I frequently get email forwards from various family members. Usually, they’re jokes, time wasters, amusements, and things that are otherwise intended to be completely funny. Sometimes they’re factoids, health-related information, news stories, and sometimes they’re political.
I fundamentally disagree with most of my family members when it comes to politics, particularly with my extended family members. Usually, I glance at the message, and if it’s political I peruse it for anything particularly poingnant, vicious, or blantantly false, and respond if I feel it needs responding (I think I’ve done that a grand total of 3 times in the last 5 years), but usually the political ones go quickly in the trash can.
Occasionally one of these political messages will make me laugh.
Occasionally one of them will get my dander up, and I’ll start writing an angry response about the problems with the email and why we shouldn’t ever pass things like that on.
Occasionally, though, I’ll read something that just flat out makes me sad. Today, I read one of those. Here’s the pertinent quote from that email:
We’ll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.
It makes me sad that people really believe this. Inherent in this belief is a disregard and lack of caring for those who are in pain, have disabilities, or dying, and lack the means to secure the help they need to live a normal, everyday life.
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
I imagine most of you recognize this quote, but for those who don’t, it’s the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, one of the most prominent symbols of the United States of America. It describes people who are, in many ways, similar to those in our country who need access to health care they can’t get.
I have to wonder how many people in our country would describe this, much as I’m sure the writer of the email I quoted from above would, view this sentiment with scorn and disdain.
Most, if not all, of those who send these to me would consider themselves Christians. With that as context, a few more thoughts spring to mind:
Matthew 25:35-40
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
And then, echoed to the Hebrews (Heb 12:12-13)
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
(emphasis mine)
I wonder how Christ would respond if He was told “Healthcare is a luxury, not a right”.
Maybe it is a luxury, but it’s a luxury that our philosophy as a nation, and our responsibility as Christians (those of us who are), demands we provide for those in need of it. It’s a luxury everyone should have access to, regardless of his means, and I’m beyond disappointed that people I love and care about would be so uncaring.
But, then, if so many people in this nation truly feel this way, perhaps it’s appropriate that the Statue of Liberty has closed her doors.
Well, it’s over. Unless something really, really big happens, President-Elect Obama won and we’ll be seeing some changes next year. I’ve seen a few posts lamenting the loss of “bipartisanship” here and there, and it got me thinking. I’m not innately in support of bipartisanship, but only because I’m not innately in support of partisanship. When I vote, I do my best to vote for the people I feel will best represent me and the ideas I feel to be contributing to good government, whatever party those people may affiliate with. I don’t vote for a party. Bipartisanship becomes desireable, to me, only when candidates loyalty to their parties outweighs their loyalty to their constituents. When that happens, bipartisanship doesn’t solve the problem, it just helps put the brakes on it for a while. It helps ensure that fewer things get done, period, and thus there’s less chance of bad things getting done. I’d much rather have elected representatives that represent me. For some silly reason, I thought that’s what the American system of government was designed to realize.
Yeah, yeah. It’ll be a long, long time before it’s really that way, but I really do feel like party-loyalty is at the root of a lot of the things that made the last 8 years so disastrous.
Here’s to hoping that President-Elect Obama, and all our other elected officials, can manage to pull away from that paradigm a bit, and get back to doing what they were elected to do: representing the people.
So I made dinner tonight. When I asked my wife if she had anything planned, she just mentioned that she wanted to use up some meatballs she had made the other night, but beyond that, she had no plans. So I did what I usually do in that circumstance: Opened up Firefox and started searching. Fairly quickly, I found the following recipe at http://www.yumsugar.com/user/partysugar/recipes/530496. I had to make a few changes due to not having all the ingredients, and I’ve noted those by striking through the original, and writing in my change.
Moroccan Meatballs Over Couscous
From The Nest3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups (10 ounces) plain Herb Chicken couscous
36 already-cooked meatballs, fresh or frozen
2 1 1/2 large onions (for about 2 cups chopped)
1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 fresh jalapeno pepper (for 2 tablespoons minced) can green chiles
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground (dried) ginger1. Bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. When the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan and let it stand until the meatballs are ready to serve. Just before serving, fluff the couscous lightly with a fork.
2. If the meatballs are frozen, run them under hot water so you can remove the packaging. Place the meatballs on a microwave-safe plate and microwave, uncovered, on high power for 2 minutes to partially defrost.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat (or use a 4 1/2-quart soup pot). Peel and coarsely chop the onions, adding them to the skillet as you chop. Cook, stirring, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Add the garlic and the sugar to the skillet. Seed and finely chop the jalapeno. Add it to the sauce.
5. Cook, stirring occasionally, while you rinse and chop the cilantro and parsley (if using). Add them to the skillet. Then add the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and meatballs (fresh or partially defrosted).
6. Cover the skillet and cook until the meatballs are heated through and are beginning to absorb the sauce, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately over the hot couscous.Serves 8.
It turned out really well.
I occasionally get text messages from people I don’t know. I have no idea why. It certainly does make for cheap amusement, though. This morning I had the following exchange:
Guy I don’t know: Hey
Me: Straw
Guy I don’t know: Oh
Me: Boy
Guy I don’t know: Okay, well, I luv u
Me: I think you’re texting the wrong person
Guy I don’t know: Oh
I think this is the same guy who was texting me last time I got randome text messages from someone I didn’t know, but I didn’t keep the messages to compare the numbers. Either way, I was thoroughly amused. I’m always tempted to screw with people more than this, but usually decide I don’t have the heart for it.
