Quadsville

I have been amused, to some extent, with the recent rash of letters detailing what Jesus’ position on the health-care reform bill would be.
Kevin Wohlford of Eldridge, Iowa, started off the week with a Sunday letter, “Jesus allowed personal freedom,” claiming that the son of God would never support “confiscatory taxation” to fund health care for all.
“I see Jesus as a man who would never steal from one neighbor and give to the other,” Wohlford wrote.
Eugene Beach and D. Ezra Sidran, both of Davenport, were quick to respond with letters insisting Jesus would be for universal coverage.
“His teachings were a lot closer to liberal ideals than conservative ones,” Beach wrote. “In fact, if he were alive today, most conservatives would probably call him a socialist.”
Citing Matthew 22 and 25, Sidran declared, “His instructions for all to help the least fortunate and pay the taxes levied by government ... are clear to anyone who has read the New Testament.”
Given that life expectancy in 1st-century Judea was between 20-25 years and only half of children made it to their 10th birthday, I’m not sure how relevant our battles over pre-existing conditions would be to Jesus.
I know, I know ... the argument is based on morals, not Jesus’ experience with HMOs (although he did often serve as a one-man, walk-in community health-care clinic).
It does, however, highlight to me how easily people overlay modern circumstances atop ancient texts. Is it really possible to decipher every modern conundrum by scrutinizing scripture? Can we say with any certainty what Jesus — or Muhammad or Buddha or Abraham — would do?
There are a few discussions to this effect already going at my.quadsville.com. Throw in your two cents here ( if you’re not afraid they’ll end up going to pay for my kid’s braces).

Melissa Coulter writes on the online community at quadsville.com. Contact her at mcoulter@qctimes.com.

Here's my Sunday Quadsville column that ran in the QCTimes.

Dementia can be so tragic.

Reading about two local women suffering from the disease who went missing last week brought back memories of my great-grandmother.

My family put Nano, as we called her, in a nursing home once her dementia caused her to start getting up in the middle of the night to "go home" - seven states away - in my grandparents' car. They couldn't sleep through the night for fear she'd be gone in the morning.

During the transition to living in the nursing home, Nano tried to "go home" a couple of times, too. But she was always found before it was too late.

We were lucky. And so was Laura Robeson of Moline, who suffered a fall during her seven-hour ordeal, but was found by community members who saw news alerts she was missing.

Alice Rodelius, however, is dead. She left her assisted living facility in East Moline to meet friends for dinner on the wrong night, then went to her old Moline home before driving to Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center near Tiskilwa, Ill. She was found outside her car in the cold.

Sandi55 wants Rodelius' family to know they're not alone.

"I lost my grandfather in the dead of winter. He said he wanted to go home. He died from exposure," Sandi55 wrote. "May her family know that strangers are reaching out to their loss."

This was all clearly an accident, but it is tempting to think that tragedies like this can be prevented.

JJoe wrote, "I feel sad for the poor lady, and may she rest in peace. But why is a woman with dementia allowed to drive, especially at night?"

I asked that question myself. But I also realize how complicated the dynamics are between elderly parents who can no longer live alone and children who want them to be safe, but don't want to take away their independence.

In Nano's case, it was my mom who had to take her to the nursing home. Nano refused to let my grandmother - her daughter - tell her what to do. The generational gap took some of the anxiety out of the equation.

I'd be interested in hearing your stories about how you have dealt with these tricky situations in your family. Share your stories at my.quadsville.com.