Update: Sadly Jennell passed away Jan 10, 2024. Jennell Jaquays, one of the founding creators of this hobby, needs our help.

[billd91]

I had a job auditing mortgage applications that were rejected to make sure the bank followed all applicable laws and policies. A lot of them were rejected because the applicants had bad credit, but of those who had bankruptcies, about half of them were due to medical issues. i.e. They had so many medical expenses they had no choice but to declare bankruptcy.

"But taxes are low on rich people, so it's all OK." -- some rich jackass, probably Elon Musk

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

"But taxes are low on rich people, so it's all OK." -- some rich jackass, probably Elon Musk

 

[Sacrosanct]

"But taxes are low on rich people, so it's all OK." -- some rich jackass, probably Elon Musk

I won't get into the specific politics (for obvious reasons), but as a logical brain thinker, I will never understand why so many people are so willing to vote against their own best interests all the freaking time. I guess fear-based and othering propaganda is powerful indeed.

 

[Gradine]

I guess fear-based and othering propaganda is powerful indeed.

Hi! <waves in cultural bugbear>

 

[billd91]

I guess fear-based and othering propaganda is powerful indeed.

Oh, it is. Disturbingly so.

 

[Blue Orange]

I'm...more conservative than most here (a big reason I stopped posting much), but the massive cruelty of the healthcare thing is a big reason it doesn't show up in my ballot. Every other rich country tries to pay for healthcare for its citizens, and even the poor ones do things like copying AIDS drugs.

Even people who aren't famous RPG designers don't deserve to die from treatable diseases, frankly.

 

[Clint_L]

I'm...more conservative than most here (a big reason I stopped posting much), but the massive cruelty of the healthcare thing is a big reason it doesn't show up in my ballot. Every other rich country tries to pay for healthcare for its citizens, and even the poor ones do things like copying AIDS drugs.

Even people who aren't famous RPG designers don't deserve to die from treatable diseases, frankly.

But the crazy thing is that the US spends about twice as much per capita on healthcare as Canada and most other developed nations and yet also doesn't have universal coverage. It's both crazy expensive and woefully inefficient. I just don't get it - America is so good at things when it wants to be, but then there are gofundmes for stuff like this. Canada is so much like the US in many, many ways and I love the States, but then there are these areas that I can't wrap my brain around.

Anyway, I just saw the newest update and Jennell now needs a tracheotomy to keep breathing so...it's not getting better. Since the system is what it is, I encourage everyone to help out - enough of us giving a little will make a huge difference.

 

[Gradine]

I'm...more conservative than most here (a big reason I stopped posting much), but the massive cruelty of the healthcare thing is a big reason it doesn't show up in my ballot. Every other rich country tries to pay for healthcare for its citizens, and even the poor ones do things like copying AIDS drugs.

Even people who aren't famous RPG designers don't deserve to die from treatable diseases, frankly.

Say what you will about John Green but he kind of hits the nail on the head here:

"I guess until 1958 it's fair to say that deaths by tuberculosis was caused by a bacterium called M tuberculosis, but since 1958 we've known how to cure tuberculosis, and so you can't really say that death by tuberculosis is caused by that. So the 100 million people who have died since 1958 didn't actually die as a result of a bacterium, they died as a result of human built systems that value some lives over other lives. "

 

[Velderan]

But the crazy thing is that the US spends about twice as much per capita on healthcare as Canada and most other developed nations and yet also doesn't have universal coverage. It's both crazy expensive and woefully inefficient. I just don't get it - America is so good at things when it wants to be but then there are gofundmes for stuff like this. Canada is so much like the US in many, many ways but then there are these areas that I can't wrap my brain around.

Anyway, I just saw the newest update and Jennell now needs a tracheotomy to keep breathing so...it's not getting better. Since the system is what it is, I encourage everyone to help out - enough of us giving a little will make a huge difference.

Any chance you could put in a good word to have Minnesota admitted into Canada as a new province? We're known for filling an NHL arena to watch minors play hockey, I'm sure we'll fit in!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I have heard of GoFundMes set up by others and then not given to the recipient. I want to contribute, but can anyone vouch that "Rebecca Heineman" is associated with Jennell?

This may be common knowledge, I just lack it.

GoFundMe is well aware of these issues and have actually been pretty diligent in recent years in verifying claims as much as possible and freezing campaigns when there's a question of whether the money will be going to the person named.