Sponge Bob Saves America

Of all the junk on TV today, there are actually a few entertaining and worthwhile shows available to the casual viewer. After reading my title, I'm sure you're thinking that this blogger is crazy, so, don't get me wrong . . . I'm not trying to give too much credit to Sponge Bob, but consider the following reasons for why I believe that Sponge Bob is a good role model and that his show can actually be beneficial to the kids who watch. Sponge Bob is optimistic to a fault, he is a loyal employee who loves his job, he's never late, he's happy with his life even though he's not wealthy, he's honest, trustworthy, unselfish, and a good friend to all. The show itself rarely, if ever, ventures into adult themes that seem to be rampant in other "children's" television. Characters from other kids' shows are seen dating, kissing, breaking up, getting jealous, ogling the opposite sex, and on and on -- and these characters are barely out of elementary school. These themes used to be reserved for adults. Sponge Bob Square Pants is one of the few shows that stays clear of these topics. Granted, Sponge Bob's personality leaves something to be desired, but if the youth of today had half as many qualities as he has, we'd all be in a much better place.

Health Care for All of Us

Those of us in the mainstream are tired of the partisan bickering in Washington D.C. about health care. As in most cases, there is a middle ground with this issue. The middle ground is to allow the public option to go forward and also to allow people to keep the health insurance that they have if they wish. Conservative Republicans are putting forth this idea that President Obama's "secret" plan is to get a public option approved and then eventually take away the private option -- creating a socialized health care system. They obviously don't believe this themselves; for one, they would never sit still and let this happen. Alternatively, many liberal Democrats actually would be OK with a socialized health-care system and completely doing away with private health insurance, which feeds the fodder on the right. Anybody with common sense, which is most of America, knows that the answer is somewhere in the middle. A public option is just that: an option. There will always be those who are either unhappy with their health insurance, unemployed, homeless, or otherwise disenfranchised who would benefit from a public option. I don't have a problem providing this option with my tax money -- I may want to choose it myself someday! However, I would personally choose to keep the private insurance offered through my company at this time. Providing a public option could result in the private companies keeping their costs down in order to compete for customers and to remain a viable alternative -- what harm can come from this? To our senators and representatives in Washington: don't lose your focus and don't forget that most of your constituents are level-headed and can see the benefits of both sides of the issue. Use common sense and make a compromise for the future of our country.