Humanity

The idea of humanity is exemplified by human beings who strive to bring positive change to the world.

Starting today, October 1, 2013, the health care options offered by the Affordable Care Act are available to all Americans. A lot of big money interests who’ve been raking in billions of dollars under our decades-old health care system have invested hundreds of millions of dollars and advertising time to make you think the Affordable Care Act (renamed "Obamacare" by those interests) won’t be good for you or your business. The misinformation has made a lot of people (many of whom have no idea what’s in the law) afraid, angry, or both. The anti-Obamacare advertising has worked so well that many people say they hate Obamacare, but they like the Affordable Care Act.

Why are the big money interests spending so much money to disseminate misinformation? Why are they trying to scare us out of signing up? Because the more people sign up, the more successful the ACA will be.

You can learn how the Affordable Care Act works to provide you and your family with affordable, good quality health care. One way is to log on to www.healthcare.gov , answer a few questions to help the navigator guide you to the best options for your situation, compare the options, including keeping your current insurance if you’re happy with it, and sign up. You can also find in-person consumer assistance locations near you. Or, you can call 1-800-318-2596, open 24/7.

This first day of the rollout of the ACA is coinciding with a government shutdown brought about by elected representatives who either serve the anti-Obamacare interests, or fear that if they don’t vote the way those interests want them to, they’ll lose their primary to someone who will.

Important to know: The shutdown is not affecting implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The ACA has already been funded and is ready for you to enroll.

Implementation of the ACA is being affected today by some delays that people are experiencing online and on the phone. It’s quite possible that these delays are being caused by those who don’t want the ACA to succeed deliberately overloading the website and the phone lines.

If you’re having trouble accessing the website, if pages don’t load easily, or if you call and experience a long wait time, go do something else. Then come back and try again later. Don’t give up. If it doesn’t work today, try tomorrow. If not tomorrow, try again the next day.

You know how long you’ve had to wait for tech support for your computer or your smartphone or to change an airline ticket or reach a human to get a return authorization number. (Ever notice how quickly you reach someone on the phone when you want to buy something? “Press 1 for sales.” You press 1. “Ring.” Cheerful human voice picks up right away and says, “Hi, this is Vanessa. How may I help you?”)

We’re not talking about equipment today. We’re talking about your body.
Don’t let the big money interests stop you from getting the care you need.
Keep trying. You’re worth it.
Don’t get mad. Get health insurance.
Your loved ones will thank you.

Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disease. For too long, it has been misunderstood as a treatable, benign condition. Three million Americans are affected. Many are children, and many are severely impacted. Tens of thousands lose their lives every year.

Susan Axelrod is the founder of Citizens United For Research in Epilepsy, or CURE Epilepsy. Accepting an award in 2007, Susan spoke about having received a late night e-mail from a mom whose five year old son had just begun to have seizures. The email said:

"We just returned from a week at Children's Hospital . . . again. This time, my son started cluster seizures and it took days to get it under control. Now we are living with some pretty bad side effects-vomiting, metabolic acidosis and erratic behavior, to name a few. It is amazing how little could be done to stop Evan’s seizures.... It took six days and he spent several days awake for only an hour or two. I wish our story was unique, but I know it is not."

Please join us in supporting the work of this worthy organization. No donation is too small. Please click here and contribute whatever you can. Thank you.

AMERICA'S WILD HORSES NEED OUR HELP

What do 6 lattes and a bale of hay have in common? Cost: $22. Please join me in providing a monthly bale of hay for rescued wild horses at Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary.

ROUNDUPS - PUBLIC COMMENT

June 2012

Roundups have unfortunately been scheduled once again as the BLM refuses to use alternative humane management. For more information please visit American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign and lend your voice to this continuing issue. Wild horses and burros need our help.

Please address further comments regarding a permanent moratorium on all roundups to:

The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
Phone: (202) 208-3100

Director Bob Abbey
BLM Washington Office
1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665
Washington DC 20240
Phone: 202-208-3801
Fax: 202-208-5242

BLM Directory - For email addresses and additional contact information.

Please also call or write to your U.S. Senators and ask them to support a moratorium on wild horse roundups immediately. You can find your Senator at www.senate.gov.

To view or read a well-done report on this subject, click here.

Whatever your views about America's foreign policy, it's important to support our troops. They're dedicated, courageous individuals who have volunteered to leave home and family to serve and protect the rest of us. I've played for our troops, and I can tell you firsthand that a message of appreciation from back home goes a long way. To those who serve, and to their friends and families, a heartfelt thank you!

To find out how to reach out to these men and women, visit the USO website at www.uso.org/.

BELOW ARE SOME LINKS FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE HUMANITY, AND NEED YOUR SUPPORT.

Cure Epilepsy www.cureepilepsy.org

The Painted Turtle Camp www.thepaintedturtle.org

Hole In The Wall Gang Camp www.holeinthewallgang.org

Alliance for the Wild Rockies www.allianceforthewildrockies.org

Return to Freedom www.returntofreedom.org

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign www.americanwildhorsecampaign.org

Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org

MusiCares www.grammy.com/musicares

Western Watersheds Project www.westernwatersheds.org

Partners in Health www.standforhaiti.org