There's a scene toward the end of Breaking the Waves (which, considering Lars von Trier's more recent output, feels more and more like a one-off) where Bess, the main character, addresses the assembled elders of her church. She has begun, rather dramatically, to fall apart. I have to paraphrase a bit, but in essence what she asks the gathered old, dry men is how they can love words more than people. How can they love their strict, airless religion more than the people it hurts?
This week, the people of Maine loved a word more than they loved my family.
The 24 hours I allotted myself to wallow have passed. Nothing is gained by protracted grief, and already my friends and colleagues have lightened my spirits through numerous outpourings of support and love. I remain, as always, deeply grateful for grace.
However, it also remains true that where once I felt at home, suddenly I feel... less so. With the exceptions of my wonderful little city of Hallowell and the nearby town of Readfield, even single other city and town in the area voted "yes." The county where I work (Kennebec) handed the referendum about a quarter of its final margin of victory. The town that shares a school district with Hallowell favored the referendum by 15 percentage points. I wondered, two days ago when I saw the parents in my practice with "I voted" stickers, how many of them had voted "yes." Seeing the numbers from Augusta and all the other area cities, it's not a stretch to assume that most of them had.
Glum prognostications like the one here notwithstanding, I think it's a valid reaction to accentuate the positive. What was a few years ago a ridiculous impossibility to consider came within a few percentage points of being affirmed by the people this week. That's not nothing. I am deeply, deeply grateful for the hard work of all the people who gave everything they had to the excellent, classy and well-organized "No on 1" campaign. I have already promised them that I will do anything I can in the future to help, should they need it. I am proud to have worked with them, and glad to know them now as friends. We will endure, and in the end we will win.
*brushes off shoulders, squares chin*
Now, then. What else shall we talk about?
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He Got Away With It
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I've sometimes been told that my animosity toward Trump and Trumpism verges
on the irrational -- "Trump Derangement Syndrome", as his most ardent
defende...
3 hours ago
Von Trier reminds me of one of those bands where every song sounds exactly the same, but for some reason you think one of their songs is awesome and every other one sucks. Ace of Base, Dee-Lite, Don Henley, I'm looking in your direction!
ReplyDeleteThe last couple of days I have been thinking about the suffragettes who worked so hard and suffered so much to give me the right to vote. I am so thankful that they eventually won. As you state, you will win, too.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Live your life as you see fit, and as the folk-saying goes, illegitimi non carborundum.
ReplyDeleteNow, on to your question. How about the rapidly metastasizing CongressCare bill, also known as the Medical-Innovation-Grinds-To-A-Halt bill of 2009? You have special expertise on the medical front, and know what life is like for a front-line physician.
Surely we can come up with some workable plan that doesn't involve the stick of spending squillions now for the carrot of distant savings. I suggest a National Catastrophic Insurance plan (since we are in effect already funding this, and it would do wonders for insurance rates if the Feds covered the two-sigma medical disaster), plus a ban on States restricting access to insurance. Follow that up with a 5 year plan to phase out employer tax breaks for medical insurance, plus serious tort reform and capping attorney fees for medical lawsuits. Would any of that help? And wouldn't it be, ahh, what's the word? Ahhh, yes, affordable. Wouldn't it be affordable?
By the way, I did not mean to belittle the deeply moving nature of this post by focusing on one insignificant detail and going on a pop culture riff.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone who worked in Maine for No on 1 should be proud of what they did, for such a dignified and energetic effort.
Dan, Calvin & Owen, This will be my very last post/reply on the No topic..... I only wish those who voted yes could have seen what we witnessed with your little family. A wonderful safe home, and the obvious love the three of you have. I am not certain Owen knows what it means, he just knows he is safe and loved. How could it possibly get better than that. Onward!
ReplyDeleteI know you don't want to hear this, but you do have a lot to be grateful for. A great job, family, etc. My wife has recently gone back to school to study nursing, which is costing us a small bundle (no student loans for now) and we are down to my one income. 3 young boys, new car payments, RCN cable bill that skyrocketed. etc. I got rid of it, went for a cheap package with Dish and truly lousy phone service with Verizon. In addition the kid across the street (and in my sons class) has H1N1, and there are no vaccines here, and my baby has an abcessed tooth that isn't covered. I have no dental. And my other two sons didn't inherit my teeth, I think their cavities have cavities.
ReplyDeleteThese are really scary times for a lot of people. People are sour and pissed off (unlike myself, who is always sweetness and light) I honestly think if times were better it would have passed.
charo
yeah gadfly, we can fix all of our healthcare woes with a plan that could fit on the back of a napkin, such simplistic economic reasoning (supply side) was tried under Reagan and failed.
ReplyDeleteCatastrophic health insurance is useless, except as a way for insurance companies to make a lot of money. Believe it or not, but medical bankruptcy is better since afterwards you can be on medicaid as an indigent person, and get better healthcare. It won't address health care that matters. Hell, catastrophic health insurance isn't even that expensive, the Republicans could have bought every uninsured person it years ago, the reason they didn't is because when they were in power they knew it would be useless except as a way to enrich the insurance companies. (which they did my their pharm bill anyway)
It is also hilarious to hear a Republican talk about affordable. In 8 years Bush went from a projected 5 trillion dollar surplus to a 5 trillion dollar deficit, leaving us an economy in freefall in the process. Big Government Conservatism is an abomination, and please stop pretending there is such a thing as a small Government one.
charo
It never hurts to be reminded of reasons to be grateful, Charo.
ReplyDeleteAnd Gadfly, I honestly haven't been paying enough attention to the healthcare bill to be able to comment with any kind of authority. When I finally figure out what's in the final package, I'll try to form a cogent opinion.
Well, in that case, another reason to be grateful: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin co-hosting the Oscars.
ReplyDelete-joe
Don't worry, apparently no one knows what is in the bill. But hey, we're up to almsot 2K pages and 1.2 trillion doll hairs in cost. That's the way to keep medical costs in check, spend like, like, well, metaphors really fail at this point. The cost beggars belief.
ReplyDeletegj, this 1.2 trillion is for 10 years, by the way over those self same ten years the US will produce in excess of 180 Trillion dollars in goods and services (and if the economy does well, over 200 trillion dollars), so if spending .007 cents on the dollar for health insurance reform beggars belief, time to look for a new beggar.
ReplyDeletecharo