For the people, by the people

So I guess I didn't scare you off, huh? Good! Welcome back!

If that’s supposed to be the concept that our government is built upon, why does it seem like the government has lost sight of that?

Its a shame that American citizens are sometimes forced into situations where they are having to fight tooth and nail just to exercise the rights to which they are entitled. I have spent countless hours on research, phone calls, emails, letters to department heads and even the Governor. And even with the knowledge, skills and resources I have including my professional experience in the legal field, I still run into brick walls surrounded by red tape. It pains me to think about all of the people out there who are being denied their rights and feel helpless because they don’t have the time or the money or the resources to defend themselves.

Think about the single mom with a special needs child trying to advocate for herself and her child to get the help and support they deserve. She works two jobs to keep a roof over their head and food on the table only to be told that her income is over the guidelines and she can’t qualify for any assistance. What is she supposed to do if the child’s father isn’t paying child support? Hire an attorney to go after it? With what money? And even if she did, the attorney would take one-third of it. What consequence is there to the father for not paying? Suspend his driver’s license. Great, so now he can’t drive to work. How does that help?

So how is this mom supposed to find the time to research statutes and case laws, policy manuals of social service agencies and other information she needs to arm herself in the battle against the Powers That Be? Even if she has the information, she’ll spend hours trying to find the right person to speak to, sending emails that will go unanswered or making phone calls that won’t be returned. And the few that are returned result in nothing but a “I’ll have to look into that” or “That’s just what the policy says.”

I’ve been battling for the past year with attorneys, caseworkers, judges, and school districts just to exercise my rights to make decisions about my child’s education, risking punishment by the courts if I choose when and where she goes to school in spite of the fact that the law (and the Constitution) says I can. Luckily I know how to find the laws and policies that support my stance but not everyone does and the government certainly isn’t going to offer the information.

Think about the elderly or disabled person who gets a medical bill for several thousand dollars. They call to find out why they’re getting this bill when they have insurance only to be told that insurance company denied it as “not a medical necessity”. They may not know they have right to appeal that decision. They may not understand how to go about filing an appeal. And IF (that’s a huge IF) they do manage to get some assistance in filing the appeal, the insurance company just denies it again anyway so what’s the point? Apparently the insurance company’s right to deny payment trumps the patient’s right to receive affordable medical care.

From Bob Deans of Cox News Service:
About 45 million Americans have no health care coverage. Health care costs are growing much faster than the economy, accounting for 16 cents of every dollar spent in this country, twice as much as two decades ago.

And, despite spending far more than comparable industrialized nations on health care, the United States has above-average infant mortality, below-average life expectancy and the largest percentage of uninsured people, the non-partisan Government Accounting Office concluded in a January report.

“In short, our health care system is badly broken,” the report states. “In fact, if there is one thing that could bankrupt America, it’s runaway health care costs.”

They’re banking on the fact that most people can’t afford to fight it, or they lack the knowledge to fight it, or that they’ll just give up and go away. They profit off of it.

Its all a joke. Millions of Americans are living in poverty, jobless, homeless, no medical insurance. And yet the one person who wants to change all of that may not get that opportunity because he’s black or his middle name is Hussein. Seriously, that’s the rationale many American voters are using in deciding who gets their vote. Don’t laugh. Its not funny. I can give you examples of people forwarding emails about The Evil Of Obama and why they’re not voting for him. But ask them what reasons McCain has given them to vote for him and see if you get a reply. I haven’t.

And don’t tell me that because I’m a “Mommy blogger” that I shouldn’t post about this. I’m a little sick of the stereotype that all we care about is shoes and makeup, diapers and car seats. Yes, I like doing reviews about cereal and board games and cleaning products but that’s such a small percentage of my life. I think its great that advertisers have realized the purchasing power of Moms and learned how to utilize the marketing power of Mommy Blogs.

But you know who else needs to be listening to us? Politicians. Senators. State Representatives. No, I don’t expect them to buy ad space or request reviews of their speeches, campaigns, books. I just expect them to listen. Look past the fluff and find out what else moms are talking about. Forget what you’ve read about BlogHer in the New York Time Fashion & Style section. Put aside what you think you know about moms and LISTEN to us.

EDITED TO ADD: Just received email about this video from MoveOn.org

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