Number one: This post is NOT about a gun debate. Number two: This post is not about politics. This is me just dumping my sad little heart out for all the world to see.
My entire life I've been told "We live in the greatest country in the world". I'm not saying that's true or not true at this point. Just some things I've observed.
So one reason why this was true: We don't have people starving to death like in Ethiopia (or anywhere else where there are mass amounts of people dying from lack of food). But we do. We have homeless people in each of our own cities that don't know where their next meal is coming from. A few weeks ago I visited the Rockmart Homeless Initiative. It was incredibly eye opening and humbling. I have heard people say "Well if they're homeless it's their fault because they won't get a job". That's just the biggest bunch of ignorance I've ever heard. That MAY be the case with some people but that is most certainly not the primary reason.
Here's a good reason: We have the greatest military in the world. That also may be true. What sucks? We have vets committing suicide at alarming rates. We have vets that are homeless. If someone got blown up by a freaking bomb, trying to ensure my continued freedom, there is ZERO reason why they should come home and wind up homeless. None. Like....zero. Not with all the empty foreclosed homes sitting around.....that's just one possible solution.
Another reason: We have access to some of the most cutting edge healthcare in the world. M'kay while this MAY be true our healthcare system is SHOT. I'm going to give you a prime example. We're going to use ME. This is a TRUE story. Once upon a time (in the not too distant past) I didn't have health insurance. I had zero access to proper physical and mental healthcare (which mental healthcare in the US is a whole other can of worms). I had to go to the ER one night for a simple infection that needed antibiotics. If I'd had insurance I could've gone to my PCP and gotten it there. Instead I had to visit an ER (which is for, ideally, emergencies only). That particular night I felt like a drain on that hospital and its resources.
Another reason that we "live in the greatest country in the world": We don't go to bed every night worried that a bomb will fall on our town. No. That's true. But I live in a country where I fear my kids going to school and dealing with an active shooter. I live in a country where I fear grocery shopping. I live in a country where road rage ends in death sometimes. I live in a country where murder/suicide is at ridiculously high rates. Understand this post isn't just about the guns...people use all sorts of weapons. It's not JUST the guns.
My entire life I've been told "We live in the greatest country in the world". I'm not saying that's true or not true at this point. Just some things I've observed.
So one reason why this was true: We don't have people starving to death like in Ethiopia (or anywhere else where there are mass amounts of people dying from lack of food). But we do. We have homeless people in each of our own cities that don't know where their next meal is coming from. A few weeks ago I visited the Rockmart Homeless Initiative. It was incredibly eye opening and humbling. I have heard people say "Well if they're homeless it's their fault because they won't get a job". That's just the biggest bunch of ignorance I've ever heard. That MAY be the case with some people but that is most certainly not the primary reason.
Here's a good reason: We have the greatest military in the world. That also may be true. What sucks? We have vets committing suicide at alarming rates. We have vets that are homeless. If someone got blown up by a freaking bomb, trying to ensure my continued freedom, there is ZERO reason why they should come home and wind up homeless. None. Like....zero. Not with all the empty foreclosed homes sitting around.....that's just one possible solution.
Another reason: We have access to some of the most cutting edge healthcare in the world. M'kay while this MAY be true our healthcare system is SHOT. I'm going to give you a prime example. We're going to use ME. This is a TRUE story. Once upon a time (in the not too distant past) I didn't have health insurance. I had zero access to proper physical and mental healthcare (which mental healthcare in the US is a whole other can of worms). I had to go to the ER one night for a simple infection that needed antibiotics. If I'd had insurance I could've gone to my PCP and gotten it there. Instead I had to visit an ER (which is for, ideally, emergencies only). That particular night I felt like a drain on that hospital and its resources.
Another reason that we "live in the greatest country in the world": We don't go to bed every night worried that a bomb will fall on our town. No. That's true. But I live in a country where I fear my kids going to school and dealing with an active shooter. I live in a country where I fear grocery shopping. I live in a country where road rage ends in death sometimes. I live in a country where murder/suicide is at ridiculously high rates. Understand this post isn't just about the guns...people use all sorts of weapons. It's not JUST the guns.
Y'all I could go on and on about reasons I was told that this is the greatest country in the world. And, again, I'm not saying it's not still better than other places (I mean people STILL want to leave war torn areas and come here....) but it's GOT to change. This place has GOT to get better. Do I have all the answers? No. I don't....I don't know that anyone has all the right answers. I just hurt way deep in my soul today for all those that hurt. I hurt for this broken nation because right now we are truly a nation divided. I know there's more to it than just "pray for things to get better" but right now we could all use a little prayer.
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