Say

At the end of the lovely Rob Reiner film The Bucket List, two human men -- flawed and contradictory, given knowledge that their oh-so-human lives are about to come to their mortal end -- find redemption and transformation. The song "Say" by John Mayer plays over the credits. The film moved me: Jack Nicholson eulogizing his new friend's courage and guidance was powerful film-making, but it was the song mixed with message that did me in. I sat in the theater for twenty minutes after the lights had come up, sobbing.

The song, perfect and true, reminds us that life is hard and triumphant and that it is the people we touch and feel and contact that matter. That who we are is based on what lessons we can learn and what lessons we can teach, what part of our family we are from, what part of ourselves exists outside that family, what fights we fought, and which ones we walked away from, and, most importantly, who we loved and who loved us. Teddy Kennedy -- a human man, so forceful and formidable and flawed, as he and his family described at his funeral -- got to say what he needed to say to his children, wives, family and colleagues and strangers: what he did, why he did it, and what he hoped for in the future.

His brothers did not. Neither did the people from Massachusetts who died on September 11, and whose families Senator Kennedy called and cared for afterward. Nor did the soldiers in Iraq, or the children in the van with Diane Schuler, who died with their drunk mother. It is crucial that that we all say what we need to say, and say it now. Say it daily. Tell your truths, your hard truths. Shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel. Say what you need to say. It is the gift of a very public death, long in coming, that we can learn from... that we all, from every corner of the globe, are in contact and intertwined in the lives of each other... Teddy's political legacy will live on.

Pass health care. For everyone. Let all who are sick and dying get the same care that he got in his last year. And if you are not satisfied with what you are hearing or seeing on the news.....then be Americans and say what you need to say to your elected officials, who say what they need to say on your behalf.

That's what I have to say.

"Say," by John Mayer

Take out of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all your so called problems
Better put them in quotations

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Walkin' like a one man army
Fightin' with the shadows in your head
Livin' up the same old moment
Knowin' you'd be better off instead
If you could only

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Have no fear for givin' in
Have no fear for givin' over
You better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than to never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shakin'
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closin'
Do it with a heart wide open
A wide heart

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Comments

[kkrimmer]

Some 75 million boomers are ill prepared to cover the costs of long term care especially since Medicare and health insurance does not cover the bulk of long term care and Medicaid only does once someone has spent their live savings to the poverty level.

Many people do not know the ins and outs of long term care insurance and pick plans that may not provide adequate coverage or with a company that has a history of denying claims (http://www.howtobuyltcinsurance.com).

According to http://www.guidetolongtermcare.com 70% of Americans 65+ will need long term care. Bye bye retirement income stream, life savings, inheritances.

With only about 10% of those buying long term care insurance (http://www.nationalltc.com) the rest will spend their estates on paying for care and some will end up on welfare health care (Medicaid) after spending all their money.

Medicaid is funded with federal and state tax money. You and I pay for Medicaid. Our system will not be able to handle millions of boomers on Medicaid.

You do the math, even if only 20% boomers end up on Medicaid long term care an average of 2 years at $100k/yr that’s 15 million x $200,000 = $3,000,000,000,000 for Medicad over the next 20 years out of taxes, along with $700Bil a year for the Defense Dept… etc etc etc. There’s just not enough money, unless we print it (borrow).

In the news: Medicaid to cut dental coverage for seniors.

[deepseas]

Thoughtful article, Jamie. Thank you. If only more Americans felt each person deserves health care as you, we wouldn't have need of this conversation. Issues of racism and privilege must be addressed and dealt with in order for this nation to succeed.

[sinope]

Um, spoiler alert.

[jimme]

+ rho237 I'm a Fan of rho237 I'm a fan of this user permalink
It's kind of hard to hear the other side when the mods here filter out dissenting views. Try watching Glen Beck to get some real perspective on why this isn't just about health care

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:28 PM on 09/01/2009

Try watching Glenn Beck ??????????
The guy is nothing more than a right-wing propogandist who is getting rich on the backs of the,shall I say, mentally challenged. If you believe what this klown says then you are in sad shape.
I can guarantee you that Beck has no idea what "socialism" actually is.

[rho237]

Actually he is Libertarian. I am Independent. It was Beck that introduced Van Jones and other Marxist characters who now have a seat at the "big" table and also are advising our president on policy. Try and google Van Jones and then get back to me if you think that is the type of person you want setting policy. Then start exploring the rest of the czars and you will see they all have a similar agenda. Maybe you know who Van Jones is and maybe you agree with him and that is your freedom to do so and I respect that. I, however, disagree completely with the way my country is going because of people like Jones. I am sick of being sold out for special interest groups.

[Allocator2008]

Good article. I wonder what Michael Myers was trying to "say" to Laurie Strode? Trying to protect her in some twisted way from the darkness that had consumed him? Not sure, but this got me thinking about it again - I always love our original "scream queen", Jamie Lee Curtis! :-)

[cloudmaker]

Wow. Where did I ever get the idea in the past that Jamie was a hard-nosed Republican? She is one of the truest democratic voices we have. She showed women the secret of airbrushed beauty, which was very important. This message is also very important.

[juliaizen]

Jamie, your message really rings true for me. I remember when I was growing-up, my mother, a German-Jewish holocaust refugee, taught me, that "if I have anything to say, I should say it now, because I may not pass this way again." It is such an important message. There are times that I could be embarrassed about being so effusive; making sure that the ones I love, know it. But it is more important that they know, then that I look foolish, or may even make them uncomfortable.

Teddy Kennedy will always be a hero for me. He was a working man's warrior; relentless in his pursuit of what he believed to be right, whether he was ridiculed for it, or not.

Now, more than ever before, we must say what we believe; there is no room left for false pride, because we will not pass this way again.

Thanks for reminding us.

[NurseMarlow]

AMERICAN ABROAD PART 3.....

I want my parents to have decent and honorable retirements as much as
I want my siblings and my friends to receive the treatments they need
to fight cancer, MS, diabetes, and any other illnesses we have to
fight. No matter what your personal income is or what your ailment
may be or what genes may have been passed down to you through birth.

Please do not get lazy on this very important policy - keep pushing
for this in your local communities, with your local officials - do
not let this die. It is the only way to a better future for all of
us. Imagine a life whereby you will be taken care of just because you
are valued as a human being. It is not so radical.

And that is all from me for today while I sit on the couch feeling
grateful - how are you?

Deb

[NurseMarlow]

AMERICAN ABROAD CONT......
Now note that I never signed a piece of paper; not a waiver, not an
insurance form, nothing. Just repeated my name and social security
number to several people along the way to confirm my identity and my
injury. Everything else was computerized. Today I am not worried
about getting dropped by my provider or paying a higher dividend for
my pre-existing condition. I had a situation that needed tending to
and now I am just moving on.


Why I am telling you this? I can assure not to say 'ha ha' -
especially to you that have had upwards of 25-50,000 USD in out of
pocket expenses this year alone for illness that you did not elect to
have. ( Bob, I can not even imagine your totals anymore ) The
personal stories that I know some of you have are enraging to me now.
But I share this with you to inspire you to demand it at home. That
the States can run the system as effectively as the country of
Denmark; the region of Scandinavia; as well as most of all the
European Community. That a unified health care system for all
americans is not a lost cause and it is not impossible no matter what
horrible propaganda is fighting against the success of it. USA is not
too big to do this - they are too crippled by this failing system NOT
to do it.
2 b CONT...

[NurseMarlow]

FROM AN AMERICAN ABROAD:
let me tell you what just happened to me as an American living in
Denmark. Not as a Danish citizen but as a resident tax payer.
I smacked my knee into a metal bar while pushing my chair in
under the dinner table and I thought I fractured the kneecap. Being
that I could hardly walk, I immediately called my private doctor.

To sum up the rest of the story fast:

- I went in the next morning. She immediately referred me to a
physical therapist whereby he said I needed to get that old screw
out, the rest was just a bruise- (time; 2 days/cost 0)

- He gave me a bunch of exercises to do and referred me to a
orthopedic surgeon that concluded after x-rays and MRI scans that
surgery albeit elective was a good idea - (time; 1 week/cost 0)

- I received a date for surgery - 3 weeks later but it was while I
was in the States. So, we postponed it to my arrival date at my
convenience.

- Yesterday, I went in at 11:30am, my surgery was at 1pm, I was
finished and released at 4pm and sent home with pain pills and a date
for my physical therapy to start up again (time 5 1/2 hours - cost 0)

[wilray]

My first trip abroad was to Denmark. This was the Spring of 1990. While preparing for my trip, I checked my health coverage to be certain to find out what I needed to do if I became injured or sick abroad. However, I was also studying everything about Denmark. And then I discovered something remarkable. As long, as I had not come into Denmark for medical reasons, I was actually covered by Denmark. They would take care of me. I wouldn't have to coordinate with my coverage back home at all, and I wouldn't have a bill waiting. Their medical system even covered visitors. This was almost 2 decades ago. I don't know if things have changed since then.

[clearseptember]

Dearest Jamie, redemption and transformation and health care have nothing to do with the bills working their way through Congress. All of these bills will impose an unbearable burden on the American spirit, on the sense of self-determination born and breed into every one of us. The people pushing these bills most ardently are those who do not recognize this self-determination as a God given right, enunciated in our Constitution. Heath insurance for the needy is Charity, and we should all be charitable as persons...our government has no licence to be charitable. The worst thing you can do for someone is to give them something free, paid for by unwilling conscript, and call it a right.
PS...Mary Jo never had a chance to say what she had to say to her family...just a thought...

[Steph55]

ClearSeptember: you want to talk about charity: you might think that bringing in the troops and food and water are charity when there is a national emergency: like the Mississippi floods, eathquakes and storms; rain and snow! We could NEVER ever find the resources or manpower to supply those in need with "charity". You just don't know the facts of the numbers each year in this country and others.

When you need cancer treatment or a new hip, try pushing that "self determination on your friendly neighborhood medical insurance company, or maybe you'll be praying for a "healing"? That's fine and well for you, but the rest of us do not have to be forced prisoners to your fringe charity and moralizing. Have you ever been to a big city or even a mid sized city and seen the NEED, not the laziness, but the NEED of others?? It can't be touched, unless you want most of America to revert to a 3rd world country.

[stanschurman]

No doubt clearseptember is quite comfortable with his/her health care plan. If clearseptember had no health care plan and came down with some terrible disease or condition, I'm absolutely sure that clearseptember would refuse to accept any government backed medical aid. Clearseptember would be more than happy to sit on a street corner with a tin cup and soak up the charity and, if no such charity was forthcoming and clearseptember were to eventually pass away from the untreated condition, well, at least clearseptember would have gone out with a clear conscience secure in the knowledge that he or she had never accepted that socialisttic medicare thingy.

[bdul26]

I am amazed at the amount of people who vote against their own best interests. My father (die-hard Constitution party member because the Republicans weren't far enough right for him) recently told me during a debate on healthcare, "When I went back to school to get my PhD, I had 7 children and we qualified for food stamps and welfare but I didn't accept it. Why? Because it was my decision to go back to school and I didn't think the government to should have to support me." I was dumbfounded. As one of the 7 children who did without so many things, to know that my life was made more difficult than it had to be because of my father's pride... well, it just baffles me.

Although your comment to clearseptember was, no doubt, a scathing and beautiful bit of facetiousness, it might actually be true. Some people fail to develop empathy, no matter what.

[Romie12]

I was deeply moved by Ted Kennedy's burial, and moved to tears when the letter to the Pope was read. I think as we get older we do realize that we are less than perfect. I was moved again to tears when the words came out, " I have tried to right my path" not sure if those words are verbatim as I don't have the letter in front of me. I was touched in my heart and my soul for this man, I was so sorry that he got sick and died.

Now after having said all the above, I have to tell you that it troubles me that Ted Kennedy will be remembered by the accident at Chappaquitick. Moreover, I know had this been my son , or your son or brother they would have paid a heavy price. So here is what Americans want they want justice for all and they want equality , if they don't have that then there is something wrong with that statement, " all men are created equally."

In conclusion, I must say that when we do wrong in life we always pay for this mistake one way or another. No one gets off free.

Callie

[CatsRule1]

You are absolutely right. Ted did pay, with his conscience. I am sure he relived the moment over and over and thought, why did I not do more? Why did I not say where we were going? There was a lot for him to live up to and I am sure that in the spur of the moment, he thought, Oh thisis not going to look good and took a coward's way out. How he lived afterwards is a testement to his true heart. He did not take the path of least resistance. He took a path of fighting for those who could not fight for themselves and in his speach to young collegians told them that he had flaws instead of making the path seem all roses and sunshine.

[nicholasfromWA]

The spin that people put on that issue never ceases to amaze me.
Equally amazing is how "sure" people are that he was sorry and all that...

The FACT remains that you or I would've done at least a decade behind bars for what he did...

[brantl]

Nicely done, Jamie. Very nicely done.

[JavaManiac]

find the email addresses of your congressional representativs. Go to www.house.gov

Put them in your contacts and email them on a regular basis about healthcare. Just a simple line is more memorable than a book. example

Please pass healthcare reform. I would like to see a public option! Name-address

[WalkingOnEggshells]

I love you Jamie Lee! Keep up the good work being a shining example of what every American ought to aspire to. I have found that some of the greatest resistance to healthcare reform comes from people who call themselves Christians, and I think we should try appeal to their better nature to win them over. A good way to do that is to ask them what is THEIR OPINION of what Jesus would say if here were alive today and could be asked the following question:

"JESUS, DO YOU THINK THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SHOULD FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO EVERYONE, OR SHOULD IT JUST REMAIN THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER WITHOUT, LIKE WOUNDED ANIMALS IN THE WOODS?"