John Q

 *warning: political post*

I just finished watching the movie John Q for the first time and it really got me thinking. If you don't know the plot of the story, basically John's son's heart is failing and needs a new one. However, John and his wife are extremely poor. The operation is going to cost $250,000 and their insurance is only willing to cover $20,000. They are basically out of options and because of their financial situation, the hospital refuses to put the son on the donor list without at least $75,000 up front.

The first half of the movie, I was watching and thinking how horrible it was that the hospital was unwilling to help any more and how greedy the insurance company and other people involved were being. I mean, this poor boy is dying! I kept thinking, man this hospital director is the meanest person ever. She knows that there is no way the parents can come up with the money and that the son will die without the operation, yet she doesn't seem to care. All I wanted was for everyone around them to just be generous and do the operation for free or just accept that they would pay eventually. John pointed out that the hospital makes $75,000,000 on heart surgeries a year! I'm sure they could sacrifice this one $250,000 operation.

Then I thought of all the other sick people without insurance or health care. It's awful but it's a reality of life. Our economy is the way it is because of so many bail-outs and promises to pay. Our government can not be responsible for every single little thing, it's killing us. Every situation where a child is dying is a tragedy and makes me feel awful. I wish there was a way that every person could receive excellent health care without the huge costs. But it just can not work that way. That takes away incentive for doctors and insurance companies to work hard. Sure, they make tons anyway, but take that incentive away and why should they care if they get through as many patients as possible in a day? It sucks but it's a reality.

I feel like so many people live in this false reality that they should be able to get things for free...especially if they have a sad story. I'm sure I'm starting to sound as heartless as the hospital director but I believe there has to be a line. More plot: John eventually holds people hostage in the hospital in hopes of convincing them to save his son. The hospital director points out that if they give in, there will be guns at every hospital across the country. She says that people get sick and die everyday, it's a fact of life. I admit that I started to agree with her. As sad as it was to watch this poor little boy die, would it really be the best idea to give into him? What does that say to others? That it's okay to hold people hostage and threaten to kill as long as your own child, parent, grandparent, whoever it is can be saved? In a movie, maybe it's okay, but in real life, definitely not.

In the end, John's son receives a heart. A miracle. It is stressed that the miracle came from God, not as a result of John's little plan. At the end of the day, Heavenly Father is responsible for what happens to us. He knows what the right thing is and He will make it happen. As hard as it may be at times, His will is the only one that matters. The government can't play God and make our nation a perfect place. Bad things happen every single day and we have to learn to accept that. Don't get me wrong, I was happy that John's son was able to get a heart in the end. I wish every story ended happy like that. I believe there can be miracles. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't rely on the government to bail us out and we shouldn't hate the people in charge of something for not making an exception for our situation. Sometimes, rules have to be followed. There can be exceptions but we shouldn't just expect them.

Okay, so that was definitely a soap box. I just had so many thoughts going around in my head while I was watching that movie and I needed to get them out. Maybe my opinions will change when I'm in a similar situation, but in my current state, this is my opinion and I reserve the right to change it.