Federal health officials are now saying that 10,000 Americans have succumbed to the H1N1 flu. And that’s only since this past April.
That’s more Americans than Islamic terrorists have been able to kill in the last 20 years.
It’s almost unreal to think that this many people have died from the swine flu. That just goes to show you that the flu isn’t something to take lightly. To me, it’s just one more reason that we as a nation should be investing our resources into a national, universal health care system. The chances that you will die from a virus are much higher than the chances that you will be killed by an angry Muslim terrorist, yet we are more than happy to spend billions of dollars on fighting terrorism. When President Obama wants all Americans to have access to affordable, quality health care, some people say it proves he’s just like Adolf Hitler.
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Well put, Rick. I get so discouraged (I would say “angry,” but I’ve not allowed myself to go there to prevent my own BP from skyrocketing) at the millions of Americans who buy into the inflammatory rhetoric of the Fox News (and others) talking heads. I do believe that if I could sit down one-on-one with these individuals, 9 out of 10 would change their minds about the “health care situation.” As a hospice nurse, I deal with many families that one could characterize as ignorant rednecks but, you know what, when you sit down and review options and calmly explain end-of-life care to them, they’re right on board with it. They may privately tsk-tsk about my Obama bumper sticker, but they want Grandma or Pap to die comfortably in their own bed with mimimal intervention.
It’s all about education and knowledge, but unfortunately I can’t think of a feasible way to reach those millions that are scared into thinking our President is like Hitler. Come to think of it, you don’t hear anyone likening swine to SS troops, but that would seem to be as wacky an analogy as Obama/Hitler.
Oh well, I just go out and address one patient, one family, at a time.