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Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care

By TChris, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Mon Sep 12, 2005 at 10:03:24 AM EST
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by TChris

Some Democrats remember that they’re supposed to stand up for the poor and powerless, not for the wealthy and their lobbyists. Here’s John Kerry:

The reality of what millions of Americans face every day was brought home this week. Americans saw on television the grave economic disparity that exists in this country. They were forced to confront the struggles that many African American families have faced for years due to lack of jobs and critical services to help open the doors of opportunity. They saw the people left behind literally and figuratively by the politicians who control Washington these days.

Some displaced children who have never been vaccinated will receive that basic service now that they’ve made it to a shelter. Kerry reminds us that 11 million other children aren’t receiving adequate health care. Must their homes be destroyed before they receive help?

We all have to ask ourselves what it says about our nation, and our leadership, when only in a time of crisis we help people who need help most. Our nation’s real test after Katrina goes well beyond the rebuilding of New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama. We will be judged by how we deal with the all the unmet challenges and injustices in our nation.

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    Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care | 12 comments (12 topical)
    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#1)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:42 PM EST
    Must their homes be destroyed before they receive help? What do you think? No vaccination left behind.

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#2)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:43 PM EST
    Tchris writes:
    Some displaced children who have never been vaccinated will receive that basic service now that they’ve made it to a shelter.
    I believe every school in the US require that all students be vaccinated for a list of diseases. I do know that if the child's parent(s) cannot afford the cost, the local Health Department will do it at no cost to the parent(s). So, if they haven't received the shot it is because the care giver hasn't taken them to get them. You know, there are many problems, and many things to blame. But a continual playing of the "poor card," especially when the cited example is incorrect, doesn't help anything.

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#3)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:43 PM EST
    Jim, Not every school, city, region, what have you, requires EVERY shot be given to a child. There are discrepancies and And AND...many of these children we're talking about aren't of school age. Not to mention you're talking about the underclass here, for the most part. And services for these needy people (whether or not you think a certain percentage are just lazy or irresponsible or just plain and don't deserve services) are not exactly funded to anywhere near an adequate level. I remember going to free clinics with my mom in the 70's. Ain't much better today. An argument could be made that it's worse.

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#4)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:43 PM EST
    Jim, laziness has nothing to do with it. Poverty is not the result of laziness (in a meritocracy, how can that be possible?) What you have posted here speaks volumes of your lack of compassion for those less fortunate.

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:43 PM EST
    "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" Jim, you sometimes seem like a cartoon of a human being...

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:44 PM EST
    Dadler - Show me one school system that doesn't require vacinations. And BTW - You don't have to be of school age. And I made no argument what so ever about "lazy," etc. Quit putting words in my mouth, because people like Johnny and cookiek, who can't be bothered to read what I said before commenting, just pile on. Johnny - Catch a clue. I made absolutely no mention of laziness. That's Dadler's comment you're reading. cookiek - Read what I just wrote Johnny.

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#7)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:44 PM EST
    "Jim, you sometimes seem like a cartoon of a human being..."

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#8)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:44 PM EST
    Jim, Here is some info regarding vaccinations and school admittance. I'm not advocating this website's position, only pointing out the reality. Also, we have friends who, after doing their own research, decided against vaccinating their children. Their daughter goes to public school. And I KNOW you didn't say "lazy" blah blah blah, I was making a qualifying remark in general. Saying "even if you DO think some people don't deserve help for a variety of reasons..." then the truth about underfunding the neediest people still stands.

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#9)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:44 PM EST
    Dadler, Jimmie's all whiney because he made a stupid remark and it elicited a response. Sorry Jimbud, but only in your whitebread fantasy world do all the children have vaccinations UTD. Again, you're clashing with a reality-based community.

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#10)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:44 PM EST
    Squeaky: "Jim, you sometimes seem like a cartoon of a human being..." Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom of that page... Heh!... Heh!

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#11)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:46 PM EST
    Che - No whine, dude. Just pointing out that it is generally considered the proper thing to do to write about what a person said. Not what someone else said. Which is ..... now this is complicated so pay close attention... what Johnny did. Hope the strain doesn't give you a headache. Dadler - So now you are linking to a site that is against vacinations to prove that parents can't get free vacinations, right now, at their local health department? And that was the issue. And I'd still like to see that school system that doesn't require vacinations. How about LA? SD?

    Re: Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care (none / 0) (#12)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:48 PM EST
    Jim, I said in my post that we have friends who chose not to immunize and their kids were in public school here in Socal and now are in Chicago. But that's really a separate issue, because they are educated whities who did their own homework and made a CHOICE. Other people, poor people specifically, who want their children vaccinated, do NOT have the access to health care that you seem to think they do. If they did, we wouldn't be having this debate.

    Kerry On Katrina, Poverty, and Health Care | 12 comments (12 topical)