I find it very telling that the richest country in the world, My America, with all its values is not living up to its potential because "The United States of America is becoming less united by the day. A 30-year gap now exists in the average life expectancy between Mississippi, in the Deep South, and Connecticut, in prosperous New England" (Leonard Doyle: July 17, 2008). Research has supported time and time again that disparities in health care access and socioeconomic status are key influences on health outcomes and according to the article huge disparities have opened up in income, health, and education depending on where people live in the US, according to a report published yesterday (Leonard Doyle: July 17, 2008).
The United States system is set up to keep individuals who are health and wealthy like Joe and I to live a long disease free life and to pass those benefits onto our children. However, the same can be said for those less fortunate then us where the poor stay stuck which does not fit the picture of the USA being the land of opportunity.
The most powerful political, social, moral, and military superior nation that was ever created "finds itself ranked 42nd in global life expectancy and 34th in survival of infants to age. Suicide and murder are among the top 15 causes of death and although the US is home to just 5 per cent of the global population it accounts for 24 per cent of the world's prisoners". (Leonard Doyle: July 17, 2008).African Americans were shown to have a staggering 50-year life expectancy gap between it and the Asian American community. Research has supported race as an influencing factor on these disparities which the National Institutes of Health is trying address by directing research dollars to vulnerable population and minorities.
http://butlerdemblog.blogspot.com/...
http://www.independent.co.uk/...