Jackson Ripley, 12-Year-Old Coloradan Boy, Writes Letter To Romney...

SheHateMe

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Jul 21, 2012
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Last week Jackson Ripley was watching political news coverage with his mom about pre-existing health care when he suddenly got up and decided it was time to write a letter to Romney.

The letter begins (Editor note: all text from letter remains unedited):

"Dear Governor Romney, I’d like to say congratulations on winning the republican nomination. But, I wish you stayed in Massachusetts. You’re plan for America isn’t what we need, and would hurt us more than it would help."

If this kid REALLY wrote this letter, I want to know where he is being schooled! The American education system isnt as bad as it seems, our kids can still write and they still have a chance to compete with kids abroad. His parents probably wrote this or edited it for him, but I really hope these thoughts are his and not his parents'.

I also feel bad for his sister battling two conditions. I have a pre-existing condition too (although NOWHERE near as terrible) and I purchase private insurance, although I havent been denied by Blue Cross, I have to wait for 6 months to get covered. I hope his sister can get coverage from someone....somewhere.

Jackson's strong political beliefs appear to have, in part, grown naturally from his family's life experiences beginning with his little sister Kennedy who has had pre-existing conditions since she was just 4 weeks old.

Shortly after Kennedy was born, she developed a hemangioma -- an abnormal, raised tumor of blood vessels -- on her face. According to her mother, Lindsay Ripley, only 10 percent of children are born with a hemangioma and less than one percent of the cases are life-threatening, like Kennedy's.

The tumor grew so large that at just nine months old, Kennedy was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

"She was very ill and in and out of the hospital for the first two years of her life. During which she had several procedures, surgeries, MRI's, CT's and hospitalized many, many times, making her our million dollar baby when she was around a year old," Lindsay Ripley told The Huffington Post.

In 2009, the flailing economy left Lindsay's husband John Ripley briefly without a job, and the family no longer had health insurance. John Ripley was employed again just three months later, but the smaller size of the company translated into a burgeoning reality that the family would have to shop for insurance elsewhere.

And everywhere they shopped they were accepted, except for Kennedy.

"Next to my daughter's name in big black bold letters was the word DENIED. The reason: Dollar amount previously spent, number of hospitalizations within five years and the pre-existing condition, congestive heart failure.


12 Year old, Partisan Hack
 
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Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
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See folks, even a 12 Year-Old Coloradan Boy knows that children need money from mommy and daddy. Ergo, vote Obama and don't let that grinch Romney steal your handouts... I mean allowance.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
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i have doubts that the kid actually wrote it. but it wouldn't be out of the realm of reality. some kids are into such things..oddly
 

Phokus

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
22,995
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See folks, even a 12 Year-Old Coloradan Boy knows that children need money from mommy and daddy. Ergo, vote Obama and don't let that grinch Romney steal your handouts... I mean allowance.

"Ugh, why can't poor sick people just die already?" - Republicans.
 

PJABBER

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
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Romney has already stated he is in favor of continuing coverage for pre-existing conditions.

While I applaud any 12 year old having an interest, I question whether he is being used as a tool of the Democrat Party in this case.

The use of references to Jay Leno, Meet The Press, gay rights, birth control all indicate this was something that was put together by partisan parents or others.

Are you so naive that you just randomly chase every fake anti-Romney story and accept their premise, no matter how foolish and inaccurate?
 

SheHateMe

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2012
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i have doubts that the kid actually wrote it. but it wouldn't be out of the realm of reality. some kids are into such things..oddly

I'm sure he didn't write it. Its obvious, but the story about his sister isn't made up. It would have been more effective if his parents just let him write a letter and send it in...even if it had mistakes, its more genuine.

But, on second thought...some people would slam the kid for being "too stupid".
 

SheHateMe

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2012
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See folks, even a 12 Year-Old Coloradan Boy knows that children need money from mommy and daddy. Ergo, vote Obama and don't let that grinch Romney steal your handouts... I mean allowance.

What makes you think the boy is asking for welfare?


Romney has already stated he is in favor of continuing coverage for pre-existing conditions.

While I applaud any 12 year old having an interest, I question whether he is being used as a tool of the Democrat Party in this case.

The use of references to Jay Leno, Meet The Press, gay rights, birth control all indicate this was something that was put together by partisan parents or others.

Are you so naive that you just randomly chase every fake anti-Romney story and accept their premise, no matter how foolish and inaccurate?

See, the thing I have experience with the PEC thing is that, yes, you can find an insurance company that will cover you. I currently have Blue Cross, my condition is less serious than what Jackson's sister has and I have to wait 6 months, after that..they will cover 80% - 100% of my care.

However, I think that in a situation like his sister...they will say they are going to cover her but they will probably refuse certain treatment methods, etc. When you call and ask to speak to an agent about insurance, they will find the best plan for you given your conditions. If a company is obligated by law to cover anyone..you can bet that the premium on her insurance will be around $5,000+ BEFORE she can get covered...

My premium is a lot less. I am grateful for my health everyday
 
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Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,350
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If this kid REALLY wrote this letter, I want to know where he is being schooled! The American education system isnt as bad as it seems, our kids can still write...
"Dear Governor Romney, I’d like to say congratulations on winning the republican nomination. But, I wish you stayed in Massachusetts. You’re plan for America isn’t what we need, and would hurt us more than it would help."
Kids can still write?
</Grammar Nazi>
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
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What makes you think the boy is asking for welfare?

What else revolves around the public narrative that Romney is not "what the country needs"?

Remember the DNC? Bill Clinton said it perfectly:
We think “we’re all in this together” is a better philosophy than “you’re on your own.”
This is the whole narrative of Democrat VS Republican.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
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If this kid REALLY wrote this letter, I want to know where he is being schooled! The American education system isnt as bad as it seems, our kids can still write and they still have a chance to compete with kids abroad. His parents probably wrote this or edited it for him, but I really hope these thoughts are his and not his parents'.

I also feel bad for his sister battling two conditions. I have a pre-existing condition too (although NOWHERE near as terrible) and I purchase private insurance, although I havent been denied by Blue Cross, I have to wait for 6 months to get covered. I hope his sister can get coverage from someone....somewhere.




12 Year old, Partisan Hack

Why doesnt she fall under SCHIP?
 

bfdd

Lifer
Feb 3, 2007
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Any plan coming from the DNC or RNC is bogus and is going to hurt the majority of Americans.
 

SheHateMe

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2012
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What else revolves around the public narrative that Romney is not "what the country needs"?

Remember the DNC? Bill Clinton said it perfectly:
This is the whole narrative of Democrat VS Republican.

We are talking about a 12 year old kid fighting for his little sister here. Must we start poop slinging about parties?



In response to his grammatical errors...hes 12! He can make mistake now, hes allowed to because hes a child. If you wrote the letter and sent it in...I can see where the issue would be.
 
Nov 30, 2006
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There is no way a 12 year old wrote that letter without "help". Dems sink to a new low in using 12 year olds to villify Romney. Their total lack of shame disgusts me.
 

SheHateMe

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2012
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Why doesnt she fall under SCHIP?

I believe its because the program wasnt designed to cover children under her circumstances. You know, too costly for her treatment, etc. I imagine it is not cheap to treat her. I've been a patient in an intensive care unit before, the costs are out of this world.


Also,

"The program was designed to cover uninsured children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid." .....

"Despite SCHIP, the number of uninsured children continued to rise, particularly among families that cannot qualify for SCHIP. An October 2007 study by the Vimo Research Group found that 68.7 percent of newly uninsured children were in families whose incomes were 200 percent of the federal poverty level or higher as more employers dropped dependents, or dropped coverage altogether due to annual premiums nearly doubling between 2000 and 2006."

Perhaps her parent's income doesnt fit into the "modest" category. That's what Im guessing.

Her father is employed but the insurance company agreed to cover everyone in the family except his sister.
 
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PJABBER

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Feb 8, 2001
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We are talking about a 12 year old kid fighting for his little sister here. Must we start poop slinging about parties?
Perhaps the discussion should be about parents that ghost write Democrat platitudes and use their kids for political propagandizing?
 

monovillage

Diamond Member
Jul 3, 2008
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There is no way a 12 year old wrote that letter without "help". Dems sink to a new low in using 12 year olds to villify Romney. Their total lack of shame disgusts me.

This and

PJABBER
Quote:
Perhaps the discussion should be about parents that ghost write Democrat platitudes and use their kids for political propagandizing?

This.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,095
513
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I believe its because the program wasnt designed to cover children under her circumstances. You know, too costly for her treatment, etc. I imagine it is not cheap to treat her. I've been a patient in an intensive care unit before, the costs are out of this world.

You mean a govt run\funded program denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions? Those evil bastards! Where is the outrage?!?!?!?!?!?!?

In all honesty I would like to know if they even applied. This story has a couple holes in my opinion. Her dad lost his job, but had one 3 months later. But the company he works for didnt extend family coverage? Was it too small to fall under current regulation? And of course the SCHIPs question begs to be answered. If SCHIPs denied them coverage what about other state run insurance options?

It isnt as simple as painting romney the evil bastard he is.
 
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SheHateMe

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2012
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Perhaps the discussion should be about parents that ghost write Democrat platitudes and use their kids for political propagandizing?

We don't know if the kid wrote the letter or not. Do you deny the fact that there might be a kid out there that actually could write something like this.

This kid is in 6th grade, you don't think a middle schooler could have possibly written this?

If he was 6, then I'd agree with you.

I don't deny his parents might have helped him, but I wouldn't say he couldn't have possibly done it on his own.
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
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When should we expect this criticism of a 12yr olds cognitive and grammatical abilities to apply to the child pastors, preachers, and ministers that so many of the religious right wet themselves over?

If he wrote something about how Romney was following jesus' teachings and it got national press, oh how the tune would be different!
 

SheHateMe

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2012
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You mean a govt run\funded program denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions? Those evil bastards! Where is the outrage?!?!?!?!?!?!?

In all honesty I would like to know if they even applied. This story has a couple holes in my opinion. Her dad lost his job, but had one 3 months later. But the company he works for didnt extend family coverage? Was it too small to fall under current regulation? And of course the SCHIPs question begs to be answered. If SCHIPs denied them coverage what about other state run insurance options?

What I was saying about SCHIP is that I think they don't qualify for it at all. In that case, why apply for it if you know you don't qualify?

Her dad must have been laid off, because 3 months is a pretty quick turn around to find another job. Also, remember that not every employer subscribes to a good insurance provider.

Before my mom got a job that had Blue Cross, she had another that had Aetna (cheaper plan) and they didnt cover anything for me. I was paying $200 out of pocket for scripts vs the $25 I paid for Blue Cross. It makes a difference.
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,350
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We are talking about a 12 year old kid fighting for his little sister here. Must we start poop slinging about parties?

A dependent child who has never known independence... oh, sorry - we weren't talking parties again? It just resonates so much, this is the personification of Clinton's [We think &#8220;we&#8217;re all in this together&#8221; is a better philosophy than &#8220;you&#8217;re on your own.] message and the choice of our nation.

There couldn't be a better analog to greater America. Everyone started life as a child, everyone has at one time depended on others. Tell them the truth, that this dependence is no longer meant to end as you turn 18. That we have to be there for you throughout your entire life. That we need the money, the resources, and the right men for the job. That this is why Romney isn&#8217;t what we need, and would hurt us more than he would help.

Romney is acting like this is a nation of independent people, when we are in fact a nation of dependents. That is precisely the reason why you shouldn't vote for him. His positions defy the reality of who we are as a nation. This child is the prime example to tell us who we are. America is Jackson Ripley.

Romney is bad for Jackson and he's bad for you.
 
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SheHateMe

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2012
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A dependent child who has never known independence... oh, sorry - we weren't talking parties again? It just resonates so much, this is the personification of Clinton's [We think &#8220;we&#8217;re all in this together&#8221; is a better philosophy than &#8220;you&#8217;re on your own.] message and the choice of our nation.

There couldn't be a better analog to greater America. Everyone started life as a child, everyone has at one time depended on others. Tell them the truth, that this dependence is no longer meant to end as you turn 18. That we have to be there for you throughout your entire life. That we need the money, the resources, and the right men for the job. That this is why Romney isn&#8217;t what we need, and would hurt us more than he would help.

Romney is acting like this is a nation of independent people, when we are in fact a nation of dependents. That is precisely the reason why you shouldn't vote for him. His positions defy the reality of who we are as a nation. This child is the prime example to tell us who we are.

I understand what you're saying, but this kid is 12, his sister is younger than him. There's a difference between him being over 18 saying he hates Romney for not allowing his sister insurance.

How do you feel about people with PEC getting insurance? You think we are too dependent, but how would you suggest he and his sister start being independent? As it stands, they are minors and their parents are still responsible for them, his/her father is working again and trying to provide for the family, they just can't get coverage for that one child.



As far as your trying to characterize Democrats are people who are Dependent on others, I'll have you know that I'm 23 and I have been on my own for the past 5 years. I work,go to school, live on my own and I am not on my mom's insurance plan ( I buy my own). I know how to provide for myself. I give you the benefit of the doubt by assuming you are a good person, so it would be cool if you would extend the same courtesy.


I mean, I wouldn't characterize the Republican's that live in the Welfare states as "leeches" without knowing them on a personal level. But I guess that's how things roll on P&N
 
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