Universal healthcare for all

Course Objectives: 1,5,8,9,10,11

Assignment Objectives: In this assignment I hope to explore Bernie Sanders universal healthcare proposal and talk about whether or not this is possible.

Have you ever struggled to go to the doctors because your insurance didn’t cover your appointment? Are you sick of paying copays every time you go to the doctors? Do you even have health insurance and the ability to get care when needed? If any of these apply to you, then you’d probably agree that something needs to be done about our health care system. Wouldn’t it be great if we had more choices over what doctors we could see, no more copays, and  better patient care? Wouldn’t it be even better if this applied to everyone and everyone was able to get medical attention regardless of their income? Right now, 33 million people in America still don’t have health insurance (FiveThirtyEight). You would think a first world country such as ours would have a much better health care system than we do now.  When compared to other countries throughout the world, America was scored lowest almost every time;  I think we can all agree something needs to be done.

With the political elections coming up within the next year; this is the time for a change.   One political candidate that really stuck out to me was Bernie Sanders and his Universal Health Care proposal. Sanders states that he has a solution to make healthcare available to all. His new health care proposal says that he will be getting rid of copays. I am all for making our health care system better, but can Bernie Sanders really achieve this?  How is it possible to have a universal health care system that makes health care affordable and accessible for all without paying unreal amounts in taxes.

Bernie Sanders health care plan consists of a single payer health system.  In this plan health care will be available to every single person, not just people over the age of 65.   Copayments and insurance premiums will disappear with a single payer system.  You will no longer have to worry about finding a doctor your insurance covers in your network.  I think moving to a single payer health care system is a good idea, however, not everyone agrees. Some argue that single payer health systems wouldn’t work in America.  According to various online articles, many other countries have been using the single payer system and it has been successful. Such countries include Italy, Sweden, Canada, and the United Kingdom; four countries with the best health care status.

So if the single payer system isn’t the issue, what is? Many people fear that taxes will go up an astronomical high amount if we have a universal health care system.  America currently outspends every country in health care. Bernie Sander’s new proposal health care costs will save Americans in health costs. However, people who argue taxes will go up with this new health care aren’t completely wrong. According to Bernie’s plan, there will be an increase in payroll tax on employers of 6.7% and a progressive income tax. Although this seems like a lot in the long run, it will actually benefit more people overall.

I strongly believe that Bernie Sander’s universal health care proposal will be beneficial to almost every citizen.  With the single payer system, every American will have health care regardless of  their income.  It will also make the health care system much less complicated, no more copayments, or having to check if a doctor is in your network; the whole process would be much easier.  Even though taxes will rise, the pros outweigh the cons.

Quesada CCBY  https://flic.kr/p/6XNGq1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life is stressful

 

Course Objectives: 1,2,5,6,10,11

Assignment Objectives: My goal for this post is to explore and explain the different types of stresses first-year college students experience and how to control that stress.

According to Webster dictionary, the definition of the word “stress” is a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc. As the years progress the amount of stress levels in the general public keep steadily rising. You would think in the 21st century with all the technology that is made available to us stress levels would be lower than the were in previous years. However, this is not the case. I think the main reason for the high levels of stress is how competitive society is. With the economy being like it is today the job market getting harder and harder, the expectations for an individual keeps increasing. These demands cause pressure for all individuals in the education system.  From Kindergarteners to college students the expectations are higher then they have ever been before.

Everything is being taught at an accelerated pace. Kindergarteners today are kept to higher expectations compared to previous classes of children that were allowed to play and nap. Now a day’s kindergarteners are expected to read, and even do math. This is something I could never imagine doing at that age.  Children in grade school are being taught how to critically think and think at a much higher level of complexity than kids that age ever had to think. High school is becoming more rigorous offering more AP classes.

In high school, it’s no longer enough to just have a good GPA to get into a good college. An individual must have a good GPA, write a well-written college essay, demonstrate participation in many extracurricular activities. Some of these activities include sports, clubs, or at most times both, and somehow stand out from the student next of you who basically resembles, all the same, characteristics. I think all of this pressure children face growing up is carried all the way to those college years. Once a student finally figures out their major and what college they will be attending in the fall and they finally have a chance to catch their breath, the cycle of stress begins again. That newly accepted student must figure out how to pay these thousands of dollars for the school they plan on attending in the fall, and what dorm they will live in and whom they will live with. Once at college, a whole new set of stressful things start to occur.

Most of us begin college when we are 18 years old. At 18 years old you are so young, just barely old enough to vote and drive, too young to drink. College is the first time in our lives where we are finally independent. We don’t have our parents telling us what and what not to do, our teachers making sure we do our assignments and our comfort of our home which we know so well. This is a total culture shock to many individuals including myself. I was so dependent on my parents for so many things, it was weird not having them around me to help me. It was also weird being 6 hours away from a place I called home my entire life. Living in a dorm and sharing a room with another person, eating in a dining hall instead of at my kitchen table, having to make all new friends, and having to wear flip flops in the shower were totally different than anything else I ever encountered in my life. It definitely took time to get used to (well the food I am still getting used to), but with time you grow to like it. You begin to make friends, and as weird as it sounds this place becomes your home.

Another aspect of college that causes stress for many students especially incoming freshman is the course load. High school is set up much differently than college is. In high school teachers will remind you when an assignment is due in college it’s up to you. Your professor doesn’t care if you go to class or study for an exam. It’s all up to you and how well you want to do. The course load is much lighter in high school; you have a lot longer to complete an assignment. In high school I would be able to finish most of my work for the week early on in the week. When I got to college I soon realized this wouldn’t be the case. In college, there is only so much you can finish in a day. You have to be efficient with the time you have. For example, you want to spend enough time on assignments, but you don’t want to spend the entire day doing work. You still need time to be human.

Spend time with friends, work out, relax. I think time management is one of the hardest lessons to learn, but as soon as you learn it college is a piece of cake. I think everybody needs balance in their life. A student can reduce their stress levels drastically if they have a balance between work and play. I think it’s also critical to eat healthily and exercise and spending time with people who bring out the best in you. If you have this balance the level of decrease substantially. I think college could be enjoyable to any individual who is able to adapt to the new way of life and change and grow as an individual. You spend four years of your life at this place so why not make it the best as it can possibly be?

CCBY CHUA https://flic.kr/p/iDCRU3

 

“Stress.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-campus/201110/stress-in-college-students

 

 

It’s okay to be different

Course Objectives 1,2,5,6,10,11

Assignment Objectives:  My goals for this assignment were to write a powerful post that explained to all people that it’s okay to be different.  I tried to incorporate two articles that dealt with society’s expectations for the “the social norm” and “beauty”.  

 “Let us be very sincere in our dealings with each other and have the courage to accept each other as we are.”    – Mother Theresa 

This quote by Mother Theresa really caught my attention.  As early as I can remember, my parents have taught me that everyone is different and unique in their own way.  They would often tell me that it’s good to be different, and that if we were all the same life would be so boring. I grew up thinking different was okay, but with the society we live in, sometimes it seems as if different is the last thing anyone wants to be. As children we see the world in color; things aren’t black and white.  You don’t have to act in a certain category to be accepted. You don’t have to go with the social norm.  According to Saul McLeod  the social norm are the unwritten rules of how to behave.  These rules show us what is socially accepted and what is not. McLeod goes on by saying how there is a considerable amount of pressure on an individual to conform to these norms.  I agree with McLeod and his opinions on the social norm and conformity. No one wants to be seen as an outcast, or not feel accepted. This is why we try so hard to fit and, and tend to go along with the crowd.

CCBY Braiuca https://flic.kr/p/BtjRtA

Everywhere we turn we are told what we should look like.  Society perceives “beauty” as girls who are thin with long hair and big butts.  Unfortunately, not all girls look like this.  This shouldn’t mean that a girl who doesn’t fit the criteria shouldn’t be considered beautiful.  Society also tells us that everyone needs to go to college, get married, and have children.  When in reality those things aren’t for everyone. Not everyone does well in school which is why there are trade schools, the military, and other options.  Not everyone wants to get married and have children either, and that is perfectly okay.  We don’t live in the same time period as we once did where having children was necessary for survival.  People can’t change who they are, and we shouldn’t expect them to. I strongly believe that if we ever expect to fix the problem with society we have to start from within. To achieve this, I think that you have to start by being completely comfortable with who you are. If you are confident about who you are and your beliefs, you will have enough courage to stand up to someone with different values.  It took me a long time to be comfortable with who I truly was.

CCBY KHO  https://flic.kr/p/BrSfs2

Through the years I have learned that you can’t change who you are, so as soon as you are able to accept it, other people will too. However, there are going to be people who might not. If you are sure of who you are you will be strong enough to stand against them instead of just conforming into what they believe. Ultimately you can’t change the world.  You can’t expect to fix the problems with society by yourself.  You can however, control how you contribute.  I am guilty of it as I’m sure most people are of judging someone, because they’re different than you.  We can’t control that they’re different.  All we can do is accept their differences and treat them with respect, not feeding in to society’s standards and going along with the crowd.  If you decide to not make fun of someone for being different you might create a domino effect.  Instead of making fun of someone, your friends might decide that it’s rude, and follow your lead and try to get to know the individual before passing any judgments.

Its by our own actions that we hope to see a change.  I hope that by being a person who accepts all people that I am able to inspire those who maybe feel the same way but just don’t have enough courage to stand up alone.  Being on both sides of the equation at some point in my life I now realize how much it hurts when someone picks out our differences, and just how easy it is to do the same thing to someone.  I learned that I have to make a conscious effort everyday to treat every person fairly and be true to myself. I hope that maybe one day we will live in a society where people are able to be themselves without having to face so many issues that people today and in the past have been exposed to.

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Social Roles. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-roles.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katie-atkinson/media-beauty-distortion_b_3292467.html