Life With My Soldier

*Clarification*-
rose_michelle left a comment on what I said and I realized I needed to clarify something. I don't have a problem with a teacher trying to make us think outside the box. I don't have a problem with them trying to make us think objectively. The problem is, this teacher does not do that. He puts HIS point of view out there and to those who agree with him he says, "good point", to those who disagree he says, "you gotta be kidding me". It's not a matter of making each student think objectively about what we are supposed to be doing. It's a matter of him feeding us what he believes, which I think is wrong on many levels. If he challenged everybody, no matter their points of view, I wouldn't have a problem with the way he acted towards me yesterday, but he doesn't. It's only when we disagree with him that he makes a point to make us defend ourselves and our beliefs.

My journalism class frustrates me to no end. Today in class the topic was "what is news?" The teacher brought up health care. Well, call me old fashioned (at the ripe ol' age of 24) but I think you should have to work for what you get in life. Things shouldn't be free. My parents raised me to work hard and earn what I have in life. My dad worked in the oil field for 15-20 years. He worked his butt off up until one faithful evening in July 1991, when he was swinging a sledge hammer and was permanently injured. Here we are, 16 years later, and he's still unable to work. However, he has never said that the government should take care of him or his family. He has never said that it should all be free. He is on social security for disability, but he worked for every cent (as few as they are) that he receives. He paid his dues up until he could no longer physically do so. Even after his injury he tried to get back out there and continue to work. He fought through the pain that he had as much as he could until he could no longer take it. He loathes not being able to work. If you ask him today he would say he would get out there in a heartbeat if he could at all manage to do so. Eric and I were the dd's for everyone at my brother's wedding. At one of the places we went to we ran into a guy that used to work for my dad. My brother says to me, "Watch this." He goes over to the guy and brings up our dad and that guy talked for 10 minutes on the fact that my dad was the hardest worker he has ever known, before or since. Even putting in all those years, pain, sweat and tears, to this day my dad will not say the government owes them anything. He loathes being on social security, if he had a choice he absolutely would do anything else.
So, the teacher talks about how the government should be responsible for giving everybody health care. My response, isn't it the individuals responsibility to help themselves? I'm not saying that those who need the help shouldn't be able to get it. I just think that you should have to give something in return. I brought up the fact that Eric's in the military, he works hard so we get health care. He tries to throw everybody in the pile by saying, "if your husband came back from Iraq without a limb, shouldn't the government have to help him?" Well, excuse me, I don't think that's the same thing as giving EVERYBODY free health care. Of course they should help injured vets, they worked for it. Of course those injured while working in any line of work should get some sort of help, they were WORKING for it. But don't say that ever Tom, Dick & Harry should get free health care just because they are Americans. It makes no sense to me.

Ok, sorry I had to get that out. I swear, if I make it to the end of the semester without high blood pressure I'll be doing good. I never thought taking intro to journalism would be so taxing lol.