Random Thoughts: July 2112

I really do not know which way to think on the health care debate. On one channel, you have sensible reasons why it should have been passed into law. There are facts, statistics, and shocking stories of the down and out families that the bill will help. On another channel, you have the sensible reasons why it is a dangerous law and should have been defeated. They also have facts, statistics, and, warning stories on how it will drag all of us down and bankrupt the country. It is interesting on how on any major issue there is no clear answer, at least in the way the story is presented. Black and white facts. The answer, it seems to me, is in the middle. Life is mostly grey area. Things are never what they seem. The basic spine of this issue is helping those that desperately need it. That would be the families that are suffering through job loss and health reasons. We all know of someone who has lost everything when their company has shut down. They file for bankruptcy and take from Peter to pay Paul when they try to pay their bills. Those people must be helped, for they hit a rough patch and must be taken care of. Then, there is the aged who contact an illness that saps their finances. Everything they have ever saved is wiped out in the blink of an eye due to the ungodly costs that the health care industry imposes on all of us. They must be taken care of also, along with a sick child that was born with an ailment. These stories-- and, many more-- are why we need the universal heath care. We cannot be cold-hearted and turn them away. But, there is the dark side of giving health care to everyone. That is, not everyone deserves it. We also know that there are lazy moochers who syphon off taxpayer dollars because they are scamming the system by not getting off their asses and finding work. These bums, which do account in the millions nationwide, do not deserve one penny of our honestly earned money. They have chosen to live their lives the way they do. Fine, that is the choice of every American. You wanna have no dignity and respect for yourself, then, live your life the way you want to. But, do not insist on government handouts to support you. If you are born poor and struggle to get out of poverty, yes, we should help you. If you choose to stay in that position without any drive of self-improvement, no, you do not deserve our attention as a nation. A hand up to help you, not a hand-out. And, with the recent Obama ruling on giving illegal immigrants total citizenship I also have to take a knee on that. If you let this happen then the costs skyrocket even more [ yes, I know that without universal health coverage costs are skyrocketing also]. This is where I find my confusion. I want to help those in need, especially, when children and the elderly are involved. However, I will be damned if I will give all of our hard-earned money to deadbeats. We just have to stay tuned to how it all plays out... Chicago has become the new Wild West. It is now ''Murder City''. The homicide rate has gone through the roof this spring and summer. On any given weekend there are multiple shootings and murders. Gangs, as usual, seem to be the behind all of this. And, with these gang animals no one is safe, even little children. As I write this Chicago police have arrested a man in the shooting death of an seven year-old girl. Cold-blooded murder of a seven year-old. That is what parts of this city have become. Even in the old, violent, Wild West children were spared. The shoot-outs were between men in a public square. There was no hiding, certainly, no drive-by shootings. Things were settled face to face, with the innocent not involved. Today, God Almighty, children are being killed!!! How do you stop such madness? The police? Well, we know that they are not wanted in these areas. The police are thought of as the enemy. There are ripples of community leaders and parents who have had enough and want to take back the streets from the criminals. This is a tall order, I grant you. But, I wish these brave citizens all the luck because they have a gigantic mountain of resistance to climb. Only through the non-violent banding of sensible people can any hope of peace come to these neighborhoods. Once again, it is going to be very difficult. Because you are going up against beasts who kill children in cold-blood. Many more innocent people will die before it stops.... Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are divorcing. I know, I am shocked to my central core also. It seemed like such a--- well, did anybody really buy this farce of a ''marriage?'' This is Tom Cruise's third marriage to go down the drain. Now, ahem, we all have heard the stories about Cruise and his life [ I am dancing around what I really want to say]. His first wife, Mimi Rogers, once told ''Playboy'' that he refuses to have sex because it would '' hurt his instrument''. She took it to me his ''acting instrument''. Whatever. Too bad because she was hot back then. Then, when he married Nicole Kidman, all seemed right in the Cruiseworld. They adopted children and she became a big star. And, those  nasty ''stories'' about his private life that were beginning to circulate were dismissed. Until the late 90's when word started to spread about Cruise and a gay porn star [ and, the lead singer of a popular band ]. Cruise filed suit against the porn actor and the case was dropped. Maybe, because it wasn't true. Maybe, because the other party was paid off. Whatever. Then, the fairy-tale romance with Kidman bit the dust. Perhaps, you remember where you were when you heard this most shocking news, for, like the Kennedy assasination and 9/11, we, as a nation, were shaken to our very souls. A few years went by [ in Scientology it would be many centuries] Tommy found true love with young Katie Holmes. What sealed this very real love affair for me was the jumping on the couch on ''Oprah'' to express his love. Hallmark card moment that was. Now, the bloom is off the rose and our Tom is soon to be single again. That Scientology crowd, to which he belongs to, sure have unusual love lives. Travolta has been shaken lately with allegations of his sexuality, as has Will Smith. Hmmm. You don't think? Nah!!!!.... The 4th of July is in a few days. It is , of course, to enjoy for barbecues and music fests, but, we must also take some time to remember the richness and pleasure that this country is. Sure, it has many faults, but, it is still the best and finest country that has ever been. The men who signed the Declaration of Independence were, for the most part, rich, successful businessmen. They refused to suffer the English rule and buckle under. They did what most of us hope we have the courage to do, and, that is to ''Pledge our lives, our fortunes, and, our sacred honor'' to begin a new country. After they signed the historic document, they forfeit their lives. They were wanted men and went into hiding. They could have easily stayed in their comfortable lives and let others fight their battles, but, they did not. These were brave men-- and, their wives were brave also for not abandoning these men in their hour of need. Without them, we as a nation, would be very different. They set up a nation for hope and the fulfillment of one's dearest dreams. In America, anything could be achieved. I like to think these thoughts were in the minds and eyes of my ancestors as they came from Ireland and Italy. They had the spirit of hope and dreams that the Continental Congress had in 1776 when they formed ''The United States Of America''. My ancestors-- and, yours-- certainly did not come to this country for drive-by shootings and welfare cheats. They came to be better people and to make better lives for their children through that old way of good, honest, hard work and clean living. They caught the spirit and goodness of how this country was formed through human understanding. Through all of its faults and mistakes, I love America and proudly call myself an American. Not an Irish-German-French-Italian- American, but, an AMERICAN!!!!.... Happy Birthday, America!!!!!