Obama Health Care

Most scholars view the appearance of progressive Catholicism as a dramatic break with the past. The shift in attention toward solving the economic and political problems of the poor defines progressive Catholicism (Bruneau 45). Catholic progressivism in Latin America is typically dated from the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). It was at this historic conference (originally designed to meet the challenges of modernization in Europe) that “democratic” reforms were first introduced and sanctioned by the papacy (Hewitt 123). Mass was to be said in the vernacular, Church members were to practice toleration for alternative ideas, and greater attention was to be paid to social justice. But, in reality, a few Latin American Churches anticipated these reforms by at least a decade, especially with regard to social justice. Brazil led the way. During the 1950s, bishops in Brazil expressed interest in land reform, literacy campaigns, and rural cooperatives (Mainwaring 128). These efforts went beyond the traditional alms giving favored in the past; instead, they represented a sincere desire to improve the long-term living conditions of the lower classes. Even before the convocation of Vatican II, attention also was given to promoting greater lay involvement in religious services in Brazil.
No event in Latin America crystallized the progressive movement more than the Second General Conference of CELAM, held in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968 (Mainwaring 148). The purpose for gathering bishops from throughout the region was to apply the reforms and recommendations of Vatican 11 to the Latin American context. Under the leadership of progressive bishops such as Hélder Câmara ( Brazil) and Raúl Silva Henríquez ( Chile), this conference was celebrated for its declaration in favor of social justice, later called the “preferential option for the poor.” Supposedly, the poor always possessed a special place in Catholic doctrine. Nevertheless, the Brazil bishops thought it necessary to publicly declare support for this social group. Given the tarnished past of the Church when it came to serving the poor, this was the least they could do.
To put the preferential option into action, the participants at the Medellín conference advocated the development of comunidades eclesiales de base (CEBs), known in English As ecclesial base communities (Mainwaring 89). Overall, the range of CEB activity is quite broad. Despite their notoriety for radical political activity, no presupposition should be made regarding their ideological content. Most people participate in base communities primarily for their religious content and often ignore the political messages propagated by their progressive leaders.
The intellectual engine driving Catholic progressivism during the 1960s and 1970s was liberation theology. As defined by one of its founding fathers, Gustavo Gutiérrez, liberation theology attempts to reflect on the experience and meaning of the faith based on the commitment to abolish injustice and to build a new society; this theology must be verified by the practice of that commitment, by active, effective participation in the struggle which the exploited social classes have undertaken against their oppressors (Hewitt 56)
Two elements stand out in this philosophy. The first is its reliance on Marxist methodology. More accurately, liberation theologians base their understanding of Latin American poverty on dependency theory, a perspective that views poverty and repression in the Third World as a direct function of the world capitalist economy dominated by Western Europe and the United States. Central to the solutions for persistent underdevelopment offered by many dependency theorists and liberation theologians is the concept of class struggle. This provided radical Catholics the intellectual justification they needed to join revolutionary movements during the 1970s. Second, liberation theologians emphasize praxis, or putting the liberating words of the Gospel to work. For this reason, liberation theologians have been the most fervent advocates of CEBs, giving the base-community movement its reputation for political radicalism. Although both CEBs and liberation theology have had a significant qualitative impact on Catholic thought and action, these movements remain quantitatively small (Hewitt 55). Their primary influence has been to challenge non-liberationist priests and bishops to think more carefully about the plight of their poorest parishioners. Many bishops were receptive to this challenge, others not.
In terms of Church-state relations, Catholic progressivism manifested itself as opposition to authoritarian rule. Not only did several episcopacies denounce their respective military rulers, but they rejected authoritarianism as a method of rule per se. This represented a significant break with the Church’s traditional preference for elite-based politics. In the past, whenever the Church felt its interests were somehow threatened by a given government, it would simply throw its support to those elites who opposed the sitting governors. Beginning in the 1960s, this strategy changed. Espousing a preferential option for the poor implied defending the interests of the popular classes against dictatorial abuses. The policies adopted by military governments during the 1970s had the effect of distributing income upward, away from the lower classes. In order to accomplish this task with a minimal amount of social resistance, dictators resorted to previously unseen levels of repression. Labor movements and other popular-class organizations bore the brunt of this assault. To show solidarity with the popular sectors, bishops publicly denounced both the economic policies and repressive tactics associated with military regimes. In addition, these bishops also attacked the philosophical underpinnings of authoritarian rule as being inherently unjust.
In Brazil, the episcopacy responded to the dictatorship (1964-85) by consolidating a number of progressive elements that were already developing in several dioceses. Base communities were expanded, though they still reached only a small fraction of the country’s Catholic population. Episcopal criticisms of human rights abuses and economic injustice grew increasingly common beginning in the late 1960s with the appointment of Dom Aloísio Lorscheider as general secretary of the Church’s episcopal conference and with the ascension of Dom Paulo Arns to the archbishopric of São Paulo in 1970 (Serbin 45).
Brazil witnessed the emergence of the region’s most progressive episcopacies comparatively early, before Vatican II. This immediately raises the question of how Vatican II could have shaped progressive pastoral reforms in this country when it had not occurred yet. It is important that Brazil experienced rapid growth of non-Catholic religions during the 1930s and 1940s, when Protestant growth was still relatively slow elsewhere. Consequently, bishops in Brazil implemented progressive reforms in the 1940s and ’50s in an effort to improve their credibility among the popular classes and slow the exodus from the Catholic faith. As for political alliances, each episcopacy sought state assistance from the democratic regimes preceding military rule, but there was a noticeable drift toward reformist parties that were more in tune with the masses.
The Brazilian bishops first sought to stave off the Protestant advance in the 1930s and 1940s by seeking prohibitions on the entry of missionaries into their country (Mainwaring 197). A renewed and strengthened alliance with the state under Getúlio Vargas enhanced their ability to take such defensive actions, although the state’s cooperation on this issue was lukewarm at best. At a higher level, bishops tried using their connections with the political elite to impede the entrance of missionaries. Laws were passed, strengthened, or enforced in several nations making it illegal to import the Bible. At the urging of several bishops, president Getúlio Vargas pressured the United States government to limit the number of evangelical missionaries entering Brazil in the 1940s (Hewitt 44). This issue arose when the United States tried to persuade Brazil to join the Allies in World War II. Vargas, not particularly interested in getting militarily involved, delayed Brazil’s entry until the war was assuredly won. The negotiations over Protestant missionaries, while directly beneficial to the Catholic hierarchy, probably served as one of Vargas’s many stalling tactics, rather than representing a sincere desire to help the Church. The restrictions were never enacted.
Many Church leaders realized that a new pastoral commitment was needed if Brazil was to remain a predominantly Catholic nation ( Mainwaring 213). Learning from the success of Protestant missionaries, the Catholic hierarchy promoted numerous social projects and organizations aimed at improving the lives of the working class and poor beginning in the late 1940s. Many of the techniques employed by the Brazilian Church mirrored the efforts being made by the Protestants, including grassroots literacy campaigns centered around reading and discussing the Bible, health clinics, and rural cooperatives. Eventually, the Brazilian Church gave birth to the base community movement. However, in 1964 the Brazilian military came to power with the goal of demobilizing the popular sectors. After it became clear to the episcopacy that the regime intended to stay in power indefinitely, relations deteriorated. Having made a substantial commitment to the needs of the poor, it would have been difficult for the Church to maintain credibility had it supported a dictatorship that opposed their interests.
For most of its Latin American existence, the Catholic Church in Brazil enjoyed the comfort of being the sole provider of religious goods and services. This changed during the twentieth century. Although the doors for Protestantism opened as early as the mid-1800s, significant expansion waited until after 1930. Not only did Protestant missionaries challenge the hegemonic position of Catholicism, but an indigenous derivative of North American Protestantism–Pentecostalism–awoke many bishops and clergy to the fact that the region may not have been as Catholic as previously thought. If the Church was to remain a spiritual and moral force in Brazilian society, it needed to match the pastoral efforts put forth by Protestant churches. Having been associated with the political and economic elite for so long, a credible commitment to the poor meant publicly distancing itself from abusive governments.
It would be myopic to say that the need to compete with Protestantism was the only factor affecting the bishops’ decision to oppose military rule. Growing poverty and repression, reforms promoted at Vatican II and Medellín, courageous decisions on the part of individuals, and martyrdom catalyzed the new attitude toward military rule. However, religious competition was a key component in explaining the variation in responses throughout the region. Competition furnished the wake-up call the Church needed to realize that poverty and repression were serious problems that demanded more than temporary acts of charity.
All this should not imply that bishops in the pro-authoritarian cases in Brazil were unconcerned about poverty and repression (no matter how callous their behavior appeared). But the costs of opposing the government (e.g., loss of funding for Church programs or physical repression) outweighed the benefits (measured in membership retention). Thus, the episcopacy had an incentive to maintain friendly relations with an unpopular government in the short term while hoping for better social conditions in the future. True, there were some who pleaded with the episcopacy to rethink its association with the ruling elite, but most parishioners just remained quiet, as they always had. In other words, there was no mechanism (or alarm) to inform the bishops they were not acting in accordance with popular desires.
Produced by ProfEssays ( www.professays.com ) – professional custom essay writing service: custom essays, custom term papers, custom academic papers, custom research papers, compositions, book reports, case study. No plagiarism, high quality, prompt delivery.

Andrew Sandon
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/progressive-ctholicism-67572.html

As Obama health care rolls on, a group of mostly Republican officials have mounted legislative and legal challenges against a requirement that will eventually lead to all Americans buying health insurance or facing a penalty tax.  These efforts are taking place across 33 states, with more joining the bandwagon by the week.

A lawsuit filed by Florida recently in a U.S. District Court states that individuals being forced to participate in an insurance plan should not be mandated by Congress, because they do not have the constitutional authority.  According to the suit, the mandate has infringed on the rights of states by requiring them to offer low-income residents coverage while not funding the added cost fully.  As of the 15th of May, seven additional states joined in the lawsuit.

Activists are hopeful that Obama health care will come unraveled, as more lawsuits and challenges are brought by state governments, individuals and legislatures in order to narrow the power of the federal government.  Constitutional scholars have stated that they believe the Florida lawsuit has only slim chances.

According to Clint Bolick, “This is going to be a long, protracted war of attrition and we haven’t even seen the first wave of regulations yet.”  Bolick is litigation director of the Goldwater Institute, an Arizona-based group that is advising state officials.

Those who support Obama health care claim that insurance costs would rise to exceedingly high levels if insurance were not mandated.  To support this theory, supporters say that since the new law will stop insurance companies from turning down people with pre-existing health conditions, the elderly or those who are sick would represent a huge majority of the insurance pool if others did not purchase insurance.

Florida is not the only state that has filed suit.  Virginia has now filed a separate lawsuit, and may get a decision even before the Florida suit which may happen in mid-September.  Virginia and Idaho passed a law prohibiting the “individual mandate” to purchase insurance coverage prior to Congress passing health reform.  Virginia is now arguing that the federal law to mandate health coverage is infringing on the states statute.

Arizona, Oklahoma and Florida leaders are taking yet another approach to block the overhaul:  On ballots for November, there may be a state constitutional amendment prohibiting the individual mandate.  As of now, 11 more states are instituting similar campaigns, although proposals in 15 additional states to adopt constitutional or legislative amendments failed to succeed.

The head-on assault to Obama health care faces very tough odds, according to Bolick, who says that he believes there will be a thousand flowers bloom in terms of lawsuits.  It looks as those who are ready to fight Obama health care have a tough job on their hands, and one that will likely end in defeat.

Mark South
Obama Health Care

If you are trying to lose weight, but feel that it’s pointless because you smoke, now’s your chance to take advantage of the advances made in the medical field. Acomplia is a doctor prescribed medication that has made advances in the field of medication. Approved in the European Union in 2006, this drug is somewhat of a miracle drug for most people, although advertising it as such would be foolish. This is an anti-obesity drug which enables the users to fight their own issues with the ongoing battle of the bulge. Acomplia blocks the CB1 receptors in the brain which make you crave food well after you’ve already been satisfied. It is important to remember that when you use Acomplia, it is most successful when you use it with a smart diet and exercise. This is the best way to get to your goal of fat loss. If you do smoke, it is good to know that Acomplia assists with smoking cessation, as well. When you give up smoking, exercising becomes easier. Through the help of a proper weight loss coaching and your doctor’s prescription to you for Acomplia, you can find that there is help with both of these issues. With this medication and the guidance from your chosen healthcare provider, you can be among the thousands of people who have changed their lives and health. Keep in mind that Acomplia has the ability to help in motivation for weight loss for those who suffer from diabetes. Please note that some of the side effects may include nausea and vomiting. You should also be aware that quitting smoking has been found to be a major drive for those who have already started to lose the weight. If you are obese and are ready for a chance in your life, you should contact your healthcare provider now to see if you can begin taking Acomplia right away.

John Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/quit-smoking-articles/cessation-of-smoking-with-the-help-of-diet-pills-618366.html

Have you heard the news? Infections obtained in hospitals are not simply isolated instances-they are becoming a troubling trend! The situation is particularly a problem, as hospitals are places where patients go to receive treatments for their injuries and illnesses. Obtaining another illness can become not only annoying and dangerous, but also deadly! Here are some facts about the ongoing situation:

1. The problem is about infections in hospitals

The problem with infections in hospitals is very specific. It involves patients who acquire the infections while in a healthcare environment. Also, the cases involve patients who were admitted for reasons unrelated to the infection OR, those in which the patients could have been unaffected when they were admitted. In a nutshell, the patients are acquiring infections, and the source is the healthcare facilities themselves.

2. Some of the infections have resulted in death

The infections that some patients obtain in hospitals can eventually be fatal. “The Chicago Tribune” recently ran a series in its periodical, about infections that originate in hospitals. It uncovered several shocking cases in which people obtained bacterial infections in the hospital-and then died from them. While the deaths represent extreme cases, they nonetheless show how serious the situation is.

3. The CDC’s findings are mind-boggling

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have compiled some staggering numbers, involving hospital-obtained infections:

•    U.S. hospitals annually admit roughly 36 million people
•    About two million patients yearly become infected while getting treatment
•    The infections cost patients nearly $5 BILLION in extra healthcare costs
•    A maximum of one-third of the infections could be avoided

The infections range in their severity. Hospitals can easily treat some of them, while others can become deadly.

4. Hospitals can help to prevent the infections

Hospitals can take various steps to help prevent bacterial infections from appearing in their patients. Of course, patients are already more vulnerable to such infections, due to their weaker immune systems. However, medical personnel can still take several steps to minimize the number of infections from which their patients suffer. They can perform proper hand-washing. They can sterilize all instruments. They can wear proper masks and scrubs, such as cheap urbane scrubs. Scientific studies have revealed that the wearing of scrubs can significantly reduce the transmission of “bad” bacteria, between people.

5. Patients can help to prevent the infections

As a patient, learn about the treatment that you will receive, so you can be aware of situations in which you would be more likely to acquire potentially infectious bacteria (MRSA is the most common one in hospitals). Then closely observe as medical personnel perform their treatment on you. If you have any queries or concerns, then speak out!

How often are patients infected with bacteria, in places where they seek cures? It happens more often than most people realize. However, the situation is not hopeless. Hospitals and patients can take steps to reduce the threat of hospital-obtained infections. The stakes are too high, so never let the hospital bugs bite!

Brent McNutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/5-cold-hard-facts-about-hospitalobtained-infections-710296.html

Miami Schools Will Open Four New Schools

This school year Miami Schools is opening four new schools and several new facilities to cope with increased student enrollment for the 2006-2007 school year. The new schools will cater to elementary, middle and high school students.

Miami Schools has added the Ronald W. Reagan High School in the northwestern part of the district. This is an area that is expanding rapidly. The new high school will cover about 20 acres and house extremely modern facilities. The Ronald W. Reagan High School will have 250,000 square feet of classrooms, computer lab, an 800 seat auditorium, a 700 seat cafeteria, a Media Center and a gymnasium. Also on campus there will be a number of outdoor areas: fields for football, soccer, softball and baseball as well as basketball, tennis and racquetball courts.

The most innovative part of Miami Schools’ Ronald W. Reagan High School is that it is an academy based design. This means that ninth grade students will be tested and surveyed to discover their interests and areas of strengths and then be encouraged to select from three academies. The three academies on campus will be Cambridge Academy, Information and Communications Technology Academy, and the Classical Arts Academy. These academies will both have separate facilities and share common school facilities. This is part of Miami Schools continuing educational reform plan.

In the southern part of the district, Miami Schools will open the new Norma Butler Bossard Elementary School. The campus will cover 7.5 acres. The school will be equipped with a Media Center, music and art centers, a cafeteria that will accommodate nearly all the students, a three story classroom building, bilingual rooms, a well equipped science laboratory, and a Wellness Center. The Wellness Center will be available for staff and student use. This school is named for Norma Butler Bossard, who had served as the Miami Schools language arts division head for many years.

Another innovation for the Miami Schools is the newly constructed David Lawrence, Jr. K-8 Center. The K-8 Center will be a world class facility that is adjacent to Florida International University. Miami Schools will work in conjunction with Florida International University to provide professional development for Miami Schools’ teachers and Florida International University’s education majors. The K-8 Center will be able to house nearly 1,600 students. The state of the art facility will include a Media Center, computer labs, art labs, and music centers. The K-8 Center will be home to the Johnson and Wales University nutrition and cooking workshops. These workshops are part of “Healthy Eating/Healthy Choices,” a grant the school received from Health Foundation of South Florida. The cooking workshops will be open to staff and parents.

The last addition Miami Schools is the Young Women’s Preparatory Academy. This is the first all female school to be operated by Miami Schools. The Young Women’s Preparatory Academy will accommodate 450 girls in grades 6-12. The Young Women’s Preparatory Academy will have a thorough educational curriculum that will develop the academic, personal and social skills of the students. The school aims to prepare its students for postsecondary education and the world.

Stacy Andell
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/miami-schools-expands-and-prepares-for-the-20062007-school-year-53134.html

Hospital pharmacists are concerned with offering pharmaceutical services to a number of different types of hospitals, and hospital pharmacists differ from other types of pharmacists including clinic pharmacists for example. Some hospital pharmacists have more complex jobs such as complex clinical management of medication issues that a normal clinical pharmacist would not have to deal with. On the other hand, community pharmacists generally have other issues to consider including business and customer relation type issues.

On the other hand, the clinical pharmacist is someone that specifically provides patient care designed to optimize the use of medications while promoting complete overall wellness, health and the prevention of disease as well. The purpose of a clinical pharmacist is to care for patients in a health care setting. The clinical pharmacist movement originally began inside of clinics and hospitals, and clinical pharmacists are often required to collaborate with healthcare professionals such as physicians and nurses for example.

While a clinical pharmacist works more hands on with patients, hospital pharmacists are typically found on the premises of the hospital but not directly associating with patients. Hospital pharmacists work within hospital pharmacies, which are designed to stock a much larger range of medications than other types of pharmacies, including some medications that are specifically designed to be investigational or specialized in nature. Hospital pharmacists work to fill prescriptions that are called for by physicians, surgeons and other medical staff on the hospital premises. They usually stay in their pharmacy location just as a normal community pharmacist would, waiting for the prescription to arrive on the behalf of a doctor or a patient.

The biggest difference between a hospital pharmacist and a clinical pharmacist, then, is the level of hands on care that is provided to the patient on the behalf of the pharmacist. Hospital pharmacists mainly deal in the prescription medications, filling scripts and working with doctors. On the other hand, the purpose of a clinical pharmacist is to do the same with the addition of more hands on patient care. This is because the clinical pharmacist job is spawned from a clinical pharmacy movement that came about as a need for more hands on care by physicians and other medical staff.

Both of these types of pharmacists have their purposes, especially in a medical setting. The hospital pharmacist works primarily with the medical staff to make sure that prescriptions are doled out as needed, and the clinical pharmacist works closely with the patient to make sure that the right prescriptions are called for and that health and wellness is promoted. While a hospital pharmacist is going to collaborate primarily with professional health care workers in the hospital, the clinical pharmacist is much more likely to collaborate directly with the patient in order to make sure that the right prescription medications are offered for the right purposes.

Experts recruiting team talks to hundreds of pharmacists across the country ever day. They have a database of thousands of pharmacists, any of whom might be the pharmacist you’re looking for.

A Nutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/what-is-the-difference-between-a-hospital-pharmacist-and-a-clinic-pharmacist-1136971.html

In today’s health insurance marketplace, three primary types of healthcare coverage are available. They are the Indemnity plan, the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), and the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Each approach offers consumers the opportunity to choose between flexibility and control in their healthcare choices vs. the expense of their healthcare coverage. Almost universally, healthcare plans that offer more consumer flexibility and control are also more expensive, while plans allowing the insurance company to control healthcare delivery choices are usually more affordable. Let’s look at each of these plans.

The Indemnity plan approach represents healthcare as it was offered in the days before managed care. In an Indemnity plan, the policyholder is free to go to any doctor, specialist, hospital or laboratory to pursue the medical care they believe they need. These healthcare services are billed to the insurance company at the individual rate set by the healthcare provider. The insurance company pays a fixed proportion of the fees (usually 80%) and the consumer pays the remaining percentage (usually 20%) of the billed medical fees. Each healthcare provider is free to set their fees at a level they choose, and the consumer has little incentive to consider overall medical expenses. While Indemnity plans are still available today, they are not widely utilized since they are too expensive for the average consumer. The monthly premium for an Indemnity plan is generally 50% to 100% higher than premium for a PPO or HMO plan.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Health Maintenance Organizations or HMOs were introduced by insurance companies as a way to combat the rising costs of healthcare being experienced by employers providing health benefits to their employees. In an HMO, the policyholder selects or is assigned to a Primary Care Provider (PCP) such as a family practitioner, internist or pediatrician. The PCP is responsible for coordinating all healthcare services delivered to the policyholder (except for emergency care). The policyholder can only see a specialist, use a lab service or check into a hospital if they are referred for such services by the PCP. Any services that are not referred by the consumer’s PCP are not reimbursable under the health insurance policy. Within the HMO network, healthcare providers agree with the insurance company on negotiated rates for specific services. Once approved, these healthcare providers become part of the network available to the PCP for referring patients when additional care is required. Based on the insurance company’s strict control of the healthcare providers used and the rates they will charge, an HMO is usually the least expensive alternative for a healthcare plan.

In the middle between the wide-open Indemnity plan and the strictly-controlled HMO, insurance companies also offer a third alternative called a Preferred Provider Organization or PPO. In a PPO plan, a policyholder is free to go to almost any healthcare provider they choose, including doctors, specialists, labs and hospitals, and usually without a medical referral. However, the amount reimbursed by the insurance company for the delivered medical services will vary depending on whether the healthcare provider is within their negotiated network or not. As with an HMO, the insurance company negotiates fees in advance with selected healthcare providers and approves them for inclusion in the plan’s preferred provider network. Healthcare services delivered by these in-network providers are generally reimbursed to the consumer at high rates of 70% or more. On the other hand, when the consumer uses a non-network healthcare provider, the reimbursement will be much lower, ranging from 0% to 50% of the incurred medical expenses. Since the vast majority of PPO policyholders use in-network providers to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses, PPOs are very cost-effective for insurance companies. As a result, PPOs are somewhat more expensive than HMOs, but are still very reasonably priced for the average person.

JM Bauer
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/the-abcs-of-health-insurance-plans-56415.html

HAITI: THE MAGIC LAND

By Alejandro Guevara Onofre

INTRODUCTION

In 1492 Christopher Columbus wrote about Haiti: “The most beautiful in the world”. Certainly, Haiti is a wonderful country in the Caribbean. I think that has a special beauty, with a geography and traditional culture that is totally different from all the other countries in Latin America.

Now, this essay is a historical information about Haiti, the first black republic in the modern history and one of the poorest nations on Earth. Each chapter provides details on history, economy, biographies, sport, awards, foreign relations, culture and other important aspects of Haiti. The people that don’t know Haiti very much think that Haiti is only one of the world’s poorest countries, but the Island is known for its traditional culture, hospitality, superstitions, history. Furthermore, Haiti is the home to National Park History, one of the ancient wonders of the world, and renowned women such as Edwidge Danticat and Michaëlle Jean were born there.

Since then, the dictatorships have destroyed Haitian society, economy, ecology and sport. Since 1950, two million Haitian people emigrated to the United States and other countries. Haitian-American arrived from Haiti with nothing more than their clothes. If we compare the Haiti of today to Haiti of thirty years ago, we see a change: a new multiparty democracy. Today, a vast part of the Third World and more than a billion people are under dictatorships.

Eventually, I would like to finish my introduction with a message by Albert Mangones: “Haiti is unique in history, going directly from slavery to nationhood”.

CHRONOLOGY:

1492: Columbus discovered Haiti in the 15th Century.

1520-1697: Haiti is a Spanish territory. In the late 1500 and early 1600, African slaves flocked to Island.

1697-1790: Haiti is a French colony. After 16th Century, Haiti became the most important French colony in the Americas. Island´s export to Europe included sugar, coffee and corn. The beauty of Haiti is recognized by the French in the mid-1700 Century, when they called it “Pearl the Caribbean”.

1790-1803: During the French colonization slaves suffers from maltreatment. By the late 1790, pro-independence demonstrations. An Anti-slavery movement under Toussaint L´Ouverture began. L´Ouverture is one of the most important black leaders in the history.During this period of time, Haitian slaves attack villages. Anti-French protests riots brutally suppressed. By the late 1803, under leadership of Jean Jacques Dessalines, Haiti army defeated the French forces at the Battle of Vertieres.

1804-1806:A French colony for more than hundred years, Haiti becomes independent, one of the most important events in the history. Jean Jacques Dessalines became the first president of new republic of Haiti, the first black republic in the modern history. Dessalines is the “Father of Modern Haiti”. Haiti occupies the Western third of Hispaniola, the second-largest Island in the Caribbean.

1804-1820: Unfortunately; Haiti is divided into two zones. Northern Haiti is occupied by Henri Christopher, who is named Emperor, while the north is occupied by Alexander Petion. Petion is probably the greatest Haitian politician who ever lived.

1880: Haiti has one of the richest ecosystems in the Caribbean.

1900: Haiti´s modern political has been tumultuous, marked by dictatorships

1915-1934: Haiti has not had an effective national government Invasion by United States forces. US troops sent to Haiti during civil sub-war.

1918: The Presidential Palace, one of the best national palaces in the world, is originally designed by the Haitian Georges Bassan. Bassan is inspired to White House Washington.

1926: Emily Greene Balch, a human rights activist, went to Haiti.

1928: Cator is the only Haitian ever to win olympic silver medal. After, Haitian athlete Sylvio Cator breaks the men’s long jump record in Paris. Cator was given a hero’s welcome when he returned to his country.

1937: In the Dominican Republic, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo ordered national troops to massacre of 20000 Haitian emigrants.

1940-1950: Haiti is one of the most popular travel destinations in the Caribbean.

1944: Dewitt Peters, an American school-teacher, founded the Centre d’Art in Port -au-Prince Since 1944, Centre d’Art became the centre of the Haitian painting. It is now one of Haiti´s biggest tourist attractions, and every year thousands of people came to see the paintings and other work of Haitian art.

1945: Haiti becomes the 26th member of the United Nations in October.

1956: Haiti establishes diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan).

1956: Daniel Fignolé is President of the Provisional Council and Head of State of Haiti

1957-1971:After working for a time as a traditional doctor, Francois Duvalier became one of Haiti’s most famous doctors. In 1957, Duvalier is elected President of the Republic of Haiti. President Duvalier announced: “My government will guarantee the exercise of liberty to all Haitians”. Francois Duvalier, also known for his nickname “Papa Doc”, emerged as Head of State and quickly gained nearly absolute power. In 1961 “Papa Doc” rewrote the National Constitution. After, he became the first “President for Eternity of Haiti”. In the 1960s and 1970s “Papa Doc” popularizes superstitions ideas to Haiti through a series of important voodoo rites. The Duvalier dictatorship instituted rig press censorship. International agencies accuse government of grave human rights abuses. His regime of terror resulted in the deaths of least 30000 Haitian. The Island is one of the most dangerous countries in the Third World.

1957-1981: Haitian First Lady Simone Ovide became one of the most dominant women in the history of Haiti. Simone, wife of the most famous dictator of Haiti, gained in influence and power through corruption and crime.

1957-1989: For many decades, Haiti does not have diplomatic relations with the USSR, People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Hungary, South Africa and East Germany.

1960: The Tonton Macoutes, the brutal secret police, initiated a “Haitian genocide” in which political prisoners were tortured and executed.

1964: Joseph Eduard Gaetjens, the idol of millions of Haitians, is arrested and killed by the Tonton Macoutes, the sinister Haitian secret police. Like John Barnes (Jamaica) and Everald “Gally” Cummings (Trinidad Tobago), he was a great footballer in the Caribbean. After, Gaetjens become a world symbol of the struggle against dictatorship in the Third World. He had dual Haitian and American nationality and played at 1950 World Cup for the United States. Son of Haitian mother and Belgium father, he played for many clubs in the United States. The year 1950 was a very important year for Gaetjens: the United States beat England 1-0, the birthplace of the modern football.

1964: Francois Duvalier changed the national flag. Black and red are the colors chosen by Duvalier. Black, which is similar to the Angolan flag, represents the descendants of the patriot Francois Toussaint L’Ouverture and is also the traditional color of the Haitian people. While, red symbolizes the country`s independence. But the original flag, used since 1803, was removed in 1986 by order of the new government.

1966: Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, arrives in Port-au-Prince. Under the leadership of Dictator Francois Duvalier, many African countries maintain official diplomatic relations with Haiti.

1967: The Comedians, a film by British director Peter Glenville, inspired in the cruel Haitian dictatorship by the Duvalier family.

1971: After Duvalier’s death, power passed to his son Jean Claude Duvalier, the man who became known throughout the world as “Baby Doc”. Baby Doc is as dictatorial as his father. Haiti is ruled by iron hand. Duvalier, best known for his anticommunist political, is omnipresent. Many opposition leaders were arrested. He is accused of human rights abuses. Thousand of Haitian people fled the country. Corruption is prevalent at all levels of government. The health system is one of the worst in the Americas.

1974: The sporting system is one of the worst in the Third World, but Haiti qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Haiti beat Trinidad-Tobago in the World Cup qualifiers. Is one of the greatest sporting moment, in the chronology, comparing it to something like Sylvio Cator, who won a silver medal in long jump in the 1928 Olympics Games in Holland.

1975: In El Salvador, Miss Haiti, Gerthie David, is named first runner up at Miss Universe Pageant… transmitting live to millions by CBS. After, Gerthie David is acclaimed in Port-au-Prince as a national heroine. Miss Haiti competed with 71 other women from around the world for the title of Miss Universe, including Miss USA, Summer Barthollomew.

1980: Like Canada, West Germany South Korea and Kenya, Haiti boycott the Moscow Olympic Games in protest for Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

1980-1986: Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haiti’s longtime dictator, married Michelle Bennett, an aristocratic lady. A little more than three months later, Bennett-Duvalier becomes First Lady of Haiti. Like Eva Peron (Argentina) or Jiang Qing (People’s Republic of China), she was a woman with great power. Michelle Bennett promoted her mulatto countrymen to positions of leadership in the dictatorship at his expense of the African-Haitians.

1982: The National History Park (La Citadelle Laferriere, Sans Souci Palace and Ramiers) is designated as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. Like Machu Picchu (Peru) and Angkor What (Cambodia), the National History Park is considered among the wonders of the world.

1982: Ronald Agenor wins a gold medal in men’s tennis singles at the Central American and Caribbean Sports Games La Havana. He captures the hearts of the Island.

1983: Pope John Paul arrives in Haiti for a visit. “Things most change here”, said John Paul II.

1986: As Jean-Claude consolidated his power, he consistently refused to consider constitutional reform. The insurrection against the dictator Jean Claude Duvalier began…Antigovernment protesters in the capital. Many deaths, injuries and arrests. Seeming end to long Haitian dictatorship with fall of Duvalier regime.

1987: Haiti has one of the America’s rates of HIV infection

1987: The New Constitution restored many of the liberties abolished by the Duvalier family. The National Constitution recognizes both French and Creole as official languages. A new opposition emerged under Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

1988: Writer Rene Depestre wins the Prix Ranandot. Depestre, a Haitian dissident now living in France, was cited his novel Hadriana dans tous mes reves. By the mid-1980s Rene Depestre had become well known in literacy circles outside Haiti.

1990: Ertha Pascall-Trouillot becomes the first black woman elected of head of state in the world.

1990: First multi-party elections. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a charismatic black leader, was elected president of Haiti. Aristide is the first democratic president since 1804.He was elected with the most popular support of any Haitian presidential candidate in the history.

1991: Military coup in the country. Raoul Cedras, leader of the coup, emerged as head of the new government. This year marked the end of eight months of democracy. Under new government, all political parties were dissolved.

1991-1995: Like Equatorial Guinea, Cuba and North Korea, Haiti has one of the most serious human rights problems in the Third World.

1993: United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Haiti, one of the most densely populated nations in the Americas.

1994: Peaceful occupation by United States forces to restore democratic electoral system. Raoul Cedras and his family went into exile in Panama City. Aristide was restored to power.

1995: In Port-au-Prince, sub-war violence includes assassination of Meireille Durocher Bertin.

1995: In Beijing, the capital of city of the People’s Republic of China, Haiti participated in the UN`s Fourth World Conference on Women

1996:More than 5,000 Haitians had been killed and miles more fled to abroad, United States, Canada, Bahamas and Dominican Republic, since 1991.

1998: Haitian president Renè Garcia Preval arrives in Taipei (Taiwan) for a four-day state visit. He and President Lee will sign a communiqué to strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation.

1999: Dominican president Leonel Fernandez visit to Haiti as part of a new diplomacy.

2002: In Paris, Dudley Dorival finished 3rd in the 110 hurdles at the World Championships. He becomes the 1st Haitian to win an individual international medal since 1928.Dorival was born in New Jersey, United States, to Haitian parents on 1 September 1975. He in 2000 officially became a citizen of Haiti.

2000: Haiti is one of the thirty poorest countries in the Third World.

2000-2001: The elections were boycotted by the main opposition political parties. Aristide was again elected President. Widespread violent in Haiti allege that Aristide’s election victory is fraudulent. Total political censorship exists in national media.

2004: This year Haiti is celebrating the 200th Anniversary of their National Independence. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti flees to Central African Republic following anti-government demonstrations. Haiti has one of the most violent conflict areas in the Americas. After, UN troops sent to Haiti during civil sub-war.

2006: Rene Preval is sworn in as President of Haiti. Since the peaceful transfer of power in February, Haiti is the newest democracy in the Third World.

ECONOMY

Like Bangladesh, Uganda or Tanzania, Haiti is one of the poorest countries on Earth. In 1997, the Haiti’s economic growth rate (real GDP) per capita was U$ 1,300. GDP per capita for Namibia, Botswana and Equatorial Guinea are higher than for Haiti. In the country 4 million people living on less than U$2 a day. More than 6 million of the Haiti’s population still does not have access to potable water and electricity. For years of dictatorships had left the country’s economy in ruins. The country dependent on international aid. Several hundred thousand farm workers migrate each year to Dominican Republic.

In 1997, total exports for the year were U$110 million, while total imports were US$ 486 million. Since 1804, the US market has been the most important export destination for Haiti. Nearly 80 percent of Haiti’s total exports are destined for the United States. Haiti’s exports include sisal, mangoes, coffee, cotton, bauxite, and sugar. The Island’s imports from the United States include cement, oil, food, machinery and transport equipment. France has been the second largest exports destination for Haitian products.

In the past, the tourism industry occupied an eminent place in the Haitian economy, but several political problems have blocked tourism. Haiti was the first country in the Caribbean to promote tourism in an accelerated form. Haiti is a small country with vast mountains, tropical beaches and beautiful historic buildings.

CULTURE

Like Katherine Dunham, Lillian Hellman, W.B. Seabrook, Erik Leonard Ekman, Alejo Carpentier, Selden Rodman, Noel Coward and Angeline Jolie, many people say that Haiti is the most beautiful country in the Caribbean. Known as the “Magic Land”, Haiti is famous for its culture. Certainly, Haiti its culture, its superstitions and its music. The superstitions or voodoo plays a profound role in the lives of many Haitians. The voodoo was introduced into Haiti in the late 16th Century. Haiti is also famous for its painting, and finally for its ruins…for example the Sans Souci Palace, the most famous ruins in the Caribbean. Exactly, this enigmatic palace is considered a Cultural Heritage for Humanity by UNESCO. Originally constructed by black slaves, now Sans Souci is one of Haiti’s main tourist attractions.

Since the late 1940s, Haitian painting, best known as “naïve art” or “intuitive art”, is famous all around the World. The most important figure was Hector Hyppolite. His work made its biggest splash in the United States in the 20th Century. Other artists known internationally include Rigaud Benoit, Castera Bazile, Joseph Jean-Giles and Jean-Baptista Bottlex.Haiti is famous for its traditional sculpture. The best Haitian sculptor is Albert Mangoes.

FAMOUS HAITIAN

Nelust Wyclef Jean (singer/Haitian-American): Original member of 1990s hip hop group The Fugees. Wyclef Jean is probably the most popular Haitian singer of all time. Jean was born in Croix des Bouquets (Haiti) on October 17, 1972. When he was just ten years old, he moved to the United States. Under leadership of Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill, The Fugees had several hits in the 1990s, including The Score (The Score album sold 6 million copies). Since 1997, Wyclef Jean, as soloist, became well-known on the international music scene. Like songwriter and producer, Jean collaborated with superstars as Santana, Withney Houston, Mick Jagger,Bono,Tevin Cambpell, Bounty Killer, Eric Benet, Sarah Connor, Claudette Ortiz, Tarkan, Michael Jackson, Youssou N´Dor, Shakira, Olga Tañon, Carlos Ponce and Julio Voltio. During the last seven years, he has sold more than 10 millions albums worldwide. In 2002, his single Masquerade was a great success.

Since then, Wyclef Jean is a man that always works with love for Haiti, one of the World’s poorest countries. Recently, he makes perhaps his best work: “Yele Haiti”, a foundation which works for the human development in the Island. Like Miriam Makeba in South Africa or Bianca Jagger in Nicaragua, Jean loves his roots. In an interview for Magazine, Wyclef Jean discussed about Haitian roots: “I am 100% Haitian. I am proud to be Haitian. I still have my Haitian passport. I represent Haiti in everything that I do. Every head in the industry knows that I am Haitian…they know what I’m about. I was Haitian forst. Haitian till die!”, said Jean.

Discography: Wyclef Jean Present the Carnival Featuring the refugee All-Stars (1997) / The Ecleftic:2 Sides II a Book/ Masquerade (2002) / The Preacher’s (2003)/ Sak Pasé Presents: Creole 101( 2004) /Hips Don’t Lie (with Shakira, 2006).

SPECIAL AWARDS

Gerthie David “The Black Goddess”

In 1975, many Haitian people were shocked to open their newspapers and see photographs of Gerthie David Miss Haiti in El Salvador. On the night of July 19th 1975, in San Salvador, Gerthie David, Miss Haiti, was the second black woman to first runner-up in the history of Miss Universe Pageant. After winning the Miss Haiti title, Gerthie went to San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador, to enter the Miss Universe Contest. The competence was exhausting, very hard, for example Miss Bolivia, Jackeline Gammarra, great favorite, was eliminated. This day, Miss Haiti looks like a black goddess. Her exotic beauty and charming personality are amazing! At 1,72m in height, she was the best in the evening gown competition, but her speech about the Haitian superstitions swayed thousands of applauses in the 25th Edition of the Contest. Certainly, Miss Haiti captive to the judges Sarah Vaughan (American black singer), Maribel Arrieta (Miss El Salvador 1955 and First runner-up at Miss Universe 1955), Jean Claude Killy (French sportsmen) and Leon Uris(American writer ).

When Bob Barker, the host this pageant, announces the final placements, Gerthie was cheered by the entire auditorium. Suddenly, her pulse rate beats at thousand per minute… “First runner-up is Miss Haiti!”, said Barker. She was one of the most exotic delegates in all history of Miss Universe. In the 1970s, Gerthie David was a model from Port-au Prince and she became a symbol to the Haitian youth. Next months, in London, Joelle Apollon, Miss Haiti-World, came in sixth place at Miss World 1975.After sixteen years, Marjorie Vincent, formerly Miss Illinois 1991,won the title of Miss America Pageant. The first Miss America to originate from the Caribbean. In other words, Marjorie Vincent has Haitian roots. Furthermore, she was the second black woman to win the pageant.

SPORTS

Like in Brazil or Italy, the football is the most popular sport in Haiti. Certainly, the national pastime is the football. A different of the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico, the Haitian people don’t like the baseball. In the 20th Century, football became the most popular sport in the Island, thanks to such heroes as Sylvio Cator, Joseph Gaetjens and Emmanuel Sanon. In 1974 Haiti qualified for the World Cup in Germany.

Emmanuel Sanon was one of the Haiti’s most popular players and played at the 1974 World Cup. Sanon made a great contribution to Haitian football because he played in more World Cup qualifiers any other Haitian. He is still very popular with local fans. Other phenomenal talent was Joseph Eduard Gaetjens. He represented both Haiti and the United States. He made FIFA World Cup History: When scored United States opening goal in the 1950 World Cup against England. Joseph came to the United States in the 1940s to play in the American Soccer League. His beautiful play in the Brookhattan Club made in a national star. In 1953, he played for Haiti for the first time.

It’s practically impossible to talk about Haitian athletes without mentioning Sylvio Cator. He is a legend in this sport. Cator won the silver medal in the long jump at 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Cator returned home to a hero’s welcome. From 1928 to 1930, he was record man in the long jump. Cator was a marvelous jumper and footballer. He also played an important role in popularizing football in the Island (it was the captain of Haitian National Team).

Since then, he is an example for young people in Haiti. He died in November 1938, but today the people of Haiti still think of him with respect. Many years after Cator’s death, the National Stadium in Por-au-Prince was renamed in his honor. Cator was the first of the great Caribbean sportsmen that would come to dominate world track and field.

FAMOUS ATHLETES

Bruny Surin (Canada-Haiti/track field)/ Edrick Floreal (Canada-Haiti/track field)/ Samuel Dalembert ( USA-Haiti/basketball) / Ronald Agenor (USA-Haiti/tennis)/ Sylvio Cator (track and field)/ Yves Jeudy (Box)/ Dieudonne Lamothe (marathon)/ Ludovic Augustin (shooting)/ Ludovic Volborge (shooting)/ Joseph Eduard Gaetjens (Haiti-USA/football)/ Dudley Dorival (track field)/ Fitz Plantin Andre (football)/ Emmanuel Sanon (football)/ Josmer Altidore (Haitian-American/football).

Dudley Dorival (track and field): Dudley Dorival was born on 1 September 1975 in Elizabeth (New Jersey, USA). Dorival is the son of Haitian parents and got Haitian nationality just in time for the XXVII Summer Olympics Games. Since the 2000 Olympics, Dudley Dorival has competed in international competitions under the banner of Haiti. In Sydney (Australia) Dorival finished 7th in the 110m hurdles. He became the first Haitian to Olympic finalist since Yves Jeudy (boxer) in 1976. He won the silver medal at the 1994 World Junior Championship, the bronze at the 2001 World Chanpionship and the gold medal at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games El Salvador. Dorival is one of the best sportsman in the history of Haiti.

FAMOUS WOMEN

Michaëlla Jean (Governor-General of Canada)/ Yvonne Neptune (former Prime Minister)/Claudette Werleigh (Prime Minister 1995-1996)/Lina Blanchet (singer)/ Edwidge Danticat (writer)/ Michelle Bennett Duvalier(First Lady of Haiti 1981-1986)/ Luce Turnier (painter)/ Ertha Pascal-Trouillot (Head of State 1990-1991)/ Marie Casimir (journalist) / Sonia Sekula (Painter) / Marie Chauvet (writer)/ Suzanne Comhaire-Sylvain (writer)/ Carmen Brouard (singer)/Dayana Bennett (journalist and actress) / Elie Price (singer)/ Blanche Bosselman (singer)/ Lina Mathon (singer)/ Georgette Moliere (singer)/ Simone Ovide Duvalier (First Lady of Haiti 1957-1981)/ Marleine Bastien (human rights leader)/ Garcelle Beauvais (actress and model)/ Deborah Saint-Phard (track and field)/ Antoinette Gauthier (track and field), Louise Pierre (track and field)/ Rose Gauthier (track and field)

Edwidge Danticat (writer): One of the Caribbean’s most famous writers in the 21st Century. She has written several novels and collections of shore stories, including Kri? Kra!, nominated for a National Book Award. Danticat attracted international attention in 1997 when she wrote perhaps her most famous novel Farming of the Bones, a story about genocide Haitians under the repressive dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo.

Garcelle Beauvais (actress): She is the first Haitian actress to star on television. Although she has lived in the United States for many years, the actress and former fashion model Garcelle Beauvais was born in Saint Marc, a city in Haiti, in 1966. She is perhaps best known for her role as Francesca Monroe on TV’s the Jamie Foxx Show. Like Gerthie David, Joelle Apollon, Evelyn Miot, and Marjorie Vincent, she has the classic beauty of the Haitian black woman

REFERENCES:

-Bennet Patterson, Carolyn.”Haiti: Beyond mountains, more mountains”, National Geographic, Washington DC, January 1976

-Bishop,Randa. “Imponentes monumentos haitianos”, Americas, Washington DC, enero-febrero 1987

-Cobb,Charles. “Haiti against all odds”, National Geographic, November 1987

-Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of the Year 1981, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago, 1980

-Encyclopaedia Britannica Almanac 2003, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago, 2002

-Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. Enciclopedia Mundototal 1999, Editorial San Marcos, Lima, 1998

-Hunter, Brian. The Statesman’s Year-Book 1991-92, The Macmillan Press, 1991

-Moritz, Charles. Current Biography Yearbook 1972, H.W Wilson Company, NY

-Sconfield, John. “Haiti-West Africa in the West Indies”, National Geographic, Washington DC, February 1961

-The International Who’s Who 1996-97, Europe Publications, London, 1996

-The World Almanac 2001, World Almanac Books, New Jersey, 2001

-Tibballs, Geoff. The Olympics´ strangest moments, Robson Books, London, 2004

-Vargas Llosa, Mario. “Haití: la muerte”, El Comercio, Lima, 25.4.1994

-Visión. “Imperio del Poder Vitalicio”, Santiago de Chile, 17 de marzo de 1967

-Wallechinsky, David. The complete Book of the Olympics, Aurum Press, London, 2004

-Wallechinsky, David-Wallace, Irving. The People’s Almanac2, Batam Book Inc

-WWW.Yotube.com “1975 El Salvador Miss Universe” (video)

Alejandro Guevara Onofre
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/haitithe-magic-land-115094.html

How is Obama health care faring so far?  According to ABC news, President Obama states that there have been some “real, tangible benefits” that have already been experienced by American people since the health care bill was signed in to law.

Obama health care is a subject that people have many opinions about, some good and some bad.  Whether you see it as beneficial or monstrous may depend on the income class you fall in.  The President recently stated that it has been a little over a month since he signed health insurance reform in to law, and this new law has already delivered real benefits to millions of Americans.  He also said that it will take some time to implement the new law fully, but Americans are starting to see a health care system that holds insurance companies accountable, while giving more control to the consumers.

Obama health care does seem to have a few advantages thus far.  It is true that a few insurance companies have been forced to back down on plans to raise premiums.  For example, Anthem Blue Cross intended to raise premiums to California residents by 39%, until their plan was foiled.  The administration demanded that Anthem Blue Cross justify this increase, at which point the company admitted error.

Recently, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, wrote a letter intended for all states.  This letter urges each state to investigate rate hikes in order to put a halt to insurance companies trying to game the system.  President Obama said that in order to assist states in achieving this goal, a new Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight has been set up.  States with the best oversight programs will be provided grants, according to the President.

Additionally, the President stated that his administration recently called on an insurance company that was dropping the coverage on women diagnosed with breast cancer systematically to end this practice at once.  Another plus on the Obama health care side – the entire insurance industry has agreed to stop dropping an individual’s coverage when they get sick by complying with the new law before it actually goes into effect.

The President said recently that “implementing health insurance reform won’t happen overnight, and it will require some tweaks and changes along the way.”

Many people feel that Obama health care is essentially taking away the peoples’ right to choose.  One person observed that progress isn’t gained by creating a system which makes the citizens of the United Stated dependent on the government.  Freedom is what this country is about, isn’t it?  Obama health care is a phrase that draws plenty of reaction, both positive and negative.  However, some people offer no reaction at all, and say that they see no change whatsoever in the lives of their family, friends or neighbors due to the new law.

One final note:  In New York, health care premiums have risen an average of 97% or six times faster than incomes have risen since 2000, according to state insurance department data.  Will Obama health care find a fix for New Yorkers?

Mark South
Obama Health Care

Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine Facing a public still wary of his massive health care overhaul, President Barack Obama urged Americans not to judge the nearly $1 trillion legislation he signed into law last week until the reforms take hold.
Read the rest of this entry »