Please Read!!!!!

I know I don't post here as often as I should but I had to post this today. As I was reading The Tennessean this morning I read something that really Pissed me off (please excuse the language). In the letter's to the Editor section there is an article (TennCare can't cure bad lifestyle choices) I do believe we should all read this brief statement and respond to Karen Herrmann. Just to sum up what it says is that the people of the state shouldn't have to pay for Gastric-Bypass surgery because it's our fault that we are over weight and basically that pushing away from the table and walking will cure everything. This just shows me that being prejudice towards overweight individuals is the only type of discrimination that is acceptable in the world today. I am sorry if I have rattled on but I just had to voice my opinion to this. And hopefully my letter to the editor will be printed in response to this matter. Thanks again for reading. Larry

I didn't read it Larry. You're right, people with weight problems are discriminated against and its accepted! I'm sure every overweight person has experienced that first hand. It aggravates me to hear someone say ...push away from the table and walk....that taxpayers are paying for an obese person's mistakes. You know, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with STD's that are on state sponsored health care...why don't they just not have sex??? We're paying for their screw ups! Heck what about people who are on welfare who DON'T need the help??? Why don't they get up off their couches and walk to find a job? We're paying for their laziness. Please note, these statements should be taken sarcasticly. I'm in favor of paying taxes for helping individuals who need help. I call myself a product of the welfare system and social programs. I grew up on welfare and then received grants from various social programs to go to college. I'm college educated, I have an income, a car, decent clothes, food (lord knows I have food! ) These programs DO work! Anyways, thought I'd vent a little! Thanks for bringing this issue to light and letting me contribute my 2 cents! Have a great day! April

We all know that this person is showing her ignorance as well as her prejudice. You are right that prejudice towards overweight people is an acceptable discrimination in our society. I put this type of person right up there with the ones who say that a rape victim "was asking for it" by **insert dumb reason of choice here**. I guess the best thing that can be said for ignorance is that it is not contagious.

Hi Larry! It is good to hear from you. Yes, that is a stupid statement and I am shocked that the Tennessean would even print it. It is very discriminating. It is ridiculous how closed minded and ignorant people can be. They should actually do some research on this surgery and the people that receive it before they make unfounded comments. Obesity is a disease and we know better than anyone that there is no easy "cure" for it. We are the ones that have to live with the complications every single day. Besides that, what help would it be to her if TennCare stopped paying for the surgery?? It wouldn't make the taxes she paid any lower. The money would just go to something else (something stupid like still working on the construction on I65 N that is a year overdue - sorry - had to throw that in !!) I do not understand why this country is ruled by greed and money. If everyone actually gave an ounce thought about other people and their health and well being, we would be a much better country. So this woman would rather let us die than for the surgery to be covered by the state because she thinks it is money out of her pocket. The same state that we all pay taxes too. The same country that is here to protect us. Come on now. Let's think about that how stupid that sounds! People are not perfect (she should know better than any of us with those types of comments). We have to live with our so called "mistakes". If that is what she believes, then they should take off all of the people who smoke because of their health problems that could be formed from that. The people who drink alcohol or people who get AIDS. It is not right to just discriminate against obese people - especially if you have no idea about it. I do applaud you for taking action and writing a letter back. I think people need to know that it is not acceptable to discriminate against anybody period. I have been discriminated against many times for a couple of reasons. I know how hard it is not to get angry but getting angry lets people who discriminate win. They want you to get angry. We know that she is just ignorant and we have the support of each other and plenty of other people who don't agree with people like her. Misty

Thanks everyone for reading this. I didn't want to start the day off on a bad note but seeing that someone can be that ignorant and basically disrespectful of others just really gets to me. I know that my being overweight is somewhat do to my lifestyle choices and party do to medical conditions. But for her to categorize everyone by saying just push away from the table and walk upset me. And to be honest it hurts to know that this is how the world looks at people such as myself and others. But I guess the world had to move from discriminating against race. to sex, then on to sexual prefences, then to religion, and no its being overweight. Its just a steady decline in my opinion of our values and compassion towards our fellow man. Trust me if she could live one day in my shoes she would see that it isn't as easy as pushing away and walking (god knows i've tried both). But anyways I just want to ven my frustration to this ignorance that is allowed to continue in our society. Thanks. Larry