems around the world) it is still lacking.  But what do we do about the rising costs of health care?  I don't have the answer, but a do have an answer.  I don't know that there is one perfect solution.  Besides the having insurance and an emergency fund, I think that we need to help each other directly.  This is a part of the human experience.  To help and care for your fellow man is one of the greatest things we can do.  Families, friends, and even strangers can help.  I think it changes a community to help each other--especially when money is tight.  

When I was growing up, I lived in a neighborhood where everyone knew almost everyone else. People were not affluent in this neighborhood, but the sense of community was strong.  One of our neighbors had a baby boy born with a disability.  If my memory serves me correctly, he was born with out the bottom half of his legs.  I remember some neighbors going around asking for donations to help the family.  People were glad to help out and give, even if money was tight.  I once heard someone say that a test of love is giving, but the ultimate test of love is giving when you have nothing to give.  

In certain countries where the taxes are high, and everyone is taken care of, the desire to help those in need vanishes.  Why should I help him?  I pay my taxes!  And although I can understand this line of thinking, what happens to a society when people look to the state to help their neighbor and not themselves?

I attended BYU, a private religious university.  The school and the people who attend it are fairly conservative.  In a human development class I was taking, the following scenario was was given:  If your spouse was dying from a disease that could only be cured by a drug that was overpriced and extremely expensive, would you steal the drug to save the life of your spouse? 

I was shocked to see that most people in the class of probably 100 people or more raised their hands to indicate their willingness to steal the drug.  Besides the obvious (gee, you will probably get caught, your spouse will die anyway and you will be put in jail thereby leaving your children without either parent!), I thought it was completely unimaginative to think that there would be no other way of obtaining the drug.  And what about the will of God?  I really think that if it were the will of God that your spouse should live, then there would be a way to save your spouse.  If not, then who are we to play Creator?  I'm sure this is easy for me to say as I do not have a spouse facing death.  Even still, I don' t think that stealing the drug is the right course of action.  

So when I read on a friends blog about a family trying to raise money to cover the medical costs of a tragic accident, I immediately wanted to help.  It is a heart-wrenching story, sprinkled with faith, and for me--innovation.

Let me tell you the story:  A young couple with four children ages 6, 5, 3, and almost 2, were in an airplane crash earlier this year.  The flight instructor died from injuries sustained during the accident and the young couple was badly burned.  They were kept in a drug-induced comma for a couple of months while the skin grafts were performed.  Their children were taken in and cared for by family members.  The husband, who was less severely burned, is out of the hospital, but his wife is still recovering.

Although they had insurance, family members are trying to raise money to offset the cost of the uncovered portions of the medical expenses.  I knew when I read this story that I had to donate.  Life is too short to wait for the government to solve our problems.  Go here to read about this family.

Evolution of Thought

When Landon came home from his first-ever hunting trip, he also came home a rifle owner. When Jonathan saw the gun, the first words out of his mouth were, "What's that?"  Then, "Gun!" Finally, "Minez!!" (That's how he pronounces mine.) Daddy was the ultimate hero at that point.

Jonathan "clinging to his gun..."

Tuesdays with Dorie Rewind: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

Mmmm... what could be better than pumpkin pie?  Pecan perhaps?  How about the two combined?  In this week's TWD recipe, that's exactly what we're getting.  Now if it would only hurry up and finish baking.  It's already been baking a good half hour longer than the recipe stated.  

Picture and review to come.  

Two thumbs up for this recipe!  Although, for me, it will never take the place of plain old pumpkin and plain old pecan pie.  Those are just two great pies all by themselves!