My wife runs a small business.  I teach at a small independent school.  If we wanted to have medical insurance for our whole family, it would cost me 75% of my paycheck.  My salary is too high for our two daughters to be covered by Hoosier Healthwise.  

Medical Insurance is not affordable for us.  So, we are currently uninsured.  Socioeconomically, we are considered a middle class family.  Yet we find ourselves among the 50% of America’s population that hopes it doesn’t get sick or injured because it doesn’t have insurance.  

50%.  Half.  .50  1/2  

Obama Care may or may not be a good idea.  It would allow my family to have insurance.  I am not exactly sure at what cost.  Insurance isn’t necessarily my point.  I think the bigger question is how did it get this way?  And who are the people in the other 50% that want to keep it this way?  Tea Party Members?  Hospital CEO’s?  Insurance Company CEO’s?  Pharmaceutical companies?  How did the ability to afford medical care become a luxury?

The American Empire is heading down an all too familiar path, a path that most empires before it have gone down.  It doesn’t have to keep moving down this path toward self centered destruction.  Take a few minutes to step back and reflect, turn off your talk radio station and look inside yourself.  Forget the American dream or the American way or being patriotic, whatever all those things mean.  Do you know your neighbors names?  Are you friends with anyone who doesn’t think like you?  Do you know anyone who is in need?  Is there a person you know who is in need that you could help?  A brighter future isn’t in the hands of Washington.  It isn’t in the hands of your pastor, or your favorite talk show host.  It is in your hands.  We give far too much power to those who are only willing to serve their own self interests.  You have an opportunity to not give it to them.  

Think for yourselves.  Love your neighbor.  Exercise your right not to vote.