Cain’s health plan – think happy thoughts

I think of all of the GOP hopefuls, Herman Cain is probably one of the few who are making sense to me. In this recent article from liberal media website motherjones.com, Mencimer discusses what she thinks of Cain’s health care plan. She denounces the idea as standard GOP folly. Up to a point, I agree.

However, Cain has said some really smart things about health care, ideas that First Lady Obama has been working on with her nutrition campaign for children. In America, we really do see “health care” as “sick care”. We only care when we get sick! He stated that America needed to see health care as preventative care, something you took care of early, took responsibility and initiative to maintain.

Better access to nutritious food, easier access to weight loss facilities or weight prevention methods education, preventative research on cancer and continued campaigns against dangerous health behaviors such as binge drinking, harmful drugs, and tobacco. Healthy and effective safer sex education and access to Planned Parenthood for low cost birth control, condoms, and yes, the occasional abortion. Because a $200 procedure is far less emotionally and fiscally taxing than a baby. The government should also be looking into diseases which are caused by pollution which they are permitting. I mean, dammit, sometimes people are contracting illnesses because of the environment the government loopholes or willful ignorance.

I am not saying the government should regulate those who choose to engage in these lifestyles, but these choices are affecting the burden placed on the American health care system. There are regulations and law in place keeping people in generational poverty by limiting access and early adoption of the aforementioned behaviors, attitudes, and thus, benefits. I think that with smart legislature (oxymoron I know, but one can hope) and increased awareness/attitude adjusting rhetoric, health care burdens can be lowered. Which…. Michelle Obama got criticized by Beck for….and now they are heralding as a “great idea” in Cain?

I don’t think Cain is being completely genuine with his rhetoric. I mean, his stage IV cancer came about when he was wealthy and qualified for medicare… so what the hell does he really know about contracting diseases at 6 because the local plant dumps waste into your drinking water? (Savage Inequalities by Konzol)?

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

The midwest region of the United States of America is where I call home. As a child I was fascinated with women in power. I grew up and started writing poetry and reading to escape the cycle of drug use and violence in my home. I am a survivor of sexual violence. Thanks to financial aid and hard work, I graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Communication Studies. I have graduate school experience, but am not pursuing the rest of my graduate degree right now. I work at a bank, act in the local community theater, and volunteer my time at the domestic shelter and humane society. My partner and I are a poly amorous, sex positive, lesbian couple living in South Dakota. I am rabidly political, deeply spiritual, and viciously loving. My idea of a perfect date is a bouquet of sharpen pencils, a kinky book, a political discussion, and dinner.

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