April 23, 2010
If you're in the Portland vicinity on May 19th, I'd like to invite you to hear me read my award winning poems at the 100th Monkey Studio as part of the Figures of Speech reading series. I have the honor of reading with Marie Buckley, President of the Oregon State Poetry Association. No fooling. The reading starts at 7 p.m. and there will be cookies! If you've never been to a reading, they're very casual and welcoming. I promise there will be plenty of laughs (mostly at my expense). Please mark it on your calendar and join me.
Showing posts with label poet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poet. Show all posts
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Open Letter to Senator Ron Wyden
December 17, 2009 --
Senator Wyden,
I voted for you and I'm very proud of your record and tireless work to reform healthcare insurance for all Americans. You are the real deal.
I urge you not to accept or support the Senate's healthcare bill in its current form.
Without offering an alternative to "for profit" health insurance the bill will fail Oregonians and all Americans. Available statistics show that "For Profit" health insurance is strangling the life out of our country. The reforms proposed in the Senate's bill will help, but without a "not for profit" healthcare alternative they will fall short. At every turn the "for profit" healthcare insurance industry chooses profit over people. Isn’t this antithetical to our American values? The Constitution of the United States begins “We the People…” not “We the Shareholders.”
Senator Wyden, I know firsthand what it is like to be held hostage by the healthcare insurance industry. As a 42 year old dialysis patient and kidney transplant candidate, I live with the financial burdens and pressures of managing a chronic illness through all the perils of our healthcare system. Daily life requires an extraordinary force of will. In fact, I am one of the only 23% of those with kidney failure who works full time in order to maintain my health insurance and get a second chance at life. However, through all my difficulties, I am not the person in need here.
The uninsured, uninsurable and the under-insured need your continued help.
Most of us have moved beyond hoping for a single-payer, non-profit system. However, expanding Medicare to cover more Americans is a brilliant idea. As a person with kidney failure, I am fortunate because I am allowed to enroll in Medicare. Because I work, Medicare is my secondary insurance and serves as a critical fallback that saves my family from desperation and poverty. Though the Medicare system is not perfect, it is superior to any proposed alternatives.
It just makes sense good to build on the Medicare infrastructure that is in place and works today. I urge you not to compromise on this key reform.
I also do what I can to help by advocating for healthcare reform with my blog. You can see this letter to you posted there (http://www.joneseaman.blogspot.com/). Of course my blog has a special focus on kidney disease, dialysis, and organ transplants. I sincerely hope that you are a registered donor and that I can continue to laud your achievements on my blog and support your reelection.
I greatly appreciate your service to Oregon and the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Jon E. Seaman
Senator Wyden,
I voted for you and I'm very proud of your record and tireless work to reform healthcare insurance for all Americans. You are the real deal.
I urge you not to accept or support the Senate's healthcare bill in its current form.
Without offering an alternative to "for profit" health insurance the bill will fail Oregonians and all Americans. Available statistics show that "For Profit" health insurance is strangling the life out of our country. The reforms proposed in the Senate's bill will help, but without a "not for profit" healthcare alternative they will fall short. At every turn the "for profit" healthcare insurance industry chooses profit over people. Isn’t this antithetical to our American values? The Constitution of the United States begins “We the People…” not “We the Shareholders.”
Senator Wyden, I know firsthand what it is like to be held hostage by the healthcare insurance industry. As a 42 year old dialysis patient and kidney transplant candidate, I live with the financial burdens and pressures of managing a chronic illness through all the perils of our healthcare system. Daily life requires an extraordinary force of will. In fact, I am one of the only 23% of those with kidney failure who works full time in order to maintain my health insurance and get a second chance at life. However, through all my difficulties, I am not the person in need here.The uninsured, uninsurable and the under-insured need your continued help.
Most of us have moved beyond hoping for a single-payer, non-profit system. However, expanding Medicare to cover more Americans is a brilliant idea. As a person with kidney failure, I am fortunate because I am allowed to enroll in Medicare. Because I work, Medicare is my secondary insurance and serves as a critical fallback that saves my family from desperation and poverty. Though the Medicare system is not perfect, it is superior to any proposed alternatives.
It just makes sense good to build on the Medicare infrastructure that is in place and works today. I urge you not to compromise on this key reform.
I also do what I can to help by advocating for healthcare reform with my blog. You can see this letter to you posted there (http://www.joneseaman.blogspot.com/). Of course my blog has a special focus on kidney disease, dialysis, and organ transplants. I sincerely hope that you are a registered donor and that I can continue to laud your achievements on my blog and support your reelection.
I greatly appreciate your service to Oregon and the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Jon E. Seaman
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Poetry of Progress; a Thanksgiving Story
November 20, 2009
I had no idea this familiar poem had anything to do with Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. I'm the pie guy in the family. It's a pleasure to cook a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie for the holiday. The last few years, the pies have even been edible! What is not so tasty is that I'm not good at giving actual thanks. In the spirit of the holiday, let me give it a shot.
When I started this crazy poetry obsession, I had no credits to my name. Heck, I had no name. There came a point where my blah, blah, blah about poetry seemed to bouncing off brick walls creating quite the echo chamber. So, I went on a self-imposed quiet period.
The quiet period is over. What a difference six months make. I've won several awards, local and national. I've been published and accepted for publication in some respectable journals. I am no longer creditless.
Most importantly, I've found a supportive Oregon poetry community. I joined the Oregon State Poetry Association and had the pleasure of attending two of their conferences and meeting some of the region's best poets.
I'm part of a group called the "Tall Poets Society" with award winning poets Steve Williams and Shawn Sorensen (we're all over 6'5"). The camaraderie has been wonderful and they've been very thoughtful in providing feedback on my work. Their great work has also inspired me.
When I was stuck with a bit of writer's block this fall, the very talented poet Constance Hall was kind enough to give me some encouragement and advice.
After seeing my work, a very generous Fran Turney sent me a classic book on Hiroshima. She also showed my poems "Japan 1944" and "Hanford" to Lawson Inada, the Poet Laureate of Oregon. This is especially meaningful for me because of his experiences in a U.S. Japanese internment camp.
Sandy Didner, a college professor in Florida, read my poem "Time and Fates of Man" and asked if she could teach it to her students. I also had the pleasure of offering encouragement and advice to a couple of young, talented kids whose creativity gives hope for our future.
My wife Tracey, who really isn't a huge poetry fan, puts up with a lot. She reads my poems, many times under protest. She helps me put together contest entries. She also endures more of my non-stop blah, blah, blah about poetry than you could imagine.
I need to stop myself. I just realized I did not actually say "thank you" to any of the people listed above. I just bragged about myself, again. Horrifying! I told you, I'm not very good at this thanking thing. One more time...
Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and support. Thank you for reading. You've enriched my life and work. You've made everything taste as good as pumpkin and pecan pies. I hope your Thanksgiving is as happy you've made mine.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Names of the Dead
November 6, 2009
If you haven't heard, there's a huge vote in the next few days on the Healthcare Bill before the House of Representatives. The voting will likely follow strict party affiliation. Most Democrats will vote "Yea" while ALL Republicans will vote "Nay." When it comes to healthcare, my affiliation is very clear. I belong to the Human party.
What is the heck is the "Human" party? Quite simply: I choose people over political parties. I choose the rights of people over the rights of corporations. I choose to support the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves. I choose to support healthcare as a basic human right and believe that healthcare for all is the new hallmark of truly great civilizations. Why? Because I know that every human being that has ever lived and lives now will grow sick or suffer injury and die. The only variation in that equation is length of suffering. This is the one experience we all share regardless of century, sex, race, religion, nationality and politics.
I support this bill. I know it is not perfect. I know that many of the proposed changes will not satisfy anyone due to cost, coverage and ideological beliefs. This includes my own belief that the only logical solution to healthcare is a single payer system. I support this bill because it is a start. We desperately need a start here in America. As the most advanced civilizations around the world have proved, universal healthcare does not cause the fabric of the universe to unravel, turn the people into slaves or make them fascism victims. Universal healthcare simply improves the quality of the lives of everyone, not just the rich or fortunate.
I think the seriousness of the issue is best shown on the site namesofthedead.com. Democratic House Member Alan Grayson sponsors it. The site gives voice to those people who have perished because of no health care insurance. You might not care for the politics behind the site, but the data comes from a study by authors from the Department of Medicine at the Cambridge Health Alliance, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Click here to read a .pdf of the report for yourself. The conclusion: Every year 44,000 people die because of lack of health insurance. That's more than from kidney disease (42,000+), the root of my own advocacy. A just released John's Hopkins study shows that a lack of health care and insurance contributed to the deaths of 17,000 hospitalized children in the last 18 years.
More people die from lack of health care insurance every day than from automobile accidents and homicides combined. The consequences here are very real and demand we take action, imperfect or not, to make immediate improvements to our barbaric system.
I know most of you already have health insurance. However, instead of considering this a numerical or anonymous issue that doesn't affect you, I encourage you to spend five minutes to read some of the stories on namesofthedead.com. It will help you understand the true costs beyond dollars and statistics.
I was shocked to find the name and story of Theron Read from Salt Lake City. Theron was 44 when he died on a light rail train from a heart attack in late July. He, like me, was an actor and a poet. Theron had a pre-existing heart condition and worked for a small business that did not offer health insurance. He, unlike me, did not qualify for Medicare. Why kidney failure is covered and heart conditions are not points to the ludicrous labyrinth of the system. Theron made very little money and could not qualify for nor afford health insurance. He did not have the money to cover the costs of managing his chronic illness or pay for needed medications. He did the best he could with what he had and died needlessly before his time.
I knew Theron. We traveled the same circles and even did a show together in the 80's. He was gentle and kind, quirky and funny. Regardless of economic circumstances, Theron’s family, friends, and the larger community of writers, actors, and musicians in Salt Lake City loved and valued him. I am very sad to hear of his passing and the circumstances behind it.
My friends, healthcare reform is very real check on your morals and values. What do you believe and stand for? Have you thought about it? I have. I believe in humanity. I believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in place of dogma, truth over ignorance, tolerance in place of fear, and compassion over selfishness. I believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings (thank you, Paul Kurtz). I condemn violence, the "I got mine so fuck you" crowd, and greed without purpose.
Please contact your local Representatives and Senators. Ask them to vote for healthcare reform. They won't do it, if you don't demand it.
If you haven't heard, there's a huge vote in the next few days on the Healthcare Bill before the House of Representatives. The voting will likely follow strict party affiliation. Most Democrats will vote "Yea" while ALL Republicans will vote "Nay." When it comes to healthcare, my affiliation is very clear. I belong to the Human party.
What is the heck is the "Human" party? Quite simply: I choose people over political parties. I choose the rights of people over the rights of corporations. I choose to support the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves. I choose to support healthcare as a basic human right and believe that healthcare for all is the new hallmark of truly great civilizations. Why? Because I know that every human being that has ever lived and lives now will grow sick or suffer injury and die. The only variation in that equation is length of suffering. This is the one experience we all share regardless of century, sex, race, religion, nationality and politics.
I support this bill. I know it is not perfect. I know that many of the proposed changes will not satisfy anyone due to cost, coverage and ideological beliefs. This includes my own belief that the only logical solution to healthcare is a single payer system. I support this bill because it is a start. We desperately need a start here in America. As the most advanced civilizations around the world have proved, universal healthcare does not cause the fabric of the universe to unravel, turn the people into slaves or make them fascism victims. Universal healthcare simply improves the quality of the lives of everyone, not just the rich or fortunate.
I think the seriousness of the issue is best shown on the site namesofthedead.com. Democratic House Member Alan Grayson sponsors it. The site gives voice to those people who have perished because of no health care insurance. You might not care for the politics behind the site, but the data comes from a study by authors from the Department of Medicine at the Cambridge Health Alliance, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Click here to read a .pdf of the report for yourself. The conclusion: Every year 44,000 people die because of lack of health insurance. That's more than from kidney disease (42,000+), the root of my own advocacy. A just released John's Hopkins study shows that a lack of health care and insurance contributed to the deaths of 17,000 hospitalized children in the last 18 years.
More people die from lack of health care insurance every day than from automobile accidents and homicides combined. The consequences here are very real and demand we take action, imperfect or not, to make immediate improvements to our barbaric system.
I know most of you already have health insurance. However, instead of considering this a numerical or anonymous issue that doesn't affect you, I encourage you to spend five minutes to read some of the stories on namesofthedead.com. It will help you understand the true costs beyond dollars and statistics.
I was shocked to find the name and story of Theron Read from Salt Lake City. Theron was 44 when he died on a light rail train from a heart attack in late July. He, like me, was an actor and a poet. Theron had a pre-existing heart condition and worked for a small business that did not offer health insurance. He, unlike me, did not qualify for Medicare. Why kidney failure is covered and heart conditions are not points to the ludicrous labyrinth of the system. Theron made very little money and could not qualify for nor afford health insurance. He did not have the money to cover the costs of managing his chronic illness or pay for needed medications. He did the best he could with what he had and died needlessly before his time.
I knew Theron. We traveled the same circles and even did a show together in the 80's. He was gentle and kind, quirky and funny. Regardless of economic circumstances, Theron’s family, friends, and the larger community of writers, actors, and musicians in Salt Lake City loved and valued him. I am very sad to hear of his passing and the circumstances behind it.
My friends, healthcare reform is very real check on your morals and values. What do you believe and stand for? Have you thought about it? I have. I believe in humanity. I believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in place of dogma, truth over ignorance, tolerance in place of fear, and compassion over selfishness. I believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings (thank you, Paul Kurtz). I condemn violence, the "I got mine so fuck you" crowd, and greed without purpose.
Please contact your local Representatives and Senators. Ask them to vote for healthcare reform. They won't do it, if you don't demand it.
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