SOC 490, Week 1

                Even though I am not an avid follower of Universal Health Care, I do believe that it is a right rather than a privilege.  Helen Redmond, a Clinical Social Worker and a member of Chicago Single Prayer Action Network, stated “the cost of health insurance continues to outplace inflation and wage growth.”  People across America are continuously struggling with every day needs, and unfortunately health insurance is another problem that many Americans need to stress about. By providing Universal Health Care, many people would have an unnecessary weight lifted off of their shoulders.

                I understand why many people believe that Universal Health Care is a privilege rather than a right.  How can one deny a child health care for the regretful choices that their parents have made though? Many people make disappointing choices throughout their life that they should not have access to health care; however, there are just as many people that are trying to make a living and are truly struggling because of financial issues thanks to their health problems.

                Another point the Helen Redmond brings up is job lock.  Job lock is when an individual stays at an unpleasant job only to receive health insurance.  If America was truly one of the best countries in the world, people would not have to settle for something less than what they desire.  Universal Health Care should be provided to every citizen so they should not have to feel obligated to stay at an unwanted job.

                The last point that Helen Redmond made that I found interesting was that approximately twenty-nine million people have medical debt. If Universal Health Care had been provided, many people would not be struggling because of medical bills. Life would be less stressful for citizens across the United States, as well as other areas around the world that provide it.

Thursday, October 25th

     Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been dependent on my family.  My parents, sisters, and I have always been extremely close and I have never been away from them for more than two weeks at a time; let alone two months.  So as many can imagine, knowing that I would be across the world for two months was a bit scary; however, knowing how dependent I have always been on my family, I realized that this was my opportunity to become more independent. 
     Today was our fourth day on this journey and it was the best one yet.  After visiting the Baths of Caracalla and receiving a quick lesson on gelato, four of my friends and I began to wander the streets of Rome.  At first, we walked in and out of small shops that we could never find back at home.  After awhile, we decided that we could not wait to see the Trevi Fountain.  Not knowing its location, we pulled out a map and started walking.  We had looked like typical tourists; taking wrong turns, looking for street names, and so on.  After awhile, we eventually found the known location, and it was by far my favorite spot yet.
     After that, we decided to wander even further into the city.  My friends and I wanted to find a particular store, so we stopped and asked local Italians for directions because our map was useless.  We found our destination and realized that we had lost track of time.  We had to figure out how to return back to the Metro in a short period of time.  My four friends and I remembered passing the Spanish Steps, so we went running throughout the streets of Rome, swerving in and out of the crowd searching for them; knowing that the Metro was nearby.  Once we had found it, we were not sure what to do next.  A giant map sat in front of us so we took our time trying to figure out what our next move was, and somehow we ended up becoming lucky; we made it back to Termini on time ourselves.
     I know that it does not seem like much, but my friends and I felt so accomplished once we reached Termini, a place that we are familiar with.  For the first time it hit me that I had not depended on my family; and instead my friends and I were learning to become more independent together.  As Barzini explained in The Italians, Italian families purposely made their living space larger than any other in their homes in order to spend time together and bond. In my particular situation, I could compare this to the city of Rome itself.  The city is so large that it left my friends and I no choice but to bond today while wandering the streets.  It was the first time that we realized we were on our own away from our families, and for the next two months we have no one to depend on but each other.