Health Abuse

In Australia we have a public health system that has an endless demand yet limited resources. People generally ignore this fact and have unlimited expectations on what the health system can achieve for them. Fact is that good health costs money. We feel that it is free just because there are no direct costs to the consumer. We do pay a levy in our taxes. However this covers little if you are actually hospitalised. Perhaps an overnight stay not including any actual treatment. I feel as if Medicare was designed to take care of our basic health by looking after our visits to our local GP.

Our expectations are high, yet what is the individual doing to improve their own health? There are lots of stories of people expecting help from the health system when it is their own lifestyle choices that are leading them into a cycle of ill health. Here’s just three:

• Morbidly obese people consuming fatty foods in the hospital cafeteria
• Smokers outside of hospital having a cigarette while still in the gown and connected to IV fluids
• Smokers having a cigarette while on home oxygen resulting in explosion and burns to face, yes a true story

Are we really a healthier nation or a nation that takes its health for granted? There are a lot of abuses of the health system, a lack of personal responsibility and an expectation that the public health system to pick up the slack for poor choices. In fact it is a brazen disregard for the good lifestyle choices. Everyone should know better by now.

People seem unwilling to change lifestyle habits yet demand the health system to cure their ailments. Once cured go back to their same habits.

A Free Kick Against You, For Being Barry Hall

Sydney Swans player, Barry Hall, is in a tough situation. He has a reputation of being the bad boy that precedes him into games. It seems impossible for umpires to view him in even a neutral way. This is unfair, and opposition players take full advantage by coxing him into random acts of frustration.

Hall is the most picked on player in the AFL. He is able to be wrestled like WWE Smackdown and receive no free kicks yet the glamour full forwards like Lance Franklin and Matthew Lloyd only need a finger nail to grace their shoulder for a free kick to be awarded.

He is now giving away free kicks and 50 metre penalties on the suspicion that he has done something wrong. Such as the momentum shifting incident with Jarryd Roughead, when it appeared Roughead ran into Hall’s outstretched arms for a second 50-metre penalty to be awarded and a certain goal the result. Also, once giving away the first 50-metre penalty no less than six Hawks players got into his face egging him on. Of course he is going to push and shove.

Barry is hard done by, although he does himself no favours in his remonstrations no matter how justified he may be. Umpires tend to not change their minds and go on to adjudicate more harshly on the remonstrators.

I feel for Barry. But to a large degree he created this and now he has to live with it.

Letters to Jim Main #5

I still have a 'bee in my bonnet' about alternate jumpers after a Carlton Vs Collingwood match.

Another Logic Blackout (18/4/07)

Dear Jim
We recently had a match in which one team (Collingwood) wore a basically black jumper and another (Carlton) a dark blue one. why would it be so difficult for the AFL to tell Collingwood to wear a predominantly white jumper? Most clubs are dong the right thing and have come up with god alternative designs, but Collingwood is reluctant to change. The Magpies should wear one of their training outfits. is this so difficult?

Jim Main Says:

I have just about given up on the issue as Collingwood refuses to listen to logic and keeps screaming about tradition.

Fair Weather Fans

I recently went to a game in Melbourne between Essendon and North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. I was blown away by the passion of these fans. They knew when to cheer and did so with immense gusto. It left me a bit disappointed to come home and go to a game in Sydney. If there is ever a reason why a Western Sydney team won’t get off the ground it will be because of the temperament of footy fans in Sydney.

Sydney fans across all codes aren’t 'diehard' enough, they won’t show if the weather is poor. If the finances are tight it will be the footy club membership that will be the first to go.

AFL fans in Sydney still have a lot to learn when it comes to supporting their team. We are too polite. We seem too afraid to make noise, or we just don’t know when is the appropriate time. We are still learning the game, as most are first generation AFL fans. Melbourne residents have had the sport ingrained into them for 100 years.

I’m Offended

If you haven’t heard by now bibles, crosses and other Christian symbols have been removed from the chapel at Royal North Shore Hospital. What a ridiculous thing to do. If I was offended would it actually get me anywhere to express that sentiment? Probably not, because as a nation we seem preoccupied with pandering* to ethnic and religious minorities, for fear that they might, on the off chance, be offended. So busy pandering are we that we end up offending and discriminating against the majorities.

Strangest thing is though, that such offense was not even brought up by religious minority groups. It was merely the perception of potential offense by mindless bureaucratic drones.

So if there was no original offense, then why take the action that has since caused so much offense. I can see the powers that be reversing their decision and apologising for any offense they may have caused.

For a positive spin on such events, these actions have gotten people talking about Jesus this Easter. Of all the days to annoy Christians they choose the day before Good Friday, bad move. Also interesting to notice how non-Christians going into bat for the cause.

*Pander
indulge, gratify, satisfy, cater to, give in to, accommodate, comply with.