Healthcare

In 2020 there were 76 million people enrolled in Medicaid. 20 million of these were added because of Obamacare which allowed single adults to be eligible. Prior to that only women with children, disabled and some elderly were eligible. For those with incomes of less than 133% of the poverty rate Medicaid is free. For a single person that is $18,000 per year. For a single parent with two children that is $30,000 per year. There are still 30 million people who are not insured and about 6 million of these qualify for free Medicaid but they failed to sign up. Some say that is because there are no preexisting conditions and people can wait until they get sick to sign on. People who have higher incomes can stay on Obamacare where premiums are subsidized for the low income group. The average subsidy is $492 per month and the average premium is $576 per month so this is affordable but the deductibles are prohibitive for many. Depending on income the out of pocket expenses per year are $2,200 up to $6,300 for single coverage and twice that for family. That is the reason many are still uninsured. Young single males are not interested in health insurance.

Crime

The increase in crime across the country has caused some to simplify things by saying if you enforce the laws and put law breakers in jail crime will go down. Is there any evidence to support this claim? Violent crime nearly quadrupled (400%) between 1960 and its peak in 1991. Since then violent crime has decreased by 45% going from 684 per 100,000 population to 366. Many reasons are given for this decline but one of the more significant is the 1994 crime bill. This is known as the get tough on crime bill. What was the effect?The incarceration rate in 1960 was 240 per 100,000 population and in 2019 it was 750 per 100,000 or a 300% increase. Some say this bill was racist because it penalized crack users more than cocaine users and this may be true but the question remains does getting tough on crime reduce crime.

Living in America

Almost 7 out of 10 voters (69 percent) believe America is the greatest country to reside in, according to the latest Fox News survey, down from 83 percent in 2015 and from the high-water mark recorded a decade ago: 84 percent in April 2011, the first time the question was asked on a Fox News poll . The question then becomes where do these individuals think is better place to live and why. Why do polls show that 150 million people would like to come to America. There is no poll showing how many want to leave America. It makes good sense to push for changes to make America a better place to live but compared to what. To quote Ronald Reagan, you can move to Germany but you will never become a German, you can move to France and you will never become a Frenchman but you can move to America and become an American.

SS Checks

Some years ago the laws changed and social security checks were no longer sent in the mail. This meant that recipients needed another way to get their checks. Most chose to have the checks sent to their bank account but many did not have a bank account. They were told to sign up for Direct Express to get their checks. Step one. Call an 800 number and apply for the card. They will notify SS and provide the information needed. Then call a different 800 number to activate. Give them your 16 digit card number, the last four of your SS card, your date of birth and then select a four digit PIN. You then go to certain ATM's to get cash from your account. For most people this is not that big of a deal but for many elderly living alone it represents a challenge.

whiteness

White privileged is a misnomer. White advantage is more appropriate. If you are born white in this society you have an advantage. If you are born rich you have an advantage. If you are raised in a two parent family you have an advantage. If your parents went to college you have an advantage. If your parents taught you to respect authority you have an advantage. If you're a women who is attractive you have an advantage. If you are man over six feet tall you have an advantage. If you have a high IQ you have an advantage. If you have good health you have an advantage. The lack of any of these attributes is a disadvantage that many have overcome. You overcome these by playing the hand you are dealt. You accept responsibility for your station in life and work hard to better your situation. It is to your disadvantage to look for others to blame and assume the roll of victim. It is not helpful to wait for someone else to change your circumstances. You must take control of your life.

Civil rights

The 1964 Civil Rights Act is seen by many as the most important step in eliminating racism in the United States. In the house 80% of republicans and 63% of democrats voted for the law. In the senate 82% of republicans and 67% of democrats voted for the bill. Dwight D. Eisenhower got 39 percent of the Black vote in 1956, and Richard Nixon got 32 percent in his narrow loss to John F. Kennedy in 1960. It wasn't until the Civil Rights Act that the Blacks then voted 94% for Johnson who himself was a racist. The Blacks have continued to vote 90 plus percent democrat.

Anthem

They say you can always learn something new and that is true for most people when it comes to the National Anthem. An Olympic athlete said the anthem shows how America is racist. She referred to the third verse. Most people did not know there are four verses since only the first is sung. Here is the third verse. And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! She has a point here but you really have to dig to find it and that seems to be happening in many different areas. This anthem was adopted in 1933 long after 600,000 Americans died in the war to get rid of slavery.