News

Health care at another crossroads

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Considering the Roman philosopher Cicero’s contention that a man never really puts his mind to a subject until he writes on it, I haven’t really thought much about health care since the Clinton years.

From 1992 to 1996, I wrote about it at The Herald-Times, capping my career there with a 13-part series in 1996 called Healthcare at the Crossroads, which explored the “driving forces behind health-care reforms” in Bloomington and the nation.

Until lately, about the only thought I’ve given the subject, aside from its role in society and politics, is when I enter the amount my health insurance company deducts each month into my checkbook. I’ve gone years between doctor visits and have not submitted a claim in the eight years I've been buying my own insurance.

Well, a never-ending yen for new professional challenges, combined with an up-close-and-personal encounter with mortality (nothing serious, just expensive), have convinced me it’s time to revisit the subject of health care.

CIVITAS: Expertly nonsense

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:54:40 -0600

I can’t believe it’s happening, but it is. The administration, by which I mean the Bush administration, is failing in a colossal manner yet again.

They invaded Afghanistan, with the largest and most capable military the world has ever known, to track down and capture one man. One man. And they couldn’t pull it off. Here, seven years later, Osama Bin Laden is still at large and living large, tucked away comfortably in a Pakistani safe house, mailing us taunting home videos.

They attacked Iraq, for no understandable reason, telling us the Iraqis would shower us with flowers and, in no time at all, would be paying their own Visa bills.

Five years later, the country is a hopeless quagmire where unvetted private mercenaries have taken the role as our proxy fighters to the tune of nearly a billion dollars of borrowed money a day.

Sheathing the frigid digit

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

It's Obama instead of Ol' Bomber. What a relief!

At last, after all these dark and terrible years, we might have a man in the White House who doesn't stoke our fears and look about for enemies to taunt.

The one advantage of that endless election campaign was that it gave us time to see that Obama is obviously sane. How refreshing!

He doesn't immediately brand as an "enemy" any country that disagrees with us. Everything isn't U.S. versus T.H.E.M. He doesn't feed the national paranoia that those Bush Crazies whipped up out of 9/11. He doesn't wave weapons and middle fingers when he's speaking of foreign policy.

As someone wisely noted: when things get hot, you want a cool leader. Obama is warmhearted but coolheaded. That's what we desperately need. If you don't believe that's what we need, look at the last seven years:

Letter to a young Obama Supporter

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

I've seen you at rallies cheering for the charismatic junior senator from Illinois. Overheard you in coffee shops discussing Barack Obama's performance at the presidential debates. Spoke with you about the prospects of the Democratic ticket while making our way across campus. And on the morning after this historic election, together we pondered the implications, and the possibilities, of this remarkable achievement.

Truth be told, I'm a little envious. When I cast my first vote in a presidential election, nearly 30 years ago, Ronald Reagan won the presidency, and I was on the wrong side of history. Today, you are on the cusp of what President-elect Obama rightly described as a "defining moment."

The election of 1980 gave birth to the Reagan Revolution: an era marked by rampant militarism, the rise of free market fundamentalism and an ideological attack on the social, economic and political gains of the New Deal and the Civil Rights movement. Today's divisive politics and economic calamity are, in large measure, the legacy of the Reagan years.

Social service agencies see busy times ahead

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

If America’s economic decline continues, local nonprofits that serve those in poverty anticipate larger demands for their services.

Organizations such as Backstreet Missions, Shalom Community Center, Stepping Stones and Community Kitchen expect more people will seek their help in the months ahead.

Community Kitchen is devoted to eliminating hunger in Monroe County by providing meals to the hungry. The agency saw a slight increase in October and expects the numbers to continue to rise.

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see a 10 percent rise in numbers over the next six months,” said Vicki Pierce, Community Kitchen’s executive director.

Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, Stepping Stones, Shalom Community Center and Martha's House will ask Bloomington to participate in National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Nov. 16-22 to bring awareness to poverty in the community.

It is a collaborative effort between the four non-profit organizations to teach community members about poverty and empower them to take action against poverty in Bloomington. The week's events include Food for Thought, Bloomington, Stand Up! and the Bloomington Food Stamp Challenge.

Food for Thought is a returning program under which several local restaurants donate a portion of proceeds to the participating non-profit organizations.

"Stepping Stones partnered with Martha's House last year to create what was called the Food for Thought fundraiser," Stepping Stones Assistant Director Warren Wade said in an e-mail. "We collaborated and recruited a handful of restaurants to donate a portion of their proceeds to our two agencies."

OUT IN BLOOMINGTON: A few steps forward, a couple back

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Eighty-eight years ago, women won the fight and earned the right to vote in the United States. A few short weeks ago we recognized Women’s Equality Day with the knowledge that the United States is one of only eight countries that have yet to ratify the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

According to the CEDAW Web site, 185 countries -- more than 90 percent of the United Nations members -- are party to the Convention. “So what?” you say. We can still vote, attend university, play sports and work outside the home. Women are better off than ever right?

Well, maybe yes and maybe no. CEDAW is a universal definition of discrimination against women and negates any claim that no clear definition of sexual discrimination exists. By not recognizing this document, our nation joins the ranks of countries such as Iran that treat women with disdain, disrespect and, frequently, violence.

Consensus policy statement on industrial scale livestock production

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Editor's Note: The following policy statement on concentrated animal feeding operations in Indiana was prepared and signed by a group of concerned citizens and organizations.

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We support policies and practices that hold industrial-scale livestock operations accountable for off-site impacts to air, land and water and protecting the health and safety of workers, neighbors and consumers.

Back Issues

editor — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

November 16, 2008
News & Opinion
* Health care at another crossroads by Steven Higgs
* CIVITAS: Expertly nonsense by Gregory Travis
* Sheathing the frigid digit by James Alexander Thom

Feasting in the olive groves

editor — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:02:45 -0600

We had our first day of picking olives not too long after our Hebron tour. We went to a village called Al-Khader, an area to the south of Bethlehem. We came to the entrance of the farm, and the taxi driver could go no further. He dropped us off, and we walked along the narrow road up toward the farm.

On our way through rows of grape vines and jasmine bushes we passed some Israeli soldiers. They brazenly leaned against their military jeeps, snuggling their guns across their chests as a mother would to protect or baby her child. My body immediately reacted to the soldiers' presence. My stomach twisted. It was an uneasy atmosphere.

We walked toward the olive groves and met a group of 50 or so internationals. People from all over the world come to Palestine with the Olive Harvest Campaigne to help the Palestinians do the simple job of picking their olives. This has become quite a challenge in Palestine, since their land has been confiscated for the expanding Jewish-only settlements and the winding wall. So internationals come to witness and to shield because the colonizers are less likely to attack a foreigner than a Palestinian.