A September 4th article in The Atlantic claimed Republican politicians across the nation are “impoverishing and immiserating their own constituents” to gain political points with conservative voters.
It left out a key point. Some constituents have it worse.
Do you ever wonder why Mississippi has the highest death rate and the lowest life expectancy among the 50 states?
Surely you recall information emerging from the Legislature earlier this year about Mississippi’s highest in the nation death rates for infants and pregnant moms.
Perhaps you remember two years ago in September 2021 ago when Mississippi surpassed New Jersey for the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths. “Since the start of the pandemic, at least 9,165 people in Mississippi have died of the virus,” reported the Associated Press. “The state has a population of roughly 3 million and has had one of the worst vaccination rates in the country.”
Mississippi also has the highest rates for several health-related causes of death – cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and influenza/pneumonia. Plus the highest mortality rate from Alzheimer’s disease and the second highest for diabetes.
Then there are homicides – the latest data on homicide death rates ranked Mississippi at the top. We also have one of the highest rates for deaths in prison and the highest for deaths by firearms.
And car deaths – the most recent data shows Mississippi with the highest automobile fatality rate.
Back to The Atlantic’s contention. Are Mississippi politicians causing these constituent deaths? Not directly. But they are not preventing many of them. And that is a sobering takeaway.
It is no secret that more and better access to affordable healthcare would save many lives in Mississippi from infants and pregnant moms to senior citizens with multiple morbidities. But rather than adopt and fund a constructive plan to address these issues, politicians over the years focused on tax cuts and budget cuts while allowing our health care infrastructure to wither when we needed it to be robust.
It is also no secret that greater investments in law enforcement at the local and state levels, including prisons, could reduce homicides, youth violence, and fatal traffic accidents. For example, the state expansion of the Capitol Police Force appears to have noticeably reduced homicides in Jackson.
Another thing The Atlantic article contends is that Republican politicians fail to invest in many such initiatives because “the prospective beneficiaries are less well-off and thus have less political influence.”
But now comes a potential bright spot. Likely new Speaker Jason White told Mississippi Today last week he wants the House to look into all facets of health care.
“Let us not love with words or speech but with action and truth” – 1 John 3:18.
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
26 comments:
Did Brandon Presley write this article?
Shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. We are also the fattest and dumbest people in the U.S. Those two things tend to have people who do not live long. Then add in the highest crime rate and being the murder capital of the U.S. Sprinkle in a more than average number of crooked politicians and you have a group that is guaranteed to stay in first place.
Wow! A Democrat writer gives us “words” and one could argue a “speech” (while failing to mention the “homicide death rates (that) ranked Mississippi at the top” are in democrat controlled cities like leftist radical Democrat Chokwe’s Jacktown)
then he closes with “Let us not love with words or speech but with action and truth” – 1 John 3:18
Can’t make this stuff up.
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 1 Peter 2:16
Ah, yes. Among other things, let’s expand Medicare. It doesn’t seem to occur to Crawford that many of these health problems are due to the lifestyles people choose. One visit to a Wal-Mart or a grocery store and you’ll see what I mean. More government money down these endlessly expanding social program black holes will do nothing to correct these problems
It's our behavior. We eat junk, and then gripe about the quality and service at the fast food places. We smoke too much, drink too much, and exercise too little. For the last few months I've noticed a trend that I had not paid attention to previously.... there are a lot of pedestrians on the interstate. I don't know the legality of that behavior, but I do know that it is extremely dangerous. We don't need a new healthcare system, another government program, or any other external solution. We need for people to use their brains and move their bodies. This is not an economic or racial issue. There are obese people across all demographics. Yesterday I watched a guy in a car sitting while waiting to get a parking place when literally 30 feet farther there were several open spaces. I looked at the driver as I walked by the car, and yes he was very large. But he would rather sit in his car burning gas than walk an extra 30 feet. And I have complete confidence that if asked he would complain about the price of gas. Ignorance can be fixed, stupid is forever.
Per US News and World Report, Mississippi has an obesity rate of 39.2%. This, it seems to me, would be the root cause of a great many of these medical maladies. How are politicians responsible for people's sloth and gluttony?
"Well, God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds"
Mr. Crawford continues to show his ignorance of biblical teaching, by quoting scripture that purports to support his political diatribes, but fail miserably.
I would think that Mr. Crawford has at one time, or another read, or heard, someone expound from Galatians 6:7-9. That scripture opens understanding that there are consequences for thoughts, actions, and deeds.
It, also, teaches that these consequences are not governed by Newton's Third Law of Action & Reaction, but are likened to crop production. From one, or two seeds, many fruits are produced.
The Bible teaches there are fruits of the flesh, and of the spirit, and the results of both. Sadly, the fruit of gluttony, and all its many ailments, seems to be everywhere, even though the bible teaches that moderation should be the example set by Christians. The hireling that passes for the present day ministry could never preach on these things.
"Life is hard...it's even harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne
Do right and right will happen.
Bill Crawford = Communist sympathizer
The people that Crawford describes, he and those of his ilk only look down on such people, people who live shorter, less healthy lives. So I can't understand his bringing this up. If he looks down on them -- on me and probably you too -- seems to me he'd be quite happy that we have shorter, less healthy lives.
If Mississippi is so bad, if it's such a drag on the mighty United States of America, why don't the powers that be just kick Mississippi out of its shining bright city-on-a-hill of an exceptional nation? It would make the USA healthier, more educated, less obese, less bigoted, less racist, less -- well, what's to lose, America? Why don't you just give Mississippi the boot?
People are not being responsible or accountable for the choices they make. They are overweight from eating excessive amounts fried, sugared fast food.
They are not productive, contributing citizens with a positive goal in life. They are so ungrateful about living in a country where we can make choices they are willing to give up those rights to live off taxpayer handouts which gives control of their lives to politicians who do not care about their welfare.
When people have no purpose, they die.
As to the nation's obesity problem, Congress is not serious about resolving it. If it were serious, EBT cards could not be used for junk food.
RMQ
10:47 is the perfect sheep those like Crawford recruits as followers. Obviously a member of the 'low information' crowd...or at least having low information about root causes.
Rather than moan or gloat about being fattest, last and dumbest, wouldn't it be something if folks like him would get off the dunce-stool and figure out why? It's not rocket-surgery...really, it's not.
Meh, the left just wants more government overreach into everything, no self accountability, no responsibility, just more spoon fed government bs to keep them coming back. They love to point to red states, but they never care to point out the details or demographics of exactly who and where in the red states the trouble comes from and it is always the blue areas of the red states. But you can’t get a lefty to delve past what they are spoon fed by the propaganda machine.
Bullshit. All the government money in the world won't make obese sedentary people get up and do better. If we want better health, people have to be more healthy on their own.
Stop letting EBTs pay for anything that's junk food- good start.
1:38 for the win.
Increasing Medicare and Medicaid funding will cover the expense associated with the results of personal choices.
Until being overweight is not celebrated as being the norm and until the government stops funding the "victims" this will continue to get worse.
The root cause of the problem is that the government has supported this lifestyle. The nanny-state mentality keeps the sugar daddies in office. The recipients receive an inferior education in government-run schools that serve to indoctrinate them to continuing to allow their lives to be controlled by politicians.
Being fat, lazy and stupid pays too well in Mississippi and the U.S. Until we start punishing those who choose to be lazy and not work instead of rewarding them, the status quo will not only continue but get much worse.
Some very "selective" comments here and painting Crawford as a Communist is beyond bizarre. You youngun's know very little about your history or elders.
And, all you have to do is look at the RED States that did expand Medicare instead of reject it. Their health care improved. When one adds that BCBS got worse when linked with Alabama's BCBS and rural hospitals and clinics closed in two States with a high rural population as a direct effect, it's stunning that some of you can't connect dots. Alabama got the worst of the effects of BCBS combining,but getting them to cover anything but generics from the worst manufacturers is all but impossible.BCBS also is trying to pick your doctor. And, when coverage is denied, it's not denied by a doctor who 1) is educated in the specialty he's denying and 2) Wasn't able to make a living as a doctor. Our coverage denials by BCBS that we challenged and won were denied by an OB-GYN on prostate cancer test and endrocrine issues ordered by specialists in both those areas of medicine. We can fight it. We can and did get other coverage, can YOU? And, why in the HELL should you have to do so? BCBS is all about profits for BCBS and that is how they make decisions.
8:24 - Please learn the difference between Medicare and Medicaid and the purpose of both.
Fat people in other states buy Ozempic and other anti-fat prescription pills to control their weight so they pig out on food. Mississippians are too poor to afford the pills. Those fat slobs in the rest of the country would be hysterical if they couldn't get their pills to control their weight.
Rock on Kingfish, with your 20 year denial of any post that establishes, recognizes and states the bottom line. If you had a backbone, you would not be such a chicken-shit.
Yes, I know. Morbid obesity.
@8:21am
Your anti-BCBS diatribe puts you in the same category as Communist Crawford. Always with the drama, and always wanting something/someone else to pay for your needs.
@7:33 - there is no comment at 8:21. Since when is being pro big insurance a measure of supporting democracy? Sleep it off and come back when you are thinking more clearly.
7:33am here. Sorry, you are correct - I was referring to 8:24am.
"Big" Insurance in Mississippi is there because NO other insurance carrier will touch Mississippi since it has the unhealthiest population in the country, and that can be blamed on the "culture" of Mississippi's leadership that caters to its dirt dumb, poor constituents who have no intention of living healthier lives - and the numbers prove it.
Sounds like you exercised your American freedom by finding another insurance your happy with since having a bad experience with BCBS. That's how America works. Healthcare is not a right. It is not in the Constitution. Stop pining for everybody else to pay for your healthcare needs.
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