The recent shooting of UHC CEO Brian Thompson has left many communities in shock and mourning. While it is critical to acknowledge the deep-seated frustrations that exist within our healthcare system, it is equally important to condemn the violence that has no place in our discourse or our society.
Browsing: Opinions
SAN DIEGO VOICE AND VIEWPOINT — Our first order of business during this time must be a return to prayer rather than party politics. We must remember that it was collective prayer by those who came before us that brought us this far. We must learn to act collectively “in spite of” and not “because of” the obstacles in front of us. While this is easier said than done, each of us must start at our own personal level of interaction with those around us, many of whom we may not like.
The idiom that the “pendulum swings” has been around for centuries. Galileo was the first to observe and record the motion of a swinging pendulum suspended on a string. The Pendulum ‘swings’ primarily describes the back-and-forth motion of the pendulum as it moves from its state of equilibrium. Consequently, the words ‘pendulum swings’ commonly refer to shifting ideas, trends, or political positions, thus giving rise to this topic, ‘Democracy’s Pendulum Swings.’
Violence in Healthcare: Profit over Care
But proposals floated this year by House Republicans and by analysts working for the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 would severely underfund or cut these services entirely for many people. While the federal government currently provides 90 percent of matching federal-state funding to ensure that all eligible individuals are covered (according to a provision of the Affordable Care Act), the House Republican plan and the Project 2025 proposals would reduce the federal share significantly, transferring costs to the states and to individuals.
I don’t ask this to be cynical, but rather to expand the reach of what should be a global day of connection and collective inner reflection. International Human Rights Day is Dec. 10. It’s an annual honoring of the day in 1948 when the newly formed United Nations, in the wake of World War II, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which publicly recognizes “the inherent dignity and . . . equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.”
Yet a lot of organizations, brands, and politicians put out discussion guides and talking points to help their supporters “win the debate” at holiday gatherings, or change the minds of their family and friends who hold “opposing” views.
A scenario eerily similar to that one is happening right now in Fort Lauderdale. Sistrunk is an area known for Black culture. The Westside Gazette, a local Black-Owned Newspaper and a recent transformation of an old grocery store into a restaurant (Smitty’s Wings Sistrunk) are in jeopardy of falling victim to gentrification.
The question is, “How could democracy’s Achilles’ Heel reside within its creator, Humankind?” The answer lies in history, and we must learn from it. Are politicians, professors, social scientists, and citizens oblivious to the lessons from the fall of great empires? We must not be naïve!
When lies become the truth we all suffer. I know it’s difficult to change beliefs and opinions, but I will always try to.