MY rant for the day

Valerie Brooks

I am a loud, over zealous, rambunctious, gun toting American. Oh yes I am. I own my ten acres of land in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cows and trees. If I were a little less scrupulous, and well let's face it, a man, I would walk out my front door and piss in my yard. My neighbors wouldn't care, hell they wouldn't even see, unless they were spying on me with the ever loving binoculars. We may live far from each other, but we are nosy neighbors.

I have lived and visited other countries and have a love for each of them. Each place has it's own quality, culture and way of life. I've adopted some of these things into my American life and will continue to build on my eclectic array of ways about me. I have the freedom, will and desire to do so. Yes, I am an American and I am proud to be such.

Do I like the political crap that is being shoveled like the cleansing of a horse stall??? Hell no!! But like a horse stall, the shit must be removed so the horse doesn't live in fecal decay. Fresh hay needs to be put down to set a clean foundation.

I find myself somewhere in the middle of the whole Democrat/ Republican category. Health care is a major issue right now. I don't have health insurance and have to pay for any care I or my family needs. If I go to the doctor's I pay him, I pay for my prescriptions and I haven't gone broke yet. As of yet, this has been cheaper for me to do rather than pay $1000.00 a month for health insurance for my family. Come tax time, I write off my expenses. I would say I spend on average, $2000.00 a year for services rendered. That's about a $10,000.00 annual savings for me. This is not including and co-pays or deductible. That could be, and I will be fair, another $2500.00 a year. So now I'm saving $12,5000.00 annually.

I don't think someone deserves anything thing just because they breathe and take up space. I think people need to be more responsible for their actions. I have been in the Emergency Room with my son, bleeding from a split lip, needing stitches, only to have to wait behind people visiting for a cold. This truly pisses me off. They can't manage to beg, borrow or steal a five spot for a bottle of Robitussin??? This would save my country a ton of money. The average ER visit will cost no less than $500.00. So you have a cold and go to the ER, run up a bill for $500.00 that you know you aren't going to pay because you don't give a shit, as long as you are getting what you want. On this very same night, while holding ice to my son's lip in the lobby, waiting for the person ahead of me to have their nose blown and wiped (that tissue cost us $2.00 by the way), I had the honor of having an in depth conversation with a woman who was visiting due to constipation. She, in details that I shall spare you, told me of her life long battle with being irregular. Damn woman!! Eat some damn spinach, buy a bottle of ex-lax, take some responsibility for your backed up pipes!!! Don't make me pay for your shit!!! These type of people are my fear of socialized medicine. People who will run to the doctor for a paper cut, a scratched knee, or because they are feeling lonely and need some attention and cost me even more in taxes. I would much rather eat a steak than pay $8.00 for your single aspirin, or $4.00 for your band aid. I'll buy ya a box and share. Feeling lonely??? I'll tell you how wonderful you are and that I love you to make you feel better and won't even charge for it.

Which brings me to this. Stop and take a look at yourself. Is what you are asking for fair?? Or are you some lazy ass selfish bum trying to get a free ride because you think this is how it should be. We as a people need to take hold of the opportunities presented to us and treasure them. I know there are people who honestly need help, these are not the people I am attacking. I am spouting off at the people who live their life coasting through on a free ride. It may be free for you, but guess what, you're costing more money and creating more problems than we can solve right now. So thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the state of affairs you have helped create.

To the affiliations that help support this behavior, screw you. I once found a program for an indigent elderly lady to get a free pap smear and mammogram. Yeah, I know, just what you wanted to hear. But listen up, it wasn't enough that the woman got to get these tests that are vital to us feminine types, but a few weeks later, we received in the mail a very large, bubble lined manila envelope ($2.39 at Staples) with a wonderful letter thanking her for her participation in the program (cost of a sheet of paper, toner, and the wages of the person who composed it, packed it, licked the stamp and mailed it) as well as a lovely hot pink and black tote bag screen printed with the program's logo ( I wonder how much this cost??? $3.00?? And I'm being very fair here). Let's say this program was only offered to 1000 people (and I know the count is much higher than that) that's an additional $5,390.00 for this program. How many more tests could be paid for with this amount??? This type of waste really pisses me off. That lovely tote bag sat in this lady's closet until she died, then it was thrown out by family. Nice.

So rather than pull a ton of money out of our asses to pay for reform, how about we cut unnecessary costs first??? How much more money would be available for those who really need it??? I venture to say quite a bit. This concludes my rant, thank you and good night :o)