do the numbers lie and which country back?

I have tried very hard to avoid news as of late...partly because the stories carried by the news themselves are a sad commentary on our culture and nation - such as the inordinate amount of press dedicated to kanye west storming the stage of the VMAs, or the fact that these days in america, everything has to be a crime that somebody must pay for (i.e. a coach barely escaping with an acquittal after one of his players collapsed and died during practice) unless its committed by old white men in suits residing at least part of the year in washington - and partly because news from within my world can often serve as a crushing reminder that it is always a long, arduous and extremely difficult right to see that the constitution remains more than a mere inconvenience for some win-at-all-costs prosecutor.

but a few things just cannot be avoided. and one of them is the health care "debate" - not really much of a debate so much as an ideologically trenched shout off. it came up again last night at a small gathering and there was much talk of numbers and statistics. and while I am an advocate of an eventual single-payer system and strongly believe that we must provide access to health care, which is not the legal mandate and role of health insurance companies - a distinction all too often lost - I also am very much wondering how accurate all the numbers thrown around actually are. yes, we spend a hell of a lot more than other countries...but are our results really as bad as those on the left want to portray? and if you can access our health care, are the results really as extraordinary as those on the right want to portray? for instance, if we could factor in the negative impact that our violent culture and resulting higher murder rates, is our life expectancy really that much lower than so many other industrialized countries? and what about our relative lack of a general safety net, leaving more of us stranded in poverty which inevitably brings with it delitorious effects on our health? does our poor urban planning force us to be less active than others? but then, in the end does any of that matter? or am I just guilty of once again avoiding the only question that matters - how can we possibly say that anyone is not entitled to some of the most basic necessities in life; nurishment, clean water, shelter and their health? what does it say about us that for all the high ideals we claim to stand for, we still have a tendency to treat these as commodities to be used for propping up our stock portfolios?

and another unavoidable story is the ongoing discussion of racism and its effects and manifestations in our nation. jimmy carter expressed what a hell of a lot of persons of color feel in this country...that some otherwise completely illogical opposition to the president is a manifestation of the vestages of centuries of racism, perhaps a bit more dormant in recent times than just a few decades ago. and while I am again reminded that for whatever reason, the vast majority of white people simply refuse to address the legitimatacy of such opinions given the deplorable history of race relations in this country, I am also struck by one of the phrases that is repeated over and over and pointed to as proof that racism is the underlying current - "Give me my country back."

and regardless of whether the holder, consciously or subconsciously, desires to express that america is a white man's nation, one must wonder exactly what country it is that the holder wishes to have back. let's be honest (and stereotypical), many of these people never got a fair shake in this country...largely because of their parents occupations or simply being born in the wrong area code. so what is it they want back? is it just the fantasy we all were indoctrinated with as children of this mythical exemplary nation that stood above all others and in which it was actually possible to rise above it all if you just put your head down and worked hard? because in reality...there are very few instances in this nation's history where that was actually true (and ironically, it often occurred during some of the darkest times). is it one where we all share a sense of community and actually take care of each other? and if so, does that not necessarily include a racial element given the extreme tribalism that our "melting pot" has often slipped into? in the end, I am left believing for most it is the mythical america that they believed as a child sitting on the curb waiving their flag and catching shriner candies...an america that as they aged and matured, they never saw. it isn't that they want their country "back" so much as they want the innocence and beauty of their youth returned...they want to believe again. face it, it is a hell of a tough world regardless of whether or not we are the richest nation that ever was. too many of us have not gotten the country we were promised as school children...and yes, we are angry. perhaps the only true difference between us is how we handle that anger...and how it manifests itself.

eyes on the crack in the door...