Washington, DC - A Minnesota police office murdered Justin Damond this past week. According to reports she called 911 to report a possible sexual assault nearby her apartment where she lived. According to reports two police officers arrived after she called for help a second time. One of the police officers riding in the passenger side of the police car was reported to have been spooked and shot past the driving police officer and killed the woman approaching the car in her pajamas.
We don't know the full story yet as the police officer has yet to make comments about what happened. In Damond's case calling the police ended her life. I am a fan of the police and applaud their work 95% of the time but this was a horrendous mistake in judgment that cost this woman her life. Police must keep their body cameras on and face repercussions when they don't. A policewoman Miosotis Familia sitting in an R.V. command style vehicle two miles from Yankee Stadium was recently murdered in the Bronx. She was targeted because she was wearing a police uniform. She was loved and highly regarded by all who knew her and thus her murder was heinous.
Police officers are walking on eggshells and so are most Americans. Many Americans are afraid of the police. Wearing cameras and equipping all police cars with bulletproof glass are steps in the right direction. While everything is yet to be revealed it seems the Minnesota police officer murdered this lady who was simply trying to help someone who was being assaulted. Wearing a badge isn't a license for murder.
Most everyone knows there is nothing affordable about Obamacare. If you have relatively low premiums then you probably can't afford to go to the hospital. Your deductible might be as high as $10,000 or $15,000 plus you may be expected to pay 20% of a $50,000 bill. Most Americans don't have $20,000 to $25,000 extra cash lying around and thus they end up in huge debt to the doctors and hospitals. Even people with higher premiums still have big deductibles. My wife and I pay about $2,000 a month and we each have a $6,000 deductible. We still pay $35 copays and pay quite a bit on prescriptions. Thus, there is currently not much good happening for Americans in the realm of medical insurance and paying for health care.
Medicare is touted to be "pretty good" by many Americans. So, I suppose you can wish your life away so you can hurry up and get on Medicare. Americans need medical care more than ever before. Every two years we elect people who supposedly want to go to Washington and help us. Every day we are disappointed in them. Put the very poor on Medicaid. Allow those with pre-existing conditions to buy into Medicare. Allow Americans to buy insurance across states. Shore up Americas county health departments with nurse practitioners who can write prescriptions. Make these places very cheap to visit. When my wife and I were in Paris, France she went to see a doctor at a clinic that was around the corner from our hotel. My wife was there about forty minutes. The visit was about $23. She was given two prescriptions. We walked down the street and filled both of them for less than $6. These were not copays but what we were charged for the services. In America we know it would have cost between $100 and $150 or more.
John McCain is a great man and we wish him health and recovery. His diagnosis of brain cancer is serious and he will now be in for the fight for his life. He will experience first hand what Americans go through in a life threatening illness plus all the medical costs involved in trying to survive cancer. I heard Rand Paul say on the morning news that Congress has Obamacare just like average America. If this is true then this is more bad news for McCain. Our prayers are surely with him and his health.
Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of twelve books. He is read in all fifty states.
