Tag: President Trump

Thoughts for Thanksgiving

Remembering Erma Bombeck, a cherished humorist, whose wry humor included Thanksgiving. Despite suffering from a hereditary kidney disorder, she became a best-selling author before her death in 1996. The post also highlights John F. Kennedy’s perspective on gratitude and notes developments regarding his family’s political legacy.

updated November 24,2025

 

“What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?”

Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck-humorist, writer

Beloved for her wry yet warm look at family life, Erma Bombeck was America’s favorite humorist at the time of her death in 1996. Ten of her 13 books, including Forever, Erma, appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. (affiliate link)

She suffered from a hereditary disorder called adult polycystic kidney disease, and spent years on a waiting list for a transplant.  On April 3, 1996, she received a kidney transplant but passed away from complications later that month.

W. T. Purkiser (1910-92) was a prolific writer, respected scholar, and well-loved preacher within the Church of the Nazarene who also had a significant voice in the larger Christian community.

John F. Kennedy, President of the United States

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

John F. Kennedy. 

Elected in 1961, John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. He was the youngest man elected President. On November 22, 1963,  a few days before Thanksgiving, he was assassinated by a bullet wound to his head.

His younger brother Robert F. Kennedy served as Attorney General for his brother. He later ran for President and was shot and killed while campaigning.

In 2024, his nephew, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., ran for President but later withdrew from the race. President Donald Trump nominated him as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and he was confirmed by the Senate.

In November of 2025, President Kennedy’s granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg announced that she has acute myeloid leukemia, a diagnosis she described as terminal.

“Schlossberg thanked her husband and her family for their support and for countless days spent at her bedside.” (NBCNEWS.COM)

 

Sharing the HEART of gratitude

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How your health care may change under the new government

The United States voters elected a new president, Donald Trump, and a new legislature in 2016, both Republican. Analysts expect major changes in policy and law after 8 years of Democratic control, especially regarding the ACA, Affordable Care Act (often dubbed ObamaCare)

Since his election, President-elect Trump says there are two features of the ACA he would like to see preserved-(in an interview with Leslie Stahl on  November 13, 2016)

  • Prohibition of insurance denial for pre-existing conditions
  • Covering young adults age 18-26 years old on their parents’ insurance plan

 

the Republican party’s platform on health care.

While similar to the President-elect’s plan, it is broader in scope and more specific.

 

 

The Republican Platform includes:

  • Repeal of the Affordable Care Act
  • Protect insurance discrimination for preexisting conditions as long as continuous coverage is maintained
  • Allow people to buy insurance across state lines
  • Make individually purchased health insurance tax deductible
  • Limit federal spending on Medicaid, allowing the states more leeway in administering the program through block grants
  • Changes to Medicare- providing people under 55 years with a traditional Medicare option or a premium support system of competing plans; raising the age of eligibility for Medicare.

 red, white and blue Republican elephant

 

 

the Democratic Party supports

  • Continue building on the ACA to achieve universal health care
  • Provide a “public option” plan and allow people over age 55 years to buy-in to Medicare
  • Make premiums more affordable and reduce out-of-pocket costs to patients
  • Cap out-of-pocket monthly drug costs
  • Permit importation of lower-priced drugs from other countries
  • Allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers
  • Expand funding for community health centers
red, white and blue Democratic donkey

Mr. Levitt is Senior Vice President for Special Initiatives at the Kaiser Family Foundation and Co-Executive Director of the Kaiser Initiative on Health Reform and Private Insurance. He summarizes his review  this way-

“The ACA has increased insurance coverage by 20 million people and is now the status quo in our health care system. Fully repealing it would be very disruptive.

At the same time, the public remains divided on the law, so building on it will also be controversial.”

You can read his full review and  analysis here-

The Partisan Divide on Health Care

Exploring the HEART of health

Dr. Aletha