I don't think it's normal that sometimes I sit and think about the healthcare system for significant portions of the solar day. At least, not at my age. But I do, and Mother always did tell me to share, so I'm sharing with all of you!!! Now, I don't mean to come off as if the world were ending, or as if I'm drowning in a bucket of cynicsm. That's no fun at all!! I'm just here to educate, impart information, and complain just a little bit. So, without further ado... Did you know that America is the richest nation on Earth? That's exciting. Did you know that America is the only Western power without Universalized Healthcare? That's not so exciting. If you don't know what Universalized Healthcare is, it's free healthcare provided by the government and generally paid for by taxes. Canada has it, and we all know how awesome Canada is. France has it, Germany has it, England has it, and I want a piece of that! I remember, when I was thirteen, my mother went outside about an hour before sunset for a bit of rollerblading after her cardio class at the YMCA (Yeah, I know, Mother is awesome.). My brother and I were a little less athletically inclined, a lot more uncoordinated, and absolutely unknowledgeable of the ways of rollerblading, so we stayed at home and did homework. And, about two ours later, my mother comes home, all bloodied and scarred. She had heard a car in the street, swerved, and hit an old-school Buick instead (you know the kind made of steel?). She had lain under the car for about an hour, unconscious, and then managed to make her way back to our third story apartment, to call her mother for transport to the hospital. She was missing pieces of skin. Her face didn't really look much like a normal face anymore either, especially with all the teeth missing. But hey, we have health insurance!! We're straight. They'll take care of all of this. Well, it turns out that the company felt that replacing my mother's teeth was cosmetic surgery, and they decided not to cover it. Thank God my grandparents had the money, because my mother was a single parent, making her way through college. Today, I think, what would have happened if I didn't have grandparents to take care of that sort of thing? Would my mother have been able to finish college? Would I be able to start college? Because student loans suck. The American healthcare system sucks. If you don't understand why, keep reading. Number 1 Healthcare Insurance Companies are major corporations. Major corporations with enough money to pay off every politician that poses a threat and still pay their CEO a couple million a year. So what is the US government going to do about the healthcare system? Nothing. Especially after the companies managed to shut up Hilary Clinton with a lot of animosity and a nice, big check. Number 2 As major corporations, the main objective of these companies is to make lots and lots of money. They look for loopholes to get out of paying for costly surgeries. Like they declared that my mother's teeth were cosmetic, something unnecessary and superficial, they can also declare a certain type of cancer treatment experimental. They can deny treatement at certain hospitals, like they did my brother when he had pneumonia and lung problems. They can jack up the cost of you're insurance if you get sick, so that you can't afford it any longer. Angry and bitter, yet? Number 3 All these things can happen to you if you even manage to get healthcare insurance in the first place! If you have a preexisting condition, like a genetic disease, or prior illness, chances are, you get nothing. If you're too fat, or too thin, the same goes for you. If you can't afford it, too bad. The government might take care of you, but considering Bush's recent decision to veto a bill that would provide healthcare for thousands of uninsured children, that's not very likely. Number 4 If Canada, France, Germany, Britain, Cuba, Russia, Brasil, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, and the list continues but my fingers are hurting, can have unversal healthcare, WHY CAN"T WE? Oh, and by the way, the US war fund is paying for Universal Healthcare in Iraq and Afghanistan, just so you know. We can afford it. Think of all the things that we get free! Free public education, free firemen, free policemen, free libraries. Yes, I know that the public education here is not so great, but if the US would just give it the proper funding, everything would be great. Did you know that the Pentagon spends upwards $200 to $300 billion a year? We have the money. We have more money than any of the aforementioned countries. I feel that entitles me to certain things. Number 5 Watch Sicko by Michael Moore, and do some research. Trust me, you'll be disgusted. This is an important issue, and I wish the political candidates would just address it already, so I can stop wishing to be Canadian.