I want my rights back (Part 1)

One thing that really needs to change in this and probably many other countries is this excuse that there is a recession or depression on so we as companies in order to serve the greater good can treat our employees poorly and our customers even worse.

My biggest concern is why have people who are in both groups been willing to allow this to happen. When I shop some place I expect a certain level of customer service if I’m going to continue to shop there, and I’m not just talking about the clerk who is barely making minimum wage, I’m talking about the company’s policy and actions. We have come except that if there is a problem with a transaction of any kind it will require us to go through hell and high water to fix and that’s not right. If corporation want to be treated like people then they need to act like people and take responsibility for their actions. Just as customers need to take responsibility for theirs.

As an employee I understand that during hard times companies tighten their belts in order to survive, but  that is no excuse to treat your workers poorly and expect them to do the work of two people. Employees are human beings who should be treated with dignity and respect no matter the level of their employment.

This country and many others like it is on its way back to the past when the labor had no rights and the customers had little more.Long ago the owner had all the rights and workers were used until they were no longer useful and paid for the effort by more demands and less earnings. I for one do not want to return to living that way.

I would like the country I grew up in back preferably with some  improvement so I can leave this wonderful country for generation to come.. it’s time for the incessant greed  to stop and people to work together and compromise for the good of the whole, and not hold steadfast for the good of a few.

Medical Insurance

All Americans deserve healthcare that works for them. In recent times with the rising cost of medical care and prescriptions, as many as 41 million Americans are without health coverage and the number keeps steadily rising (Kowalczyk). Without proper healthcare the working poor, children, and elderly have a difficult time paying for doctors visits and life saving medications. The Medicaid/Medicare program in this country to unable to keep up with demand, insuring only elderly of a certain age, children in the poorest of homes, and the disabled, this leaves a large number of people of all ages out in the cold. The media and the politicians are saying that these programs will be out of money completely in the next few years. The system needs to be changed and made to help all citizens of the United States not just a chosen few.

One of the best ways to change the system is to look to other countries and see what they have done to combat the healthcare crisis. In England and Canada medical and pharmaceutical care has been socialized. In both of these countries the citizens have paid taxes to receive healthcare insurance directly from their government. In England everybody qualifies, although they have been accused of letting their elderly die in order to save funds. In actuality they cover all people in their country equally, but they do count age as a factor in transplant recipients (Moore). They also limit the amount of money spent in the last years of life.

Canada has been accused of have such long waits to see doctors that people pass away in the interim. In fact Canada has many outlying rural regions where it is hard to recieve immediate medical attention due to the size of the country, a problem some parts of the US also face. In the bigger cities sometimes people do have to wait, but in a US city such as Los Angeles, CA people have to wait for emergency medical care and have been allowed to die in the waiting room of hospitals. There will always some difficulty assuring everyone of great care at the moment they need it, but a good way to start is allowing people access to it. Another way to avoid waiting room deaths here in this country is by allowing our working poor to go see doctors when they are sick and not overloading the ERs of the country during cold and flu season so true emergencies can be seen immediately. A regular doctor’s visit with a prescription is much less expensive than a trip to the ER for the same care. When the bill comes, the tax payers are paying the price for an indigent patient’s trip to the ER, as good consumers we should know that preventive doctors visit are a significantly cheaper and a better investment (Moore).

The German model for healthcare is truly the best current example. The German citizens pay a flat tax rate of about 13% of their income into the system. It is then handed over to the health department and divided out amongst the country based on population needs. The citizens are also offered an option for private healthcare that is monitored by the government to keep costs down and service up. Everyone is covered regardless of age, employment status, or prior illnesses. They, as a country, believe it is society’s responsibility to take care of its people and by doing this they build a strong and more productive culture (Rienhart).

Americans feel they already pay too many taxes and should not have to pay an increased health insurance tax. There are a few things to take into consideration before thinking increasing the tax is a bad idea. If you increase the health insurance tax to cover the population then one would no longer need to pay for health insurance out of their paycheck. This amount ranges greatly depending on if you’re single, have a family or where you work. With the tax increase it would be a certain percentage only. Depending on what part of the US you live in your local taxes would go down because you would no longer paying to support the county hospital in your area. By offering basic healthcare services to everyone ERs could operate more efficiently, charging more reasonable prices for all patients knowing all patients could pay. The price of hospital stays would also level out and be more reasonable.

American capitalism is what made this country great, but even our forefathers realized that some services need to be communal. We pay taxes to have a fire department and a police department healthcare should be no different. By turning health care into a not for profit business we can lower the cost and raise the level of care to better serve the community. Also in taking healthcare out of the capitalist venue we level the playing field for our small businesses. Now they can get some of the great employees that were going to big corporations for benefits packages alone. This saves small business owners time, money, and hassle while giving them cutting edge employees.

Many doctors support the cause for a universal healthcare system. They witness patients everyday that can’t come in for regular appointments due to cost, or missing life saving treatments due to lack of funds. Doctors have come up with some comprehensive plans on how to make healthcare more effective and cost efficient. They understand when treatments are necessary vs. when they are aren’t. “The physicians estimate that the country would save $200 billion annually by eliminating profits of investor-owned hospitals and insurance companies and by reducing administrative costs for hospitals and doctors who must bill dozens of different insurance companies”(Kowalczyk). $200 billion dollars translates into a lot of doctor appointments and filled prescription for  US citizens.

The United States is one of the leading medical and pharmaceutical research countries; however it is 37^th in infant mortality rating(World fact book).The CIA tracks facts in figures from all countries around the world to see who needs help. The United States of America should be much higher on the list considering all the advantages that its citizens have, but it’s not. The WHO (World Health Organization) also rates it at 37^th of the best places to receive medical care. The WHO bases their figures on many aspects including patients’ opinions of the easy of care and quality of service. A new health care system would save all participants time, stress, and money. It could save children lives and put the US back on the top of the charts where it belongs(“WHO World Health Organization”).

Saving money is important. Saving time is necessary. Saving lives is the goal. It’s time to reform the healthcare system to work for the citizens of the US. Even the playing fields for small businesses, put more cash in the pockets of families; offer the citizens a brighter healthier future. It wouldn’t be an easy overnight change, but the US is known for taking on hopeless battles and being triumphant in the end. This time the enemy is an old outdated system that needs to be updated to match the needs of members. A revolution is in order to make the US an even better place to live by caring for its citizens to the fullest.

References

Kowalczyk, Liz. “Universal Health Plan is Endorsed.” Common Dreams. Boston Globe, 13/08/2003. Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0813-03.htm>.

Moore, Michael, Dir. Sicko. Dir. Michael Moore.” 2003, Film.

WHO World Health Organization. World Health Organization, 2011. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://www.who.int/en/>.

United States. World Fact Book. Washington DC: , Web. 22 May 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html>.

rienhardt, Uwe. E. “22-24 Not The American Way Perspective: Germany’s Health Care System: It’s.”Health Affairs. Project of Hope , 11/04/2011. Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/13/4/22.full.pdf>.

Stress relief and management

            The university’s student council is aware of the growing problem of stress on the campus, and has compiled a few techniques to help the average student deal with their issues. Stress comes in many forms and from many sources. A few of the more common ones we are going to cover in this short pamphlet are peer pressure, financial issues, and time management. We will take a quick look at some reliable solutions and coping skills to keep everyone on track to fulfill their goals.

The quickest and most effective way to lower your stress instantly is to breathe. I’m sure you’re thinking “I breathe all the time, otherwise I would be dead,” but this is about proper breathing techniques. Your sternum or breast bone is in the middle of your chest and connects your ribs. You want to lift up your sternum so your spine is in proper alignment, good posture. Now take a slow deep breath allowing your diaphragm and stomach to expand while counting to 3 slowly. Exhale to the count of 5, nice and slow. Do a set of three to four breaths to start with; you can feel free to increase the amount as you become more efficient with this process. You should already feel far more relaxed and centered in your body. You can do this anywhere, anytime. Even as few as one of these deep-paced breaths well help you get your focus back, and calm you down.

Technique two follows your breathing with a few light stretches. Sit in a chair and hold the bottom of the seat with your right hand, then lean to your left, feeling the stretching through your right neck and arm. Lift your left arm and lay it on your head. Use the weight of your arm to lengthen the stretch, hold for a 10 count, then release. Turn your head like you are checking to see if your deodorant is working and lay your arm on your head, again this will stretch the back of your neck. Switch sides and repeat the process. After you have stretched both sides do a very slow head roll, first to the right and then left, completing full circles. Then stand and roll your shoulders back, bend over and touch your toes, straighten up and lean as far back as you can, careful not to lose your balance.

Your peers can be a huge source of stress in your life; from who has what, to rumor spreading, to just finding the time to hang out. First rule: choose your friends carefully; there are over 5,000 people on this college campus at any given time, so there are lots of choices for friends. You want people who are reliable, supportive and encourage you to meet the goals you set for yourself. Your friends should be there when it’s time to go out and have fun but they should also come through in a pinch when hard times roll around. My best friend in college was always there for me; when I was strapped for cash and had a final paper due in less than twelve hours she came over with food, and Red Bull and then helped me type the paper so it was finished in time. Do you have solid friends who would do that for you? If not then maybe it’s time to reevaluate the people you have around you.

Money issues and time management skills are a must to keep up with the fast-paced life that is college. Money issues can range from having a high-stress and low-paying job, to not being able to find a job at all. If you have a job that stresses you out, start updating your resume.  Career services cannot only help you do a great resume, they can give you job leads and shop you around to prospective employers. Consider redoing your budget to see how much you really need to live on and adjust your hours accordingly. Minor adjustments such as eating breakfast at home can save you a lot of cash. Also talk to your financial aid administrator to see about student loans or work-study to lower your stress. You can join a work-study program that will pay part of your tuition, leaving more available funds leftover from your student loans. Time management skills include options like pre-arranging your schedule to allowing yourself time and flexibility in your life. Make allowances for travel time and homework. Sorting out your obligations by priority will also help keep you on track. While making your schedule allow at least 10 minutes in the morning, at lunch, and before bed for centering techniques to help you keep your mind focused and stress levels down.

Modern Feminism

Modern feminism has left women with unattainable expectations placed on them by our society, while being classified as second class citizens in many ways. Our ancestors fought hard for equality and would be disappointed to see how far we haven’t come. In today’s world women are expected to maintain the household and child rearing duties, while climbing the corporate ladder outside the home.

Religion is a large part of daily life for most American and people around the world. Most of the major religions claiming fairness and equality actual contribute to the second class rating the female population receives. Catholicism is a prime example of this, Pope Benedict XVI stated women could no longer be assistant priests in their parishes; ones who had been there for years were forced to step down[i]. In Hasidic Judaism men and boys are encouraged to deeply study and lead their faith, while women are considered lesser beings and are not allowed to study[ii]. In Saudi Arabia, Saudi is their religion, women are not allowed to drive or travel without the company of a male who is related to them[iii].

There are still places in the world today where women are subjugated to their male counterparts in many ways, some are obvious and some are subtle. You may look at places like Africa and think they are a backwards nation not giving all people equal rights. I would urge you to take a look at Italy, a perfectly westernized country that has a very high college graduation rate. Yet 50% of women in Italy are unemployed because they are deemed less viable option based solely on their sex[iv].

Here in America women can expect to earn 30% less than their male counterparts, pay higher health insurance premiums, and have more difficulty establishing credit. When it comes to health care women are more likely to die from a heart attack then men due to a lack of understanding from health professionals[v]. After establishing credit, in the case of death or divorce when you have a male and female on the account, the banks and credit card companies will automatically hand the accounts over to the male leaving the female to start a new regardless of who originally opened the accounts.

While fighting an uphill battle to gain proper medical care, pay, and credit; society proudly sets standards on what’s beautiful. They show pictures of unhealthy, skinny people with airbrushing or many forms of plastic surgery. To match the “in” styles women are expect to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars to be fashionable. There are thousands of elective surgeries costing millions of dollars done every year by women trying to look like the cover of a magazine.

Women have to be ever vigilant on demanding true equality. From the work place to the home front women are still playing catch-up in hopes of equal treatment. As long as inequality exists we as a society will not be able to fully move forward, and see what we can really do.

Works Cited

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[i] wide, W. o. (2010, July 18). Text of our Letter to Pope Benedict XVI. p. http://www.womenpriests.org/dreamshareact/phpPETITION/.

[ii] http://www.rossel.net/basic04.htm   Basic Judaism Seymour Rossel 7/18/2010

[iii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia Women’s right Saudi Arabia 7/17/2010

[iv] http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Italy/Women%E2%80%99s-Rights-in-Italy/314 Women’s rights in Italy 7-17/2010

[v] http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6154484.html Baylor Study: Women less likely to get proper care for heart attacks. 7/18/2010

Teachers/ Role Models

Good teachers and role models are hard to come by after all they are human and they have a rigid belief systems and set way of doing things. Nothing in this world is written in stone, flexibility is the sign of a truly gifted teacher. They should be able to reach out and help students understand and develop their own techniques regardless of how they believe it should be done. If you have a truly great teacher they will encourage you, help you grow, and may even learn something new from you. But there are some out there that will be jealous, controlling, or simply not understand that there is more than one way of doing things. They not only hold their students back but they hold themselves back. True growth comes from the ability to be willing to change, try new things, teach and learn together allowing the experience to be the guide.

Down in the Dumps

Ever feel like your life and everyone in it is conspiring to be in your way. Maybe today just isn’t your day and yesterday wasn’t either. It’s so easy to let the little voice in your head bring you down, it’s even easier to let the voices of the people around you bring you down. You have to be stronger than that, Be your own voice reminding yourself of all the good and talented things you’ve done recently and that these little annoyances won’t be around forever.

Sneak away for a 5 min break if you can. Go outside take a deep breath of fresh air, let the sun shine on your face, lock yourself in your car and scream your lungs. Remember it’s up to you to change your reactions to the world not the world itself. Every time you respond to difficulties with an open creative mind your solution will appear faster and more clearly,hence less frustration.

Change

Change is not a dirty word, even though sometimes it can feel that way. Change makes the world go around allows the plants, animals, and people to grow. Without change we would be nothing but babes in the woods. What ever miracles change brings your way it can some times lead to stress heartache and loss. But for every loss that it brings it opens the door for new growth to push you to your full potential. The less you fight your true nature and the more you go with the flow the more benefits you reap and the fewer side effects you receive.

When you see the status quo is no longer working for your best interest or the interest of those around you it’s time to push for the change to happen. Start small with the details; slow and steady wins the race. On those days when you have no idea where to begin, start at the end and work your way backwards. See the outcome you want, a new job or relationship, and then state your outcome. Be spontaneous, do things without planning and without cause allow the “ just cause” feeling to kick in and try new things. Being in the right place at the right time will bring the change you requested. Now that you know you can control how and when your change is coming and what is going to change, all those side effects you fear will dwindle to nothing. Spontaneous change without losing control is true spiritual growth.

Inspiration

Tricky thing that inspiration never around when you need. Sometimes I can stare at the keyboard for hours maybe even days and nothing comes. Oh but when it comes it comes by the bushel full. So many ideas you can’t even outline them all fast enough. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to store that creative flow for when you really need it. You can you just have to be willing to do the unusual and by that I mean exactly what it says. When your creative block kicks in get out of the house. Go somewhere you have never been before and  spend some quiet time. Now your thinking but I don’t have the time or I can’t just up and leave the kids at home. Well if that’s the case you have super secret option number two. Turn on the some music from some exotic place like India or China and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and allow the music to take you away. If you don’t have any music you can turn on the computer and use pandora.com or Itunes to get something different. Spend sometime in this peaceful state of mind, then go back to your creative self full recharge and ready to go.

Temperance

Ever feel like you can’t get the little voices in your head to agree on something. It happens to all of us. Sometimes it feels like your being pulled in two directions that have nothing in common, and no matter which way you go it feels like your betraying a part of yourself. When you reach a cross-road like this one,  it’s time to step back and take a detached look at the situation. Temperance is all about the blending of different ideas in order to make a new one that meets all your needs and fulfills your desires.

Look carefully at your opposing positions and see if they have any common ground and work from there. It’s much easier than you think to find common ground. Give yourself time to ponder, try thinking about it before you sleep and the solution will come to you in the form of an inspired dream. Once you’ve succeeded doing this once or twice it becomes second nature and automatic. Warning once you start this process the world is no longer a black and white place and everything turns into a shade of grey. Once your world turns grey finding joy and happiness increase ten folds.

Acceptance

Ahhh….. What a word acceptance is. People are always telling you to accept the circumstance or accept what you’ve been given. Then these same people will turn around and tell you to change, to try harder, to fight for what you believe in. This can be really confusing. Acceptance is not about being okay with the hand you’ve been dealt. It’s about knowing where you are and where you want to be and finding a way to get there. When you accept something that does not make it written in stone or unchangeable. You are simply acknowledge where the beginning is, once that has been done the path to where you want to go becomes much clear. Which each step remember to accept where you are now, even if the step looks backwards it may be very necessary to get you where your going. Also by accepting where you are it allows you to achieve so much more happiness and appreciation while being there. Hence, it’s about the journey not the destination (because destination are always changing).