This Testament provided by Gregory Dean Lemke one of the (99%) who cares about the meaning of true community responsibility. Gregory Dean Lemke was a past Republican Candidate year 2002, Washington State House of Representatives 38th District, his ending returns represented 41% of the vote. Today Gregory Dean Lemke remains a Republican Candidate for Washington State House Representatives 39th District position- 2. This is Gregory Dean Lemke opinion on today’s healthcare issues. This is testament and, a statement of opinion that is protected under the First Amendment of United State Constitution. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” Thomas Jefferson As a Christian, I fear for what I see in today’s America. I see that people, although declared equal by our Constitution, are not; neither are all people similarly endowed with personal rights and liberties. Human beings, for instance, during periods of severe transition and crisis, brought on by sickness and suffering, are often left in a miasma of despair by our social and health care systems. They suffer the burden of their infirmities and, also from the health care system’s infirmity of failing to fully live up to the creed of our country to insure rights and privileges, equitably, to all who are in need, regardless of their circumstance or socio-economic status. If life is merely a journey, as many purveyors of health care seem to accept, and that physical end processes of dying should be accepted as fate, where suffering is compromised for comfort, then is this not in contention with the Christian view that life is sacred and that all people are equal and that all are worthy of opportunities to prolong and enhance the quality of their existence, by whatever means available. To refer to life as a journey, in the context of how it is used by health care providers, is to say that one’s lot in life is fixed and the circumstances surrounding that fixity should be accepted. In other words, if you cannot pay for medical services surrounding that fixity it should be accepted. In other words, if you cannot pay for medical services and treatments that may prolong your life and enhance your life; you should accept a natural death referring to (hospice care) or an active death (referring to your right to die) as a solution to your dilemma. Health care providers have grave difficulty in justifying the expenditure of monies to rectify what “they feel” are irremediable health difficulties in justifying the extremities of illness that deplete their fiscal resources (the insurance companies). More so the system encourages the development of personnel health care policing programs, or rather Gate keeping, where you are made responsible for your own wellness, releasing physicians from having to sustain life when patient are faced with life threatening illness. The plan would provide health care that would move from sickness to wellness toward stewardship in the practice of care. This is to protect and insure that an appropriate utilization of services in a cost affective matter, making the physician a consultant rather then a primary care provider. Physicians who refused to comply with policy of utilization are force out of practice by providers who manage the care system cost for access to medical services. Where then do the issues of the endowment of rights and liberties of individuals come to play? Does the patient really have a right to decide about treatment and what care is best for his or her needs in a medical crisis based on their means and income alone? Where, then, do the issues of endowment of rights and liberties of an individuals come to play? Where is “method” which defines the reality of eternal life as a delineated in the ministry of the Jesus Christ? Where do we begin to utilize the time honored principle of purification of the soul through suffering and a means of a faith expression in sickness? It seems that the system has discarded the format which commands us to seek life, eternal, through Jesus Christ with His accompanying truth, born out if his immense labors of love and by his sensitive preoccupation with the well being of Man? His ministry was a poignant with the rhetoric of how Man is perfected and refined through trial and tribulations Through misery, pain and disillusion Christ marshaled the Power of God (His Father), to rise above the uncanny difficulty with faith. This faith, therefore, was and is the key to overcoming the pain of suffering and the incredible losses of emotional, psychological and physical body integrity. By the same token, our streets are full of humans who are predisposed to a plight by a society that lacks the courage or concern to make a difference in their lives. Our street inhabitants abound for the most part, not because they cannot redeem themselves, but because our society does not choose to redeem them. Our mentally ill are turned into the street and escape our concern because we have decided that so long as they are not a danger to themselves or others and not liable to endanger lives or property, it generally permissible to allow them to descend to what ever level of existence their lack of means may provide- without dignity. After all, we cannot continue to spend money on people who aren’t able to ever do for them, or for us. “Our pocketbooks suffer enough already”, is the resounding cry. Unfortunately, it seems, society creates it’s very own scale of acceptance based upon economic priorities. These priorities resolve around the individual’s capacity to tend to his own affairs, contributing gainfully, to the community, rather than being a liability to it. This, however, is not in contrast to the principle of the principle of the Puritan Ethic, upon with much of or philosophy of life in America is predicated. The principle declares that humans are necessarily endowed to take care of themselves, and if they are not capable, they are presumed to be decidedly not resourceful and useless by their own choice. These people seem to be possessed by the spirit of sloth, rather than that of industry by not being gainful. If you are a social deviant or penniless by circumstance or a physical or emotional invalid, it was by your choice you were- it was your destiny. After all am I my brother keeper? You are only as good as the labor you provide you are a human resource alone in today world. Be careful and attend to your wellness because without your labor you will be lost. The Puritan Ethic does not allow for useless eater. By dying, Jesus gave us forgiveness from our sins as well as the gift of eternal life. He so loved the world that He gave His life. He also gave us a timeless record of His life as a focal point for our own. Something, if you will, as an example to guide us through the perilous terrain of deception life has created for us. We read, in the 11th chapter, verse 25 of the Gospel of John, that Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he were dead, yet he shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” I am concerned, however, about the stated premise upon which this kind of concern must be based in order to provide a true and holistic response to sickness and suffering. What motivates the care giver, over and against what ought to motivate givers of care? If the need for profit in providing care, is an absolute driver in the provision of such care, does this not, then , deter from what ought to be the principle driver for such provision- the fundamental need to show compassion and concern to everyone, fully, regardless of the capacity to reimburse. This, after all, is a modifier of human existence. Do we lose sight of the fact that the desire to heal is not an acquired behavior but a learned one? That Jesus example cannot be taken in part but fully but must illustrate all the possibilities for Man’s development and growth. That life is not an end in itself and that a quality of life is only achievable when care givers are not restricted by fiscal priorities and statistics to provide such quality. Therefore, Jesus teaches us in the above verse from John that He gives life and that He sustains the substance of Man through the strength of his Word. It is also stated in chapter 12 of that same gospel, verse * that Jesus told his disciples that’ “the poor you will have always” I consider this a rather harrowing indictment of human beings; that we, in effect, will suffer with the problems of poverty in our world always. I am troubled by the declaration that Mankind will not, successfully, eradicate this problem of human poverty. Man will not find solutions to it, though there is a world of options to us if we could muster courage to employ them- but, though our insatiable greed, we are more apt to exacerbate the ill rather than treat it. This statement is not only an indictment of all mankind. It is, likewise, a wake up call for those of us who partake if the lion’s share of worldly comfort. They too are in danger of losing all of what they have, potentially, because of the very nature of this kind of collective lack of will and blindness. Furthermore, the likelihood of escaping the kind of tragedy which forces formerly solvent and otherwise productive and resourceful people into the street, because of circumstances beyond their control, becomes increasing difficult as attitudes, needs and markets change. As we read farther into the scripture, we see further evidence of the necessities for a dual sense of obligation and responsibility which Jesus declares to be the key in human interaction. In chapter 13, verse 13 of John‘s gospel, Jesus says “you call me Master and Lord; and rightly so; for this I am. If I then your Lord and master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” And then, in verse 15 “For I have given you an example that you do as I have done to you.” Truly, Christ has given us example that we do as He has done. Because in so doing, we stand to discover that absolute virtue enriches absolutely and that courage, when it is found, is well worth its discovery in love.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 22:24:26 +0000
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