[Janice D. Soderling]

Pat, just want to make it clear that I am not advocating large institutions of any kind. I don't have the first-hand experience that you have, but like you I believe in offering a variety of solutions so each family can find the solution that is best for its circumstances.

Our politicians did follow the Reagan-Thatcher agenda turning out to a life as homeless (as it transpired) many who were not seriously ill but unable to cope with life on their own. But still there are many kinds of assistance available in the welfare program (which is in constant danger these days). These range from personal assistants to help the disabled adult or child (children are integrated in ordinary schools), to group living with a reasonable number of adults living with caretakers in small homes, rooms of their own but common areas for eating and socializing, or day care facilities where excursions or training or social events make life more meaningful. It includes options such as government-sponsored revamping of the home to accomodate the type of disability and this also for victims of a stroke, car accident, etc. Also family members are entitled to financial aid for the caretaking, and can get relief when the child or adult spends a day or weekend or more at a group living home. Of course the cost of rehabilitation, training etc. is part of the welfare program. I'm not saying it works perfectly for everyone, always, but I believe it to be superior to governmental nonchalance.

One of the most parts of our child care program however, is the four-year-old checkup. From the beginning all newborns are tested in the hospital for responses, and later at regular intervals at the local health care clinic to detect health problems. (In addition of course to ordinary health care.) But the compulsory four-year-checkup is a more comprehensive one and includes both physical and mental problems, from eyesight to anxiety symptoms. I can imagine what a hissy fit people the Tea Party dregs would throw at the idea of every child getting a check-up at age four. They would scream Big Brother Indoctrination. But it can uncover mental disturbances and handicaps (ADHD etc.) as well as physical ones.

School nurses, good day care, free meals in schools have all been part of our system since I arrived in this country and it is under attack now, serious attack. For me, free meals means nutritious free meals and that isn't always the case these days.

One of the things that the US exports is right-wing advice to right-wing politicians in other coutries. Your Karl Rove has been here to influence (please keep him at home in the future), and the same tactics are introduced. One of the main rallying cries is to lower taxes. Obviously if we don't pay taxes, we will have to buy our welfare services.

Now--and I weep to say it--the politicians hve completely disrupted and sold out the citizenry. Privatized the rail service (like Ms. Thatcher) and most recently the state-controlled pharmacies have been divided into two parts, half being sold to a Russian consortium and turned into an American type drugstore (strange bedfellows indeed). I could do a whole thread on that. You don't have to be especially bright to be aware of which Russians have money and where it came from.

The housing system and the school system are both shot to hell, with affluent children now in the good schools and the immigrants, the jobless, the poor huddled masses living in segregated areas with low-quality or sect schools. That latter is the worst, IMO, whether Christian or Muslim or whatever, because in extension it splits society into segments. The result is accelerating political unrest and crime. Who is surprised at that? Not me.

Not only schools but also health care clinics, hospitals have been privatized. Not all, but enough. The EU is controlled by lobbyists and business interests and I had best stop there.

I've lived here more than fifty years and I've seen it go up and now down.

So I'm not claiming that we have a perfect society, but there was a time we were close to it and now it is still better than in most places. No, I am not calling for a return to institutions, storage places, of any kind.

Virgil, correct me if I am wrong, but this incessant call for prayers and "god bless America" is because the society is so screwed up that anyone who doesn't say it is suspected of being an enemy of the State or of God which is the same thing--or it looks like it from here.

All right, this may seem far off track where Newtown is concerned, but actually it isn't. Only a citizenry that believes less in the motto "In God we Trust" and more in "E pluribus Unum" (did I spell that right) can create a good society.

Amen.