I'm feeling so sad lately... A few years ago, I was able to have cancer surgery because the Affordable Care Act required my employer to offer me health insurance--since then I've had two more small procedures to remove pre-cancer areas. Now Congress is in a big hurry to repeal the ACA. Most of my family are very conservative and I try not to take it personally, but it's really hard lately--it's like they think I don't deserve insurance, and my life doesn't matter because I'm not as rich as they are. I would be, if my husband hadn't died so I kinda feel like they think I'm too poor to worry about or that I don't work hard enough or something. How can I NOT take their snide comments about "liberals" so personally? If my brother-in-law thinks he's being funny or joking, I certainly don't think this is something to joke about. Any ideas?
I think a lot to do with ACA's opposition comes down to a lack of education. Your family members may not realize that without it, you won't even get insurance because of a preexisting condition, particularly if it's cancer. The point of ACA was to help distribute the costs, but insurance companies raised prices because there's no profit in covering sick people (yay amoral capitalism!). The big problems are rising health-care and pharmaceutical costs, which insurance companies are trying to compensate for. The rage is misdirected. People are unknowingly blaming ACA when it's the entire health industry that needs to be regulated (lots of money there, so it'll be a very long time before that happens). Remember the cost of epi-pens in relation to their production costs? Also, people that are broke think they have to pay for insurance or face fines from the IRS, but they didn't realize there were multiple exemptions they could apply for if they truly couldn't afford the insurance fees. The one really bad thing about ACA was how it impacted small business owners, though. There's a lot that does need to be fixed within ACA, yes, but it is much worse to have it repealed. Many people will discover this when it is repealed, but it'll be too late. I don't really know what you can say to your family members to make them understand, but you could always ask them to do you the courtesy of not discussing it with you since you're at an impasse. Swallowing your hurt is no good.
Explain to him that you feel he is attacking you when he makes his jokes. His vehement rhetoric against liberals make you feel that he doesn't see you as a human being, much less as a member of his family. You're not just offended, you're hurt. Explain politely that ACA saved your life. It's not a liberal thing and it's not a conservative thing. The ACA saved the life of a human being. A human that they know and, I assume, love. What's more, it's saved the lives of many Americans. Poor and rich. A well-off man with a pre-existing condition was just as screwed as a poor man when it came to life insurance before the ACA. The ACA saved lives. Soldiers serve and die to protect the lives of Americans overseas, and yet we will waste those same lives they protected, spent their lives protecting, on the altar of corporate greed. And it's sad. Don't show your anger, just your reasoning, your intelligence and your grace.
U shouldn't say that about ur life, u shouldn't say that u want it to end there is so many things in life that u still need to learn. And if your husband was still alive I don't think he'd want u to think or say those kinds of things cuz u know it make him sad. I understand how u feel though it may seem like it doesn't but u have to handle it.every living person has to go through the toughest part in life. It's part of the lesson of life. And brush off their comments, you don't need them. They are not you, they don't understand how u feel unless you tell them straight up how I feel and maybe telling ur friends about your problems can help u in a slow process but u have to believe that everything's Ganna be alright. there are people who still want you here with them. Its Ganna be ok....don't think too much of how hard and stressful it is. It's going to be ok in the end. Smilie, be free, be open, don't think negative. Try your best to be happy with what you have even though it's hard to accept it. I'll be right there, here, or somewhere to help u along the lines....but know that, the result of everything that was hard for you is going to be ok. -Baka Chan
U shouldn't say that about ur life, u shouldn't say that u want it to end there is so many things in life that u still need to learn. And if your husband was still alive I don't think he'd want u to think or say those kinds of things cuz u know it make him sad. I understand how u feel though it may seem like it doesn't but u have to handle it.every living person has to go through the toughest part in life. It's part of the lesson of life. And brush off their comments, you don't need them. They are not you, they don't understand how u feel unless you tell them straight up how I feel and maybe telling ur friends about your problems can help u in a slow process but u have to believe that everything's Ganna be alright. there are people who still want you here with them. Its Ganna be ok....don't think too much of how hard and stressful it is. It's going to be ok in the end. Smilie, be free, be open, don't think negative. Try your best to be happy with what you have even though it's hard to accept it. I'll be right there, here, or somewhere to help u along the lines....but know that, the result of everything that was hard for you is going to be ok. -Baka Chan
U shouldn't say that about ur life, u shouldn't say that u want it to end there is so many things in life that u still need to learn. And if your husband was still alive I don't think he'd want u to think or sa... @Anonymous
Thanks for your concern. I'm not feeling suicidal, but I am a bit depressed. First because of the danger that 'if' the cancer comes back I won't be able to get it taken care of, and secondly because my family won't even listen to my 'side' of things; I doubt they realize what living in my income range is like and I doubt they realize that they too are one injury away from loosing all of their financial security, too.
I'm feeling so sad lately... A few years ago, I was able to have cancer surgery because the Affordable Care Act required my employer to offer me health insurance--since then I've had two more small procedures to remove pre-cancer areas. Now Congress is in a big hurry to repeal the ACA. Most of my family are very conservative and I try not to take it personally, but it's really hard lately--it's like they think I don't deserve insurance, and my life doesn't matter because I'm not as rich as they are. I would be, if my husband hadn't died so I kinda feel like they think I'm too poor to worry about or that I don't work hard enough or something. How can I NOT take their snide comments about "liberals" so personally? If my brother-in-law thinks he's being funny or joking, I certainly don't think this is something to joke about. Any ideas?
I think a lot to do with ACA's opposition comes down to a lack of education. Your family members may not realize that without it, you won't even get insurance because of a preexisting condition, particularly if it's cancer. The point of ACA was to help distribute the costs, but insurance companies raised prices because there's no profit in covering sick people (yay amoral capitalism!). The big problems are rising health-care and pharmaceutical costs, which insurance companies are trying to compensate for. The rage is misdirected. People are unknowingly blaming ACA when it's the entire health industry that needs to be regulated (lots of money there, so it'll be a very long time before that happens). Remember the cost of epi-pens in relation to their production costs? Also, people that are broke think they have to pay for insurance or face fines from the IRS, but they didn't realize there were multiple exemptions they could apply for if they truly couldn't afford the insurance fees. The one really bad thing about ACA was how it impacted small business owners, though. There's a lot that does need to be fixed within ACA, yes, but it is much worse to have it repealed. Many people will discover this when it is repealed, but it'll be too late. I don't really know what you can say to your family members to make them understand, but you could always ask them to do you the courtesy of not discussing it with you since you're at an impasse. Swallowing your hurt is no good.
Explain to him that you feel he is attacking you when he makes his jokes. His vehement rhetoric against liberals make you feel that he doesn't see you as a human being, much less as a member of his family. You're not just offended, you're hurt.
Explain politely that ACA saved your life.
It's not a liberal thing and it's not a conservative thing.
The ACA saved the life of a human being. A human that they know and, I assume, love.
What's more, it's saved the lives of many Americans. Poor and rich. A well-off man with a pre-existing condition was just as screwed as a poor man when it came to life insurance before the ACA.
The ACA saved lives.
Soldiers serve and die to protect the lives of Americans overseas, and yet we will waste those same lives they protected, spent their lives protecting, on the altar of corporate greed.
And it's sad.
Don't show your anger, just your reasoning, your intelligence and your grace.
Use this as an argument, this guy nails it and is so eloquent ... http://politicaldig.com/poor-suffering-trumpsters-just-got-owned/
Oh I like that one. Good find (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
U shouldn't say that about ur life, u shouldn't say that u want it to end there is so many things in life that u still need to learn. And if your husband was still alive I don't think he'd want u to think or say those kinds of things cuz u know it make him sad. I understand how u feel though it may seem like it doesn't but u have to handle it.every living person has to go through the toughest part in life. It's part of the lesson of life. And brush off their comments, you don't need them. They are not you, they don't understand how u feel unless you tell them straight up how I feel and maybe telling ur friends about your problems can help u in a slow process but u have to believe that everything's Ganna be alright. there are people who still want you here with them. Its Ganna be ok....don't think too much of how hard and stressful it is. It's going to be ok in the end. Smilie, be free, be open, don't think negative. Try your best to be happy with what you have even though it's hard to accept it. I'll be right there, here, or somewhere to help u along the lines....but know that, the result of everything that was hard for you is going to be ok. -Baka Chan
U shouldn't say that about ur life, u shouldn't say that u want it to end there is so many things in life that u still need to learn. And if your husband was still alive I don't think he'd want u to think or say those kinds of things cuz u know it make him sad. I understand how u feel though it may seem like it doesn't but u have to handle it.every living person has to go through the toughest part in life. It's part of the lesson of life. And brush off their comments, you don't need them. They are not you, they don't understand how u feel unless you tell them straight up how I feel and maybe telling ur friends about your problems can help u in a slow process but u have to believe that everything's Ganna be alright. there are people who still want you here with them. Its Ganna be ok....don't think too much of how hard and stressful it is. It's going to be ok in the end. Smilie, be free, be open, don't think negative. Try your best to be happy with what you have even though it's hard to accept it. I'll be right there, here, or somewhere to help u along the lines....but know that, the result of everything that was hard for you is going to be ok. -Baka Chan
Thanks for your concern. I'm not feeling suicidal, but I am a bit depressed. First because of the danger that 'if' the cancer comes back I won't be able to get it taken care of, and secondly because my family won't even listen to my 'side' of things; I doubt they realize what living in my income range is like and I doubt they realize that they too are one injury away from loosing all of their financial security, too.