Miriam's Sharebook 

All through this whole process, I have remained silent.  I had my own reasons for supporting it even though it somewhat embarrassed me.  My first pregancy, I left my husband and filed for divorce not only because he didn't want to be a father, I couldn't get any kind of health coverage unless we were divorced.  By this I mean Medicaid.  Later on, I completed some tech school and got a full time job but no health insurance was available.  My baby daughter got sick and needed to see a doctor.  When I had trouble paying the bill, they refused to see us anymore.  I quickly learned that as long as I had a medical card, any door would open for us, but being uninsured, many doors closed in my face, regardless of the fact I had a job.  When my daughter got sick again, I quit my job and went on welfare so I could get the health benefits.  This was before welfare reform.  When Bill Clinton took office, Hillary fought for health coverage for children and finally, my kids were covered under low cost insurance plans but I still had no coverage unless I was pregant.  What happens to the parent when they get sick and can't work because they can't afford to go to a doctor??  THIS is when I began my fight for health care reform!  I gladly paid my taxes so that other programs are funded, why not health care?  People who complain about paying taxes are selfish.  I suppose they are the first ones to call city hall to complain their street is not plowed during a snowstorm.  The rest of us just wait, knowing that snow plows can only be in one place at a time and that they will get around to us eventually.

Such it shall be with universal health care.  We all will pay into the system and they won't get everything right the first time around.  Maybe not even the second time but we all shall benefit in the end and a single parent won't have to worry about paying doctor bills like I did.  Thank you President Obama!