Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall...

Yeah, Bitch. Keep ridin' your rainbow pony...

* Health Care Is a Human Right "The United States is the only major nation in the industrialised world that does not guarantee healthcare as a right to its people. Meanwhile, we spend about twice as much per capita on healthcare and, in a wide number of instances, our outcomes are not as good as others that spend far less.

"It is time that we bring about a fundamental transformation of the American healthcare system. It is time for us to end private, for-profit participation in delivering basic coverage. It is time for the United States to provide a Medicare-for-all, single payer health coverage programme.

"Under our dysfunctional system, 45,000 Americans a year die because they delay seeking care they cannot afford. We spent 17.6% of our GDP on healthcare in 2009, which is projected to go up to 20% by 2020, yet we still rank 26th among major, developed nations on life expectancy, and 31st on infant mortality. We must demand a better model of health coverage that emphasises preventive and primary care for every single person without regard for their ability to pay."

So, actually putting economics and the financial sensibility of a single-payer healthcare system aside. And putting aside the fact that healthCARE and FOR-PROFIT healthCARE "insurance" are incompatible concepts. I want to contemplate something for a minute... I want to contemplate how it feels when someone believes in you. ESPECIALLY when you don't believe in yourself. How does it feel when someone stands up for you when you don't think you have what it takes to stand up for yourself. How does it feel when someone - a parent, a sibling, a friend, a teacher, anyone... even your dog... When they believe you to be better than you are.

Now, what if an entire community did that. Not leaving ANYONE out. What if that weren't an exception, but rather the rule...

I believe when people feel as though they're worth something to society. When they truly feel wanted and believed in... When they feel like they're part of the group. When they feel loved. They act accordingly. They show their worth. And actually, I bet they blossom and maybe even flourish.

And then, we're all better for it.

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Size Matters

Vermont Poised to Become 1st State to Enact Single-Payer Healthcare Today Vermont is set to make history by becoming the first state in the nation to offer universal, single-payer healthcare when Gov. Peter Shumlin signs its healthcare reform bill into law. The Vermont plan, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, will attempt to stem rising medical care prices and provide universal coverage.

Single-Payer in Vermont, A State of Healthy Firsts

It's good to remember, that it's not the size of the dog in the fight...

But rather, the size of the fight in the dog.

And Vermont is quite a State of mind.

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