RANT: “Trapped” in the United States

Sunday, December 18, 2011

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Another-lonely-Christmas-for-illegal-Irish-trapped-in-the-United-States-135602673.html

Another lonely Christmas for illegal Irish trapped in the United States
Undocumented forced to be separated from family for the holidays
By APRIL DREW, Irish Voice Reporter
Published Sunday, December 18, 2011, 7:13 AM
Updated Sunday, December 18, 2011, 7:48 AM

*** begin quote ***

Louise, 38, and her 40-year-old husband Shane are about to spend their eighth Christmas away from their family back in Co. Donegal.

“Another Christmas away is just terrible,” Louise, a bartender, shared with the Irish Voice over the weekend.

“It’s getting harder all the time. Our parents are getting old and we’re missing so many special events like another Christmas, not to mention several weddings and christenings.”

Her husband Shane agrees, but says being realistic they can’t move home at the moment because “there is no work” in Ireland.

*** end quote ***

Well, overlooking the media bias —

— “trapped”, I don’t think so. They can return for free courtesy of the US taxpayer. “undocumented”, I’m sure they do have “documents”. Just not the right kind. Argh! —

— I agree with them.

There should be no bar to crossing a border unless you’re a criminal, (then we’d expect some proof that you’ve turned a page), or planning to go on welfare. Bought the only reasonable restriction might be posting a bond equal to the passage “home”.

I don’t understand.

Doesn’t anyone read the Statue of Liberty? Or, did we put a garbage bag over that?

Sure, no welfare for immigrants. But then we shouldn’t have “welfare” for anyone.

We want all those folks who want to work their <synonym for donkey> off. Sure enough, we’ve got enough “citizens” on the dole.

Argh!

I just don’t understand.

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INSPIRATIONAL: Hopefully it induces you to action

Sunday, December 18, 2011

http://zocalopublicsquare.org/thepublicsquare/2011/11/30/how-doctors-die/read/nexus/

How Doctors Die
It’s Not Like the Rest of Us, But It Should Be
by Ken Murray

*** begin quote ***

Years ago, Charlie, a highly respected orthopedist and a mentor of mine, found a lump in his stomach. He had a surgeon explore the area, and the diagnosis was pancreatic cancer. This surgeon was one of the best in the country. He had even invented a new procedure for this exact cancer that could triple a patient’s five-year-survival odds—from 5 percent to 15 percent—albeit with a poor quality of life. Charlie was uninterested. He went home the next day, closed his practice, and never set foot in a hospital again. He focused on spending time with family and feeling as good as possible. Several months later, he died at home. He got no chemotherapy, radiation, or surgical treatment. Medicare didn’t spend much on him.

It’s not a frequent topic of discussion, but doctors die, too. And they don’t die like the rest of us. What’s unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little. For all the time they spend fending off the deaths of others, they tend to be fairly serene when faced with death themselves. They know exactly what is going to happen, they know the choices, and they generally have access to any sort of medical care they could want. But they go gently.

*** end quote ***

I hope, that when we finally find out “the right answers” at the Final Judgement, my decisions about my wife’s end of life care will be the “correct” ones. The handwriting was on the wall when her kidney’s shut down. I asked her if she understood that meant? Her last words were “when will this all be over?” My tearful reply was “Soon, hon, real soon.” It was.

No pain. Peace.

Not for those left behind.

But the race had been run. And Death won.

As it always does.

My paperworks been updated because when my time comes as it does to all of us, I’m hoping for the “Good Death”.

Luckily, in my case, there’ll be no spouse left behind.

“And I’ve lost her … . I’m so sad that I don’t have … . But I’m so grateful that she was with me … . And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?” — Chuck Noland ala Tom Hanks in Cast Away (2000) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/quotes

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