I figured that since there are some topics that really peak my interest and that I fell quite strongly about that I might as well shares these ideas with others. Hence the start of my own personal blog, yes. . . Micah started a blog.
As most of you know, I am finishing up my Education at SDSU studying Public Health. I can't explain how happy I am that I have found my passion in this world, since I have spent much of my college career bouncing around different majors, different careers, and working hard. After this long stint as an undergrad, I will hopefully be attending a Graduate program to get my master's in Nursing specializing in Public Health. Then I can go on to do fantastic things and contribute so much to society and helping people. Maybe my sister and I can be a little team of health professionals.
For those of you not familiar with the Health industry, let me tell you about Public Health. The easiest way I explain it to people, is by telling them that its health issues that each and everyone of us confront everyday of our lives. Public Health issues encompass both political and social arenas, preventative and treatment methods, and also social and individualistic struggles. It is social marketing of healthy behaviors to the population so that we can contribute to society in great ways. Topics range from the food we put in our mouths, infectious diseases we contract, drugs we become addicted to, and accidents we get into, to name a few. Basically public health is a necessity to the prolonged health of the human population so that we can be healthy contributing people in society.
As we all know, health care is an issue that we are seeing more and more of in the news, especially in a year of a presidential election. But the real issue is that there are millions of people with out health insurance, and we need to figure out a way to correct this. I don't know the best way to do this, do we raise everyone's taxes to support a government based health care program, do we make it mandatory that all employers offer health insurance for their employees, or do we make regulations that medical organizations have to abide to? What I do know is that the current system is in need of definite reform.
I read an article yesterday in the Union Tribune that disturbed me. The article targeted a major prison, San Quentin, in California and discussed its current state. The article was titled, "San Quentin Original Dungeon to be Preserved Amid Renovation," this was not what was so disturbing to me. What was disturbing was what I went on to read in the article. The article talks about the, "Federal court-ordered overhaul of California's prison medical system," yes you heard it right. The California tax payers are not only paying for criminals to live in our prison systems, not only their medical treatment, but a new $146 million primary health service complex at the prison. Does any of that make sense? While there are millions of people in the state without medical insurance, the inmates that are housed at this maximum security prison are not only getting free medical insurance, but the ones footing the bill are law-abiding citizens. Many of these citizens are not able to receive their own health insurance, yet they get to fund a health care system for rapists, murderers, and other criminals. Some how our government justifies building a brand new health facility partly paid by those who can't even get insurance themselves. There is just something so completely wrong about this ass-backward situation, for lack of better words.
To keep this as un-biased as I can, I do need to mention the fact that the hospital currently on the premise of the prison was built in 1885. So it's old! It obviously worked up until this point, or they made other accommodations to satisfy the medical needs of the prisoners. There may even be a different facility that they used and the 1885 facility could merely be just for show. The article, coincidentally, didn't mention that. (http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080127/news_1n27quentin.html)
I feel as though the law-abiding citizens that work hard and pay their taxes are getting screwed. We wonder why the state of California is suffering from a financial and economic crisis? We wonder why the Governor has to cut education budgets for Californian children and students or why the cost of living is so high?
Ponder these thoughts, what is that you think or what is it that believe? Maybe we shouldn't depend on politics to make the right choices for us, they don't exactly have a proven track record for doing so.
Until next time,
Micah
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6 comments:
Now I get to hear your rants in person, via text, on the phone, and read about them here. Is there anyway you could sky type them? Should there be a power outage :). Love you
Glad that you have joined the blogosphere! Looking forward to reading more. I have also linked your blog to concourseh.blogspot.com.
Micah,
I am very ecited about the intensity of your interest to public health. Your mind is sharp and your heart is warm.
Hi Micah: As a reader of your grandpa's posts for over 15 years, I welcome yours, too. But I must disagree with your views about prison medical care. As a physician for over 50 years, I cannot imagine putting someone in prison and then not caring for his/her medical problems. Having said that, we should be working as a society to reduce the number of incarcerations, and returning prisoners to society better prepared to live law-abiding lives.
I agree with Don. I realize its disturbing to think about spending so much money on a prison health care system when there are millions of uninsured people in California. However, the answer is not in taking health care away from prisoners but rather to fix our health care system so that all people get great care, everyone from princes to prisoners. As someone famous once said, great countries should not be judged by the way they treat the best of society but by the way they treat the worst. Let's be a country that can be proud of the way we treat all of our citizens not just the rich, the innocent, the white, but everyone.
Hi Micah,
This is Howard's friend Larry in Maryland. Nicely written. I am in public health school too, so I am learning and discussing similar topics. It is ridiculous how good the healthcare of inmates is compared to hard working American citizens who can't afford it. It is one of the many, many inequalities that we will face as public health professionals. I will try to read your blog more often. We can share class horror stories!!
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