In an article I read, it said that in the 19th century the Native Americans gave up tons of acres to get health benefits. Obviously that was a long time ago, but it still stands today. There was a five percent reduction for Native Americans in their health benefits. The reason for this is because the Native Americans have a four time suicide average over the rest of the nation. I think that the health coverage agencies did a good thing in cutting their health budget because now they are providing for the Native Americans suicide prevention programs. Instead of worrying about what health benefits they will get they need to be more aware in not committing suicide, especially because there suicide rates are four times more than the entire nation. If the Native Americans suicide rates decrease then they should be able to get their health benefits back. Having a Mental Health budget is not a right to have, it’s a privilege. I do believe that the Native Americans will resolve their suicide problems. They will eventually gain their health budget back with their suicide prevention programs by their side. Sam A. http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/12/221408312/for-native-americans-mental-health-budget-cuts-hit-hard
I chose Sam’s response to comment because I want to accompany the single man who had a courage to comment this topic, which tied in some way with subtle and vulnerable ethnic feelings. Also, I thing that problems of Native Americans, who historically were oppressed and deprived of their land by newcomers, need some special attention from Federal government. I am sharing Sam’s hope that Native Americans “will eventually gain their health budget back with their suicide prevention programs by side.” But I want to add some of my own thoughts. I deem that suicide itself is a social problem because society in the whole affects suicide rates. Even more than one hundred years ago E. Durkheim’s research showed that seemingly very individual human behavior could be understood only by analyzing the social context in which this behavior took place. In addition, the problem discussed in this article is social because budget distribution is always the area of interests of powerful groups. I believe that conflict theorists would say that high suicide rate among Native Americans and budget cuts are predetermined by conflict between races, between individuals and community leaders within ethnic group, that is to between dominant and dominated. From conflict perspective view, the poorer the people are, the less opportunity they have to make their lives better -- the more chances they have to experience deep depression; and suicide rate rises in these communities as a result of chronic oppression and desperation. In reference to possible solution of problem raised in this article, I am sure we cannot expand the budget. We have what we have. However, I do not believe that Federal government directly subsidizes particular Mental Health Programs for Native Americans. Probably, there are some intermediate organizations responsible for public health that could distribute available money appropriate to particular needs. Maybe communities with higher than others rate of suicide, need bigger than others share of investments for mental health services. I also think that having had place today National Indian organizations could be more flexible arranging their spending and respond actively to problems of people they represent. Finally, as the invited in our last class meeting lecturer said, during the economic crisis and budget cuts, people who dedicated their lives to take care of helpless and desperate ones should work more creatively.
2 comments:
In an article I read, it said that in the 19th century the Native Americans gave up tons of acres to get health benefits. Obviously that was a long time ago, but it still stands today. There was a five percent reduction for Native Americans in their health benefits. The reason for this is because the Native Americans have a four time suicide average over the rest of the nation. I think that the health coverage agencies did a good thing in cutting their health budget because now they are providing for the Native Americans suicide prevention programs.
Instead of worrying about what health benefits they will get they need to be more aware in not committing suicide, especially because there suicide rates are four times more than the entire nation. If the Native Americans suicide rates decrease then they should be able to get their health benefits back. Having a Mental Health budget is not a right to have, it’s a privilege. I do believe that the Native Americans will resolve their suicide problems. They will eventually gain their health budget back with their suicide prevention programs by their side.
Sam A.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/12/221408312/for-native-americans-mental-health-budget-cuts-hit-hard
I chose Sam’s response to comment because I want to accompany the single man who had a courage to comment this topic, which tied in some way with subtle and vulnerable ethnic feelings. Also, I thing that problems of Native Americans, who historically were oppressed and deprived of their land by newcomers, need some special attention from Federal government. I am sharing Sam’s hope that Native Americans “will eventually gain their health budget back with their suicide prevention programs by side.” But I want to add some of my own thoughts. I deem that suicide itself is a social problem because society in the whole affects suicide rates. Even more than one hundred years ago E. Durkheim’s research showed that seemingly very individual human behavior could be understood only by analyzing the social context in which this behavior took place. In addition, the problem discussed in this article is social because budget distribution is always the area of interests of powerful groups. I believe that conflict theorists would say that high suicide rate among Native Americans and budget cuts are predetermined by conflict between races, between individuals and community leaders within ethnic group, that is to between dominant and dominated. From conflict perspective view, the poorer the people are, the less opportunity they have to make their lives better -- the more chances they have to experience deep depression; and suicide rate rises in these communities as a result of chronic oppression and desperation. In reference to possible solution of problem raised in this article, I am sure we cannot expand the budget. We have what we have. However, I do not believe that Federal government directly subsidizes particular Mental Health Programs for Native Americans. Probably, there are some intermediate organizations responsible for public health that could distribute available money appropriate to particular needs. Maybe communities with higher than others rate of suicide, need bigger than others share of investments for mental health services. I also think that having had place today National Indian organizations could be more flexible arranging their spending and respond actively to problems of people they represent. Finally, as the invited in our last class meeting lecturer said, during the economic crisis and budget cuts, people who dedicated their lives to take care of helpless and desperate ones should work more creatively.
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