Today is a very important day in my life

[Funny Girl]

Today is a very important day in my life

Ruby - it's nice that you were lucky enough to be given benefits by the government after working for them. I worked for over 30 years in telecomm & receive no retirement & no benefits for my years of toiling & believe that there are many in this position. I didn't have the benefit or protections of a government contract or union contract, so you see, you were lucky . . . . Some of us 'earned' but never received and have to fend for ourselves . .. .there are many with no protections through no fault of their own & no sense of entitlement or need of handouts.

[rubywillow]

Today is a very important day in my life

For the record, and this is the last, I was forced to leave the post office without benefits because of my health. I had to provide my own vehicle to deliver mail, and my own insurance. The work paid well, but was extremely physical. And the idea that the post office today offers any protection is a fallacy. My friends there struggle to work long enough to receive enough retirement to pay their insurance premiums. What I derive my income from now came to me through tragedy, the early deaths of my parents, and I would trade everything I have to have them back for one day. My father was self-employed, and my mother worked until 3 years before her death for minimum wage in a school cafeteria, to be able to have medical insurance. Whatever your opinion is of me is misguided; we were burned out of our home when I was a child, with no insurance, and lived in a series of rental houses I was ashamed to bring friends to until I was 15. Insurance? We didn't have running water! My mother made our clothes, we grew our food. So, whether you believe it or not, I have paid my dues, and am unashamedly conservative in my views. It is a dangerous thing to believe you know a person without KNOWING the person, and to be so narrow in your views as to not entertain another's as possibly having merit. Am I lucky? You're damn right! I have a healthy family, without too many dramas, and that makes me rich. I simply refuse to continue to be silent about the debt being assigned to my grandchildren before they can even drive a car.

[Funny Girl]

Today is a very important day in my life

Given that, I would think you'd have some compassion - enough said.

[rubywillow]

Today is a very important day in my life

I apologize, I shouldn't let this taunt me, but I can't help myself. Enough said? By YOUR definition? I printed this thread and took it to my monthly luncheon/discussion with old friends (mostly retired professionals, PHD's, a doctor and a dentist). We've discussed the health plan, and there are pros and cons among us. The pros have made eloquent arguments in it's favor. We agree to disagree very often. The one thing we all agreed on was the astounding arrogance of you, challenging me, personally. I won't go to that level. You don't know me, though you sound like a petulant child who gets angry when someone disagrees with you. How much 'compassion' have you practiced in your own life? I don't know this. How many strangers have you fed at your table because they were hungry, and alone? How many have you clothed, given a place to stay? How many families have you rented at below the normal rate clean, well-maintained houses, and forgave their debt until they could get on their feet? How many homeless children have you taken in, fostered, adopted, even though they came from govenment dependant crack addict prisoner parents? How often do you volunteer, visit the elderly, the nursing homes? These are all the things I would need to know about you before I judged you as having or not having compassion. If you have an MBA and worked for a company 30 years, and made no provision for insurance in your future, who did you THINK was going to take care of you? I am reminded of the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. Are you aware this administration refers to this bill as 'an entitlement program?' Have you understood the reason this plan won't be implemented for 4 years, as one Congressman says, 'until they establish the administration (read:beauracracy) to "control the people?" (a QUOTE) and can show it as in effect for 10 years, when it is actually 6, to explain the one TRILLION dollars it will cost? I will stand with the 61% of Americans who WANT health care for the needy, but not THIS flawed plan. By the way, I'm eligible for Medicare because of my disability, but refuse it right now because I can still manage without someone else's money. I have a disabled parking placard, but rarely use it, as others need the space more (even though I watch the Escalades park there, and the healthy young people come in the grocery store and make their purchases with food stamps.) I don't know you, nor do I want to, but attacking someone you don't know personally because they don't agree with you explains a lot. I won't come to this thread again; it's obvious you NEED to have the last word. I'll leave you with my favorite saying: 'Never try to teach a pig to sing; it's a waste of time and annoys the pig'.

[tictak]

Today is a very important day in my life

Just read the bit about not taking medicare because you dont want to take other ppl's money.In England we pay into a fund called national isurance which covers us for all medical help.

[Funny Girl]

Today is a very important day in my life

Ruby - you have no idea what you're talking about. I never said I had an MBA, never said I worked for one company for 30 years & made no provision for my future, and won't even go into your personal attack on me.

You're a bitch and a radical. I won't be back. You win - you got whatever it is I guess you wanted. Maybe you should have a drink. I need no part of this if I'm going to be openly attacked for nothing at all.

You have serious issues.

[eight days a week]

Today is a very important day in my life

Thankfully I'm removed from the politics of all this, I know how much that can make things heated. I'm a very political animal (well I would be more so still if almost all politicians weren't such...animals :H)

From a liberal Englishman's point of view, and politics aside, this seems like a very good thing for millions and millions across America.

I wish you all well, and dearly hope that the faith you've shown your politicians to lead your mighty nation is repaid

[Anotherday]

Today is a very important day in my life

Might I add, Ruby, that your points against Funny Girl were so very misguided and WRONG(and you obviously lack in reading comprehension skills as well) that she is now gone! Your comments really hurt her. You are not nearly half the person you make yourself out to be.

I take responsibility for starting this stupid thread and it was a mistake. But you mouthed off in another thread and came across as quite heartless. I was quiet in that thread but you just cannot stand the concept of sharing the wealth, can you?! I mean, the concept of a fellow American being able to shop in an insurance exchange and pay for his or her own premium is too much generosity for you to muster up!

I, for one, don't want MY tax dollars paying for your disability, your health care or your social security and I am out of here for good as well!