Stepping off the plane into the land of Oz was a strange experience.
The air was more reminiscent of a tropical destination. This time of year is usually characterized by 10-12 degree Celsius days and chances of snow.
What I found when I started driving through the endless Kansas prairie, dotted with small patches of hardwood forest ,was that even though the corn and millet had been cut some time ago, the fields were green. The scattered grain that did not get gobbled up by the combine had sprouted and was growing. At first I wondered whether this was a new variety of some type of winter corn? Where is Republican Senator James Inhofe now, with his climate change denying snowball?
The political climate is just as warm as the actual climate right now.
With every farmhouse I pass there is yet another Trump and Pence sign, some of which are homemade with bedsheets and spray paint.
Throughout my visit home thus far, I have had the opportunity to chat with friends and family in regards to the current election. The overwhelming cheers go towards the Trump campaign and somewhat understandably why.
I think one hot button topic is the Obama healthcare plan. Americans were led to believe that this was going to do some good for everyone and has yet to deliver on promise. With more and more insurance providers pulling out due to poor returns, Americans are stuck with ever increasing premiums that are costing more than they did without Obamacare. The players in the game, along with taxes, just aren't enough to pay for the costs as more and more people are getting sick, according to one doctor near my home town that I spoke with.
I believe a system overhaul requires time and working out the kinks before a healthcare plan in the U.S. will run as smoothly as the Canadian health care system. Several healthcare workers I've talked to feel as if the American middle class is taking the brunt of it and they now can barely afford healthcare.
I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful healthcare system such as the Canadian healthcare system. It is cheap and affordable and the care is world class. If only the U.S. were to model themselves on their neighbour up north, they may do a bit better, though the retooling of the system to do this wouldbe mind boggling and expensive.
Another great topic of political discourse over the election is the whole "scandal" with Hillary's email server. According to National Public Radio, the antiquated government communication system is lacking in a big way. Hillary simply wanted to use a simpler way to converse with others and sometimes it was easier to use personal emails and their personal server. This seems to be common practice among politicians, though it is a bit edgy on terms of legality, according to NPR.
Kansans, though, believe that Hillary was hiding information from the public and may have put troops at risk despite the evidence that there were no crimes committed. One thing is for certain is that Kansans get riled up with it comes to the protection and support of troops, Kansas being the home to the 1st Infantry at Fort Riley.
While sitting at the Free State Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas (the place where the Civil War started) and gazing into the plaque of John Brown, there is hope that the U.S. will make it through this election fine. The U.S. has weathered many troubled waters before and came out on top. With all this being said, I can't wait to be back in Canada where I can put real maple syrup on my crepes.
