Unborn in the USA - Movie

This is my safe place so I can post about this subject matter here without feeling like people are going to tear me a brand new a**hole. Unlike Facebook which I feel is a very public place. Comments welcome (of course!). I do reserve the right to delete them though. :)

I enjoy watching documentaries. Educational and controversial subject matter in documentaries is enjoyable for me. When choosing this movie (Unborn in the USA), I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I made it through the entire hour and 44 minutes without turning it off (which is more than I can say about watching The Hangover). Granted, there were a few moments where I literally felt sick to my stomach due to the subject matter and the passion that resides within the abortion debate. But I stuck it out until the very end and I'm glad that I did.

Jack Mathews writes, "Here's a movie everyone can hate. It's an inside look at the extremists in the 'right-to-life' movement..."

Mathews is right. This documentary has an observational objective approach toward the "right" side of the debate. As a pro-choice individual, this movie has given me more details about the opposing side's arguments. Unfortunately for them, it has reinforced my perspective on how unreasonable these people are at times. Don't get me wrong. Pro-choice people can get foolish at times too; especially when these two groups come face to face. 

A couple of points:

1. What are "pro-lifers" planning on doing with these children once they “save” their lives? Are they planning on fostering a truck load of children? This includes children who are terminally ill or who were born addicted to meth etc. That’s a lot to take on. To the best of my knowledge these are the same people who are voting against public programs. The same public programs that help children and families in need. What’s the fuckin’ plan stan?!

2. So much passion and energy goes into the abortion debate. Redirecting that energy could actually make a difference in the world. Holding graphic signs outside of clinics and being belligerent in general is hardly doing anything for the children of the world. Meanwhile (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again), there are CHILDREN WHO GO HUNGRY every single day in THIS country. If you give a shit, then show it.

3. I really believe that the abortion debate is not about life or death, it's about control. It’s never okay to tell people how to live their lives. Period. You wouldn’t want it done to you - so why do it? The only reason I can think of is to “keep women in their place” - as baby makers. That is all they are good for after all. It’s okay, just let some dudes (whom you’ve never met) tell you what to do with your body and entire life (in the name of Christianity no less). C’mon!

Please know that people who have abortions are not excited about it. There is plenty of grief involved without someone else poking their nose into the decision making process. Nobody is handing out buy 1 get 1 free coupons for abortions. You’re just a plain ‘ol idiot if you think that this is some mindless thing that people do for fun or to spite you.

P.S. I recommend this film if you wish to be informed on this perspective.

Dead Snow review

If you know me at all, you know that I love the horror genre of movies and am always raring to watch them. Especially zombie movies! Last night we watched Dead Snow which is available on Netflix for instant watch. Upon learning that this was a foreign movie involving Nazi zombies, I was more than enthusiastic about watching it. I cannot think of anything more terrifying.


Dead Snow is a foreign film that takes place near Øksfjord in Norway. The characters are medical students that are having an Easter holiday in a remote snowy mountainous area. The characters are essentially stranded in the mountains; this adds another level of scary to the plot. The snow helps keep the plot interesting by making you wonder what you would do differently in a snow setting while being attacked by these creatures. I picture the American equivalent of Dead Snow involving a group of attractive graduate students vacationing in the Appalachians or Cascades.


Dead Snow is perfectly structured and possesses classic elements of every good horror movie. There are jokes about classic horror movies such as Evil Dead, you get to root for a character's survival, and there's even a sex scene that seems to be out of place with the plot. While watching the movie you get the sense that if any of the characters survive there is no way they can return to a 'normal' life in society after these experiences. Surviving would be nearly pointless but not entirely in vein of course.

Manohla Dargis of the New York Times writes, "(The writer and director of Dead Snow) doesn’t just hit every horror beat; he pounds it to an indistinguishable pulp."

Once the movie finished and Richard was snoring on the couch (he missed the ending), Poppy made it very clear that she needed to go outside to pee before bed. While I was waiting for the dog to finish her business, I was open to the possibility that a crew of Nazi zombies might come charging through the darkness...
Who am I kidding? I was convinced that this was going to happen. The petrified of 'what's lurking in the shadows' feeling is what is so enjoyable about watching horror movies. I think that's what makes a horror movie successful. If extreme gore doesn't bother you and you enjoy horror movies, Dead Snow will not disappoint.

Judgement Day 2011 campaign

I am an advocate for freedom of speech. These are rights that need to be protected unconditionally. It's one of the greatest things about being an American. It's good to know that with enough money you can spread a fearful message to the masses. Judgement Day 2011 (May 21) has received a great amount of publicity. With millions of dollars invested into spreading the message, I would say it it has proven to be a "success" for Family Radio Christians. I think that other groups should start doing the same thing; so that ultimately all American advertising is a threatening message. However, no one is asking me my opinion, so here I am. I do wonder what kind of protest would occur if the Church of Satan (for example) decided to "invest" its money into this kind of campaign. My guess is that the Christian church would ultimately shut it down because money equals power in our society. It's too bad that I don't personally have enough money to test this theory.

What about non-Christian parents who have had to explain the rapture advertising to their children? I guess that's their problem for not being a Family Radio Christian. And aren't other groups of Christians pissed off? Pissed off that this group is stealing the judgement date, etc.

The upside is that the money being spent here isn't going directly toward a bigoted agenda (though I'm sure they have "rainy day" cash set aside for that too). All in all, I think that the goal for the Judgement Day 2011 campaign is to see how many people can be controlled. Controlled by advertising, controlled by the Family Radio Christian church. Instilling fear makes people a lot easier to control.

Probably my biggest problem with this whole shenanigan is that there are children that go hungry in America everyday; yet millions of dollars have been spent on this ridiculous campaign. It's okay to put hungry children on the back burner if you believe that the world will end tomorrow. In the end, (pun intended) it's their money and they can do whatever they want with it, as that is the American way.

The good news is that debt collectors will quit calling if it really is the "beginning of the end." So, cheers to everyone who will be left behind with me. That is very American.

Vaccinations

Even though vaccines are obviously related to health care, vaccinations are not a well-covered subject in the text book. However, I found this story on NPR that interviews Michael Willrich, a man who wrote a book on the history of vaccinations. Specifically, the controversy surrounding the era in which the small pox vaccine (which killed over 300 million Americans in the 20th century) was distributed to Americans.

Did you know that thousands of people were forced by police and public health officials to get a Small Pox vaccinations at the turn of the 20th century? Some people were even threatened with guns. During the turn of the century people who contracted the small pox disease were dragged against their will and quarantined in what they called “pest houses” which were associated with death. These people were scared of what might happen to them if they got the vaccination.

This story is relevant because currently there is a growing controversy with vaccinations. During the turn of the century, the small pox vaccination sparked an anti-vaccination movement. The interview is very insightful into historical and current conversations about vaccinations.

Personally, I have never received a flu vaccine. I don’t like the idea of injecting the flu into my body and possibly still enduring flu symptoms. I will take my chances and have. If I ever get the flu (which is once every couple of years) it only lasts 24 hours or so. Somehow it feels natural; part of the process of life. That is what works for me. Even though it is possible that it is being extra cautious during flu season that prevents me from getting it. At any rate, Willrich talks about bodily integrity and freedom of choice (particularly related to health choices) in his interview with Terry Gross. I wholeheartedly subscribe to these concepts.

*Small pox was declared eradicated in 1980 and the vaccine is no longer given*

Long-Term Care Services

Chapter 10 covers information on Long-Term Care Services. Long-Term Care (LTC) is often associated with nursing homes and the elderly population but in reality it includes a variety of services and people (Shi & Singh, 2010). Because the textbook is rather unpopular and dull, I have searched NPR for some interesting articles on the subject.

The average person in our society probably thinks about elderly people when they think about nursing homes. There is a younger population moving into the homes and they are fighting for funding for in-home attendance; as opposed to the nursing home funding that states are required to provide even though home-care is often less expensive. Because states are not required to provide attendant care programs so they face huge funding cuts. (NPR, 2010)

Max Starkloff was a pioneer of the independent living movement. He strived to help create a culture where people with disabilities would live a "regular" life. He passed away on December 27, 2010. You can read about Max here. 

Long-Term Care services are another debatable subject when it comes to health care and government funding. LTC needs to reformed. If our country took the time to find out what the people really want and need; we would be one step closer to harmony in health care.

Kalamazoo Health Care Event

Join us at noon at Kalamazoo City Hall as we publicly celebrate the historic reforms brought by the Affordable Care Act. Because of this important law, children under 26 can be covered by their parents, Seniors no longer have to worry about the donut hole, and reform will hold insurance companies accountable. Bring your family and friends!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpzjr3/?override_wrapper_id=Cw3hs

Health Care Financing

Health care financing doesn't sound like a very stimulating topic but I found an article on NPR.org that was more thought provoking and inspired more critical thinking than the text book. We all know that the health care law/bill is a hot topic right now. Let's combine current events with the reading of the text.

Health care providers have to get paid in order to have any incentive to do their job. Therefore, financing is an obvious necessity of health care. There is a definite fine line between providers having incentive for a job well done and profitable greed. So, how does a nation provide incentive and keep costs affordable for consumers? The new health care law introduces Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). ACOs focus on sustainable and reliable care for Medicare recipients. Some states are proposing to provide ACOs for people with private insurance as well. "With baby boomers entering retirement age, the costs of the program for elderly and disabled Americans are expected to soar (Gold, 2011)." I encourage you to browse this article and familiarize yourself with ACOs. They are expected to take effect next January; it would be beneficial to learn about the concepts now.

ACOs are a new model for delivering health services that offers doctors and hospitals financial incentives to provide good quality care to Medicare beneficiaries while keeping down costs. (http://www.npr.org/2011/01/18/132937232/accountable-care-organizations-explained. Gold, 2011.)

Michigan's budget plan

Here is the letter that I wrote for the class and am sending it to Governor Rick Snyder tomorrow. I could have easily wrote pages and pages but am happy that it is concise. I am only posting it here because I am proud of its contents.

February 24, 2011

Mandy Cox




The Honorable Rick Snyder
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, MI 48909


Dear Governor Rick Snyder:

I am an undergraduate student at Western Michigan University and will graduate with a degree in social work in April of 2012. I would like to respectfully address the 2012 and 2013 Executive Budget Recommendation.

In the proposed Michigan’s Budget Overview it states that, “Jump-starting the Michigan economy requires all citizens to play a role in the reinvention” (Overview, A-8). I understand that this is rationalized as fair practice and judgement. However, what about the citizens that do not have the opportunities and additional resources to help Michigan reinvent? If the K-12 funding is cut further, it will reduce the already scarce resources for many people of this state. This will ensure that families who already struggle in the current economy will not be able to improve their detrimental conditions. Merging existing financial aid programs into a single Pathway to Higher Education could further perpetuate this effect (Overview, A-9).

I accept that Michigan desperately needs a budget reinvention. I believe that this can be achieved successfully without compromising the resources of those who need them the most.

I was born and raised in the state of Michigan and presently, do not plan on staying in the state after I complete higher education. Unfortunately, I do not visualize the future of Michigan as being the best state for me to raise a family. I know that I do not stand alone in this point of view. Please make us want to stay in this great state of Michigan.

Thank you for your respectful consideration of my words.


Sincerely,


Mandy Cox

Dr. Weil Interview

In David Kupfer's interview (Vital Signs, 2011) with Dr. Andrew Weil, he investigates Dr. Weil's approach and thoughts on integrative medicine. I found the article very interesting as it reinforced beliefs I already had. In the interview, Dr. Weil talks about the "human need for altered states of consciousness." I remember learning about this in introduction psychology class. As a student with an alcohol and drug addictions (ADA) minor, in the past I have been interested in the contradictions between psychology and treating addiction. Dr. Weil mentions how the "strategies to eliminate illegal drugs are getting worse and worse." Obviously there is a problem with the current approach to controlling people using mind altering substances. We have been criminalizing people for a need that might be as important as love or safety. This current system is failing miserably. Legal practices and medicinal practices of our country need to change to better serve the people. I envision a successful nation that embraces an integrative approach to medicine.

I am eager to read Dr. Weil's books.

Historical Health Care

The industrial revolution in the United States helped shape the health care policies and values that we enjoy (or don't enjoy) today. The American Medical Association (AMA) that was established in 1847 created a schedule of drugs that organized prescriptions and narcotics according to their medical use and potential for abuse. This is an ever-changing list because social values change over time. This initiation of the schedule of drugs laid the groundwork for the capitalization lobbying of and for prescription drugs. The lobbying that takes place in congress and in hospitals is a scary thing for the American people. We might not be getting appropriate care if there is enough money backing an opposing solution. However, I do recognize that these items require classification in order to establish and maintain regulations.

When hospitals began to emerge during the industrial revolution they were concentrated in large cities and towns. Thinking about this fact, not much has changed. The majority of the U.S. health care takes place in more densely populated areas. This poses a problem for people in rural environments who might not have the means to travel. These same people might not have health care anyway. So, why should they care about getting to a hospital if it means that they will have a hospital debt that they might not be able to pay later anyway? Think about it. Seriously.