I am a Christian. I am unashamedly, unabashedly, wholeheartedly Christian and have been most of my life. It was not something that was 'forced' upon me by my parents. It was a conscious decision that I made and it was a decision that has never let me down. I provide this as a basis for what follows. There is much that is happening in America and the world right now that is of concern for us all. The federal government in the United States is engaged in the most blatant unconstitutional legislative crafting that has ever been attempted. It is not the first, but it is the most blatant. If the 'health care reform' passes, we can kiss the ability to choose our own health insurance good bye. If that reform passes, Tax and Ripoff.......OK Cap and Trade will not be far behind and there goes the rest of our freedoms. At least that is part of what we are being told. I do believe that both of these pieces of legislation are disasters in the making, based on lies and agendas that have nothing to do with helping those who really need help. For the EPA to declare that what we exhale every time we breathe a danger to us, the same gas that all plant life on earth needs to survive, is beyond stupid.
But I am not writing this to argue statistics, science, pseud-science, junk science, or left-wing/right-wing looniness. I am writing to encourage those who are also Christians, who are looking at what is happening and finding that they feel scared or angry about what they see/hear. Remember, God is in control. Nothing is happening that God does not know nor that God cannot work to our good (Romans 8:28). Think about when David was running from King Saul, who wanted to kill him. David was hiding in caves, aligning himself to foreign kings, and anything else that he could to survive and not only just for himself but for those who followed him and all their families as well. David wrote many Psalms about his time on the run where he questioned God about why he had to endure being on the run, where he asked God to stop those who sought his life, where he asked God to just make things better, and yet no matter how woeful the Psalms began, by the end, David always praised God. He was honest about what he was feeling and what he was experiencing, but he was also honest in recognizing Who was in control of the situation and giving praises to that One for all the many blessings that had been given and all the blessings yet to come. Should we, as His children, do anything less?
Many people are experiencing unemployment. We are facing the fall out from that in my own household as my husband was fired from his job in October. But God has taken care of us, just like He always does. Maybe your situation is much bleaker in that you have no income now because of unemployment. There are places where you can access help in any community in which you live. Churches, charitable organizations, townships, all have ways of helping out those who are in need. But you have to be brave enough to ask for it and patient enough to go through the process to get the help you need.
Sometimes God allows such circumstances in our lives in order to get our attention and to get us to lean more on Him and less on our selves. It is true that when things are going well, we can get complacent about our faith. We can get sloppy with our prayer life and Bible reading. I have often said that God has to hit me up the side of my head with a 2X4 to get my attention. Well, guess what folks, He has hit all of America up the side of the head this time. But do not despair. Do not be discouraged (where have you seen those words before, try numerous places in the Bible). God IS still in control and will always be so. Trust in Him. Pray like you have never prayed before and ask for the wisdom you need for the facing of these days. Ask for wisdom for our lawmakers. Prayer is powerful and the more people who are praying, the more power is released. Trust that God will take care of you and yours and that He will deliver on His promises. He is has never, ever, ever reneged on a promise. He never will. You have said that you trust Him. Put that to work. What have you got to lose?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Prayer for Veteran's Day/Thanksgiving
Almighty Father in Heaven, there have been so many men and women who have fought and sacrificed and died so that the rest of us can enjoy the freedoms with which You have blessed us. Sometimes those people have been celebrated. Sometimes they have been denigrated. But still they serve so that we might be free. Bless all those who have fought so that freedom might not die, that tyranny and dictatorial rulers/heads of state are prevented from oppressing more people. Bless those who have sacrificed family time, limbs, and sometimes sanity so that the freedom that brought the Pilgrims to our shores is preserved. For those blessings and so many others, Lord, we give You our thanks. We humbly ask Your forgiveness for the times that we behave as if we do not need to give You thanks, when we act as if all that we have is due to our own efforts alone and not due to Your blessings upon us. Forgive us for allowing the Prince of this world to distract us with worries, bad news, fears, and doubts instead of focusing on the fact that You are in control and indeed You do work out all things for good for those You have called and those who love You. Thank You for Your patience when we go astray and let worldly things take our time away from You. It is amazing how You are always waiting for Your prodigal children to come back with Your arms open, welcoming us warmly, and cleansing us of the sins we have committed. Bless us that we may focus on Your welcome and learn to extend that welcome to others as well. We ask this all in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This week please pray for our Senators as they begin debating health care reform that they will be blessed with wisdom and hearts that are truly filled with the desire to do what is really the best for this country and its people.
This week please pray for our Senators as they begin debating health care reform that they will be blessed with wisdom and hearts that are truly filled with the desire to do what is really the best for this country and its people.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Musings
There has been much debate on health care for many years now. The debate has become especially heated this past summer after the House wrote a 1000+ page bill that was published online and people actually read what was contained in the bill. What many people read there caused them concern, worry, and anger. So they started contacting their elected officials in Washington, from both houses of Congress, and they went to the townhall meetings that were held in August.
The results of ordinary everyday people attending townhalls and also attending protests since February has been that they have been labeled as Nazis, ignorant, paid agitators, and have been insulted in myraid ways by those who are their employees but who act as if they are the employers with whose words one must always agree. Yet there are still those who support the elected officials in their inappropriate, rude, contemptable behavior.
One of the other things that has come out of the debate is a use of the Christian religion to try to convince people that having the government take over health care lock, stock, and barrell is the right thing to do. As a Christian, as a Christian pastor, I find this to be an arguable point. Yes, Jesus did say that we, as Christians, are to be looking out for each other, providing for those among us who are experiencing poverty and all that encompasses. Jesus did not say that we are to look to government, ever, to provide for the least of these among us. Jesus did not say that we are ever to look to government for anything at all. His only mention of government was to say that we are to pay Caeser what belonged to him. Recently I heard someone using the Golden Rule to say that he did not want to have government run health care, so why would he want it to be imposed on his neighbor. I really like that comment. I don't want government run health care because from where I sit the government cannot run anything without screwing it up. I defy anyone, anywhere to name me just ONE government run program that actually, honestly, really runs efficiently and in an economically sound way.
My biggest objection to government getting into the health care business is that government should not be in ANY business at all. It is not Constitutional for government to have its fingers in any business in any way. Period. There are those who will argue that the Commerce Clause of the Constitution gives the Federal Government the right to do so according to the way that the Supreme Courts of various eras have interpreted it. I say that the courts got it wrong. That is not what the writers of the Constitution intended.
There is a word that theologians use: isogesis. When one engages in isogesis, one is looking at a biblical passage and then interpreting it so that it says what the person wants it to say. While there are those who accuse conservatives of cherry picking which passages they will obey, isogesis is also a way of cherry picking. It is cherry picking how one wants to interpret what the Bible has to say. In much the same way, previous Supreme Courts are guilty, in my opinion, of isogetically interpreting what the Constitution has to say in the Commerce Clause. In other words, they decided that it gives the government rights to do things that our founding fathers never intended for the federal government to have.
I will post more on this later.
The results of ordinary everyday people attending townhalls and also attending protests since February has been that they have been labeled as Nazis, ignorant, paid agitators, and have been insulted in myraid ways by those who are their employees but who act as if they are the employers with whose words one must always agree. Yet there are still those who support the elected officials in their inappropriate, rude, contemptable behavior.
One of the other things that has come out of the debate is a use of the Christian religion to try to convince people that having the government take over health care lock, stock, and barrell is the right thing to do. As a Christian, as a Christian pastor, I find this to be an arguable point. Yes, Jesus did say that we, as Christians, are to be looking out for each other, providing for those among us who are experiencing poverty and all that encompasses. Jesus did not say that we are to look to government, ever, to provide for the least of these among us. Jesus did not say that we are ever to look to government for anything at all. His only mention of government was to say that we are to pay Caeser what belonged to him. Recently I heard someone using the Golden Rule to say that he did not want to have government run health care, so why would he want it to be imposed on his neighbor. I really like that comment. I don't want government run health care because from where I sit the government cannot run anything without screwing it up. I defy anyone, anywhere to name me just ONE government run program that actually, honestly, really runs efficiently and in an economically sound way.
My biggest objection to government getting into the health care business is that government should not be in ANY business at all. It is not Constitutional for government to have its fingers in any business in any way. Period. There are those who will argue that the Commerce Clause of the Constitution gives the Federal Government the right to do so according to the way that the Supreme Courts of various eras have interpreted it. I say that the courts got it wrong. That is not what the writers of the Constitution intended.
There is a word that theologians use: isogesis. When one engages in isogesis, one is looking at a biblical passage and then interpreting it so that it says what the person wants it to say. While there are those who accuse conservatives of cherry picking which passages they will obey, isogesis is also a way of cherry picking. It is cherry picking how one wants to interpret what the Bible has to say. In much the same way, previous Supreme Courts are guilty, in my opinion, of isogetically interpreting what the Constitution has to say in the Commerce Clause. In other words, they decided that it gives the government rights to do things that our founding fathers never intended for the federal government to have.
I will post more on this later.
Friday, September 18, 2009
This, that, and another thing
In the past week there has been the news about the ACORN video tapes showing questionable activity happening at many ACORN offices the result of which is the Senate voting to cut of HUD funding and the House to cut off all federal funding. Will this do anything to the organization? Only God knows and right now He is not telling anyone. ACORN workers are under indictment in several states for voter fraud also, but even with both these things, I still answer my own question with: Who knows?
Then right here in Illinois there is a video tape of Mark Kirk, who right now is a Republican representative from this state and who has announced that he is running for the Senate seat vacated by Obama when he became President, who basically says that he will not pander to special interests as a Senator as he has as a Representative. AND he expects us, the voters of Illinois, to believe him. Yeah, ain't happening here.
Oh and just yesterday, Speaker of the House Pelosi, after spending the summer maligning and insulting those who were showing up at townhalls and exercising their Constitutionally given rights to free speech is suddenly concerned with other people being responsible with their words and actions. This was after she allowed the House to censure Rep. Joe Wilson for truthfully calling Pres. Obama a liar during his recent speech in front of both houses of Congress because he rightly refused to apologize on the House floor, yet she has yet to apologize to the CIA for calling them liars even though it is quite apparent that she had been told about the interrogation techniques that were being used and did not object to them.
Not only that but now those same people along with those who have been involved in protests since February known as Tea Parties are being labeled as racists. That last one is a bit confusing as mostly that label is used against white people who speak up against something that a black person has said. I say it is confusing because there are plenty of black people who have been a part of the Tea Parties. So, now, all of a sudden, black people can be racist too???? OR is it that people are just speaking out against policies and un-Constitutional actions that have been taking place for too long. Yes, some of them occurred under other presidents and some of us are just now waking up to exactly what has been happening while we weren't looking. But we are looking now and we are fighting back. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO DO WITH THE PRESIDENT'S SKIN COLOR. For heaven's sake he is half white.
So far, the federal government has taken over two of the big three automobile companies, many banks, student loans and is trying to take over the health care system here in the US. THIS IS NOT RIGHT NOR IS IT WHAT OUR FOUNDING FATHERS INTENDED. Read our Constitution. Read what it actually says, not some progressive's interpretation of it. Read the words that those who wrote it prayerfully considered before they put down even one word. Read the words that were put down with the idea that they would last for a long time. They wrote them with knowledge of human nature. They wrote the words with the intent to create a country that would be around for a long time. They didn't write the words so that 150 some years later they could be ignored not only by the president, but also by those who are members of the House and the Senate. That is what the Tea Parties are about. That is what the protesters are protesting. Not the color of some man's skin.
Then right here in Illinois there is a video tape of Mark Kirk, who right now is a Republican representative from this state and who has announced that he is running for the Senate seat vacated by Obama when he became President, who basically says that he will not pander to special interests as a Senator as he has as a Representative. AND he expects us, the voters of Illinois, to believe him. Yeah, ain't happening here.
Oh and just yesterday, Speaker of the House Pelosi, after spending the summer maligning and insulting those who were showing up at townhalls and exercising their Constitutionally given rights to free speech is suddenly concerned with other people being responsible with their words and actions. This was after she allowed the House to censure Rep. Joe Wilson for truthfully calling Pres. Obama a liar during his recent speech in front of both houses of Congress because he rightly refused to apologize on the House floor, yet she has yet to apologize to the CIA for calling them liars even though it is quite apparent that she had been told about the interrogation techniques that were being used and did not object to them.
Not only that but now those same people along with those who have been involved in protests since February known as Tea Parties are being labeled as racists. That last one is a bit confusing as mostly that label is used against white people who speak up against something that a black person has said. I say it is confusing because there are plenty of black people who have been a part of the Tea Parties. So, now, all of a sudden, black people can be racist too???? OR is it that people are just speaking out against policies and un-Constitutional actions that have been taking place for too long. Yes, some of them occurred under other presidents and some of us are just now waking up to exactly what has been happening while we weren't looking. But we are looking now and we are fighting back. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO DO WITH THE PRESIDENT'S SKIN COLOR. For heaven's sake he is half white.
So far, the federal government has taken over two of the big three automobile companies, many banks, student loans and is trying to take over the health care system here in the US. THIS IS NOT RIGHT NOR IS IT WHAT OUR FOUNDING FATHERS INTENDED. Read our Constitution. Read what it actually says, not some progressive's interpretation of it. Read the words that those who wrote it prayerfully considered before they put down even one word. Read the words that were put down with the idea that they would last for a long time. They wrote them with knowledge of human nature. They wrote the words with the intent to create a country that would be around for a long time. They didn't write the words so that 150 some years later they could be ignored not only by the president, but also by those who are members of the House and the Senate. That is what the Tea Parties are about. That is what the protesters are protesting. Not the color of some man's skin.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
We the people NEED to be involved
Average American Tells Why We All Should Participate In Political System: A True Patriot
Op-Ed by Nancy Cahalan
I never saw myself as someone who would run for an elected office. My older daughter has dreams of running for president one day and I always thought she would be the first in our family with her name on a ballot for election. The most I was involved in politics was in voting. I have never worked for a particular campaign nor have I donated to one. It wasn't that there were not candidates or issues that did not grab my attention, becoming more involved was just not something that I felt called to do.
Last Spring, someone in my church who is active in our county Republican party asked me if I would be interested in being a precinct committeeman. Not really knowing what that was, I said sure. A short while later, I got a letter saying that I had been appointed as the precinct committeeman for my voting precinct.
I began educating myself on just exactly what a precinct committeeman is. I must admit that the first article I came across on the Internet threw me for a loop. It was titled "The Most Powerful Office In The World Is NOT The President of the United States": (http://www.eagleforum.org/misc/brochures/precinct-committman.shtml)
I will admit I was doubtful that an elected office--about which I had never heard--could be the most powerful in the world. I am still not totally convinced that precinct committeeman is the MOST powerful, but there is power there that many people probably don't realize because, like me, they have never heard of the office--nor do they know anything about it.
What has compelled me to actually run for the office in the February 2010 elections is multifaceted. One reason is what is happening at the federal level in our country right now. There are bills being passed and signed that are not being read by those who are paid by us to do so. The provisions included in those bills are not in line with what is contained in our U.S. Constitution and I object to that greatly.
Another reason is the Republican Party is a mess. In our state (Illinois) and in our nation, there are so many who have been elected because they claimed the "R" after their names and yet I find it hard to discern why they claim the "R". The votes they cast, the issues they support, the speeches they give are not in line with my understanding of what the Republican Party has as its values and ideals. The Bush administration gave us the deficit with which President Barack Obama began. While I do know Obama has tremendously increased that deficit, he did inherit a huge debt from a Republican president and a Republican majority in Congress. U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter at least was honest enough to admit his affinities were more in line with the Democratic Party than the GOP and stopped pretending to be a Republican. I wish more of those who are referred to as RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) would do the same.
Finally, I was brought up believing if you are not part of the solution, you are a part of the problem and just sitting around complaining is not the way to actually get things changed. Since I am already the precinct committeeman for my precinct, I intend to hold onto that position and do what I can from there to bring about the changes that I can.
Becoming a precinct committeeman is one of the easiest things that one can do. It does take time, but not much money. You have to get the appropriate paperwork from your county clerk, get the requisite signatures on the petition to get your name on the ballot, and then 'campaign' as you wish. If you do not know anything or very little about the office, educate yourself. If you don't feel called to run, maybe you know someone else who you can encourage to do so. With all the talk about grassroots movements, here is the grassroots of any political party.
Precinct committeemen do have an impact on their respective parties from the ground up--whether you run, encourage someone else to run or not. Please don't just sit back. Truly our country--as it was intended to be--and, more importantly, our freedoms are at stake. If we do nothing, we will wake up one morning to find we are living in a country we do not want. If I am accused of fear mongering, so be it. The stakes are high and we need to be aware and we need to fight back.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Health Care Reform
I will begin by saying that I AM NOT AGAINST HEALTH CARE REFORM. Got that. I believe that there are things about our present health care system that do need reform to make the system more patient friendly and also more doctor friendly as well. But the things that are being bandied about in Congress are NOT the way to go about doing that.
The favorite number that is used to justify the reforms being considered in Congress is 47 million AMERICANS lacking health insurance. (I have even seen it at 50 million). The problem I have with that number is that there are NOT 47 million AMERICANS lacking insurance. Indeed 10-12 million of that number are NOT Americans. Now whether you use the politically correct undocumented worker or the technically correct illegal alien, these people are NOT Americans and therefore should not be included in that number nor should they be included in the reform debate for AMERICANS at all. Further there are between 8 and 9 million Americans who do not have insurance because they choose not to have insurance. For some it is an economic choice. They can put the money from insurance premiums to better use elsewhere, especially since the premiums charge them for services that they will never use (a single man does not need a mammogram, a single woman does not need prostate services). For some it is because they earn enough money to be able to pay cash for their medical services. Also included in that number are 11 million people who are already qualified for Medicaid and just have not signed up for it for whatever reasons there might be. When all is said and done, there are actually only about 16-17 million AMERICANS who are lacking insurance.
NOW, that being said, should we do something to address that problem. YES!!!! But why completely change the entire system just to cover those folks. Why not focus on the reasons they don't have insurance and do something about that why instead of messing around with everyone else's coverage? I will give what I think is the answer later.
Are there other problems that exist in the system? Yes, there are. Many of those problems exist because of present laws and mandates that keep the insurance industry from providing such things as portability, being able to purchase policies across state lines, and purchase policies that cover only what you need them to cover. With the possible exception of portability, all the other things I have listed are prohibited by law--state and federal. So why are these particular prohibitions not being targeted?
Tort reform has actually been taken off the table for discussion. They won't even discuss the possibility of tort reform and yet that is an integral part of helping to bring down and keep down the costs to us all. When tremendous judgments for malpractice suits are given by juries, not all of that money goes to the family, there is a good chunk that goes to the lawyer(s) who work for the family. Should people be allowed to sue for malpractice? Heavens yes!!! I had a student years ago who was multiply handicapped because the doctor who delivered him was drunk at the time of delivery and screwed up. The family should and did sue the doctor, won the suit and was enabled to build a house for their child that meets his needs and will for the rest of his life. But, and this may sound really callous, when someone dies, all the money in the world will NOT bring that person back. It has been suggested that rather than malpractice suits being heard by a jury, they should be heard by a panel of doctors who have the medical expertise to understand the decision process through which another doctor will go. I know the argument against that will be that the docs will protect their own. That is why I think the panel should include patient advocates as well. Malpractice insurance rates are one of the reasons that costs are so high. 1. Doctors charge more to help offset the price they have to pay. 2. Doctors practice more defensive medicine in that they order tests to cover their rears, so they don't get sued. If the fear of being sued was not so high, they probably wouldn't suggest the tests. Of course it is still up to the patient to question whether or not a particular test is really necessary and decide whether or not to take the test.
I am NOT a fan of the government taking over our health care. I said I would answer the why earlier. I think the reason why Congress and the president are not focusing just on the parts that are broken but instead are trying to change the entire system for all of us is POWER. They want to have power over our lives in as many areas as possible. The government for years has tried (and I know that people will argue with me about this) to convince us that we cannot do this and that for ourselves and so we should let the government do it for us. I think back to Katrina and the mess that the aftermath was. Hundreds of people sat and waited for the government, the inefficient, inept government, to come save them instead of doing what they could for themselves. I realize that many of those people were poor and had problems with having funds to get themselves out of New Orleans. If it had been me, I would have started walking out of town and kept going until I got to some place of safety. I would not have just sat around waiting. There is not one program that the government presently runs that is run efficiently and economically. Medicaid, Medicare, the Post Office, Social Security, even the military (at least the part that the government runs) all cost plenty and yet quite inefficiently. I consistently receive mail for other people. I just learned about a woman who can get onto Medicaid, but only for a few months at a time before she is denied further coverage. My own sister is on both Medicaid and Medicare and yet there are things that are not covered by either. But also the incentive for her to really stop and think about her own health care is gone because she pays very little.
Most of all I object tremendously to the government trying to take away any of our freedoms. If the reform that is being discussed goes through, our freedom of choice is gone. Despite the statements to the contrary and unless the original provisions of the House bill are changed, we only get to keep our present health insurance until something about it changes. AND if we decide that we no longer like it, would like to find something more to our liking, the only choice we will have is the public option ie government run health care. That is not freedom. Further, unless it is changed, the law FORCES everyone to have insurance. Once again why? If this is the land of the free, where people are supposed to be able to make the choices that are best for them, why FORCE those who choose to not have insurance to get it? Once again, POWER and having that power over our lives.
There are those who will argue that the insurance companies already ration our health care. That is true in part. However, right now, if I don't like the way in which my present insurance company rations my health care, I am free to find another company through which to have insurance. Once Obamacare is passed, that freedom will be taken from me. If I don't like my present insurance, my only other choice is the public option.
I refuse to give up any more of my freedom to the government. I can decide for myself what my health care should be. I know my body better than anyone else on the face of the planet. I am well educated about my health and I will have the freedom to put that education to work for me. I don't need the government coming in, telling me once again that I am too stupid to figure out health care for myself and I should let them do it. NO I WILL NOT!!!! I am not stupid and I will make my own choices. If that means that I fight Congress tooth and nail, so be it. I will not surrender my freedom nor will I allow Congress to take freedom from anyone else. Freedom is that on which this country was founded. Freedom is what thousands of Americans, male and female, have fought and died to preserve for us through out the 233 years of our existence. I will not dishonor their sacrifice nor the sacrifice of their families by just rolling over as the government takes over.
The favorite number that is used to justify the reforms being considered in Congress is 47 million AMERICANS lacking health insurance. (I have even seen it at 50 million). The problem I have with that number is that there are NOT 47 million AMERICANS lacking insurance. Indeed 10-12 million of that number are NOT Americans. Now whether you use the politically correct undocumented worker or the technically correct illegal alien, these people are NOT Americans and therefore should not be included in that number nor should they be included in the reform debate for AMERICANS at all. Further there are between 8 and 9 million Americans who do not have insurance because they choose not to have insurance. For some it is an economic choice. They can put the money from insurance premiums to better use elsewhere, especially since the premiums charge them for services that they will never use (a single man does not need a mammogram, a single woman does not need prostate services). For some it is because they earn enough money to be able to pay cash for their medical services. Also included in that number are 11 million people who are already qualified for Medicaid and just have not signed up for it for whatever reasons there might be. When all is said and done, there are actually only about 16-17 million AMERICANS who are lacking insurance.
NOW, that being said, should we do something to address that problem. YES!!!! But why completely change the entire system just to cover those folks. Why not focus on the reasons they don't have insurance and do something about that why instead of messing around with everyone else's coverage? I will give what I think is the answer later.
Are there other problems that exist in the system? Yes, there are. Many of those problems exist because of present laws and mandates that keep the insurance industry from providing such things as portability, being able to purchase policies across state lines, and purchase policies that cover only what you need them to cover. With the possible exception of portability, all the other things I have listed are prohibited by law--state and federal. So why are these particular prohibitions not being targeted?
Tort reform has actually been taken off the table for discussion. They won't even discuss the possibility of tort reform and yet that is an integral part of helping to bring down and keep down the costs to us all. When tremendous judgments for malpractice suits are given by juries, not all of that money goes to the family, there is a good chunk that goes to the lawyer(s) who work for the family. Should people be allowed to sue for malpractice? Heavens yes!!! I had a student years ago who was multiply handicapped because the doctor who delivered him was drunk at the time of delivery and screwed up. The family should and did sue the doctor, won the suit and was enabled to build a house for their child that meets his needs and will for the rest of his life. But, and this may sound really callous, when someone dies, all the money in the world will NOT bring that person back. It has been suggested that rather than malpractice suits being heard by a jury, they should be heard by a panel of doctors who have the medical expertise to understand the decision process through which another doctor will go. I know the argument against that will be that the docs will protect their own. That is why I think the panel should include patient advocates as well. Malpractice insurance rates are one of the reasons that costs are so high. 1. Doctors charge more to help offset the price they have to pay. 2. Doctors practice more defensive medicine in that they order tests to cover their rears, so they don't get sued. If the fear of being sued was not so high, they probably wouldn't suggest the tests. Of course it is still up to the patient to question whether or not a particular test is really necessary and decide whether or not to take the test.
I am NOT a fan of the government taking over our health care. I said I would answer the why earlier. I think the reason why Congress and the president are not focusing just on the parts that are broken but instead are trying to change the entire system for all of us is POWER. They want to have power over our lives in as many areas as possible. The government for years has tried (and I know that people will argue with me about this) to convince us that we cannot do this and that for ourselves and so we should let the government do it for us. I think back to Katrina and the mess that the aftermath was. Hundreds of people sat and waited for the government, the inefficient, inept government, to come save them instead of doing what they could for themselves. I realize that many of those people were poor and had problems with having funds to get themselves out of New Orleans. If it had been me, I would have started walking out of town and kept going until I got to some place of safety. I would not have just sat around waiting. There is not one program that the government presently runs that is run efficiently and economically. Medicaid, Medicare, the Post Office, Social Security, even the military (at least the part that the government runs) all cost plenty and yet quite inefficiently. I consistently receive mail for other people. I just learned about a woman who can get onto Medicaid, but only for a few months at a time before she is denied further coverage. My own sister is on both Medicaid and Medicare and yet there are things that are not covered by either. But also the incentive for her to really stop and think about her own health care is gone because she pays very little.
Most of all I object tremendously to the government trying to take away any of our freedoms. If the reform that is being discussed goes through, our freedom of choice is gone. Despite the statements to the contrary and unless the original provisions of the House bill are changed, we only get to keep our present health insurance until something about it changes. AND if we decide that we no longer like it, would like to find something more to our liking, the only choice we will have is the public option ie government run health care. That is not freedom. Further, unless it is changed, the law FORCES everyone to have insurance. Once again why? If this is the land of the free, where people are supposed to be able to make the choices that are best for them, why FORCE those who choose to not have insurance to get it? Once again, POWER and having that power over our lives.
There are those who will argue that the insurance companies already ration our health care. That is true in part. However, right now, if I don't like the way in which my present insurance company rations my health care, I am free to find another company through which to have insurance. Once Obamacare is passed, that freedom will be taken from me. If I don't like my present insurance, my only other choice is the public option.
I refuse to give up any more of my freedom to the government. I can decide for myself what my health care should be. I know my body better than anyone else on the face of the planet. I am well educated about my health and I will have the freedom to put that education to work for me. I don't need the government coming in, telling me once again that I am too stupid to figure out health care for myself and I should let them do it. NO I WILL NOT!!!! I am not stupid and I will make my own choices. If that means that I fight Congress tooth and nail, so be it. I will not surrender my freedom nor will I allow Congress to take freedom from anyone else. Freedom is that on which this country was founded. Freedom is what thousands of Americans, male and female, have fought and died to preserve for us through out the 233 years of our existence. I will not dishonor their sacrifice nor the sacrifice of their families by just rolling over as the government takes over.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Double Standards Abound
Many years ago, it was suggested that one way to help curb the skyrocketing costs of welfare would be to require that women be limited as to the number of children that they could have therefore limiting the number of children for whom the government had to pay benefits. The outraged cries of 'that is a violation of a woman's civil rights!!!' could be heard without even trying. Those cries were loud and they came from many, many corners. Yet the president has now proposed that ALL women be sterilized after they have 3 children as a way of reigning in health care costs and I am hearing NOTHING!!!!! I hear NO ONE in outrage crying out about a violation of any woman's civil rights to bear as many children as she wants. I hear NO ONE in outrage pointing out the sexist basis of the comment because it is only women who are targets of sterilization, not men. I hear NOT ONE thing from the MSM about how horrible it is that O has dared to suggest this at all. If it had been a conservative or a Republican who had publicly suggested that this happened, that person would have already been figuratively tarred and feathered and a campaign to destroy whatever career that person had would be under way. WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP AND WHAT AN UNHOLY DOUBLE STANDARD!!!!!!!!!!
In case you cannot tell, I am angry. I am so very angry. The longer O is in office, the angrier I get. The more the Congress continues on its course of screwing the people over, the angrier I get. The more that the MSM tries to convince the people that we are just taking comments 'out of context' or that 'we just don't understand the complexities of the situation' or that we are just not being 'patient' enough, I want to scream and knock their heads together. They are arrogant, unfeeling (despite their declarations to the contrary), power hungry bullies who are running rough-shod over us all!!! What really angers me even more, though, is the voters who keep putting these bullies BACK into office. 'But ____ got us money for a new _____.' 'But _____ was so empathetic to my problem when I met with _____.' (Yeah right. I'll bet that if you had asked _____ exactly what your problem was five minutes later, _____ would not even remember having spoken to you five minutes earlier.)
I really want someone to name me just one governmentally run program that works. The military does not count because the military runs itself. Name me just one government program that works, that runs efficiently, that is using every cent of the money that it has wisely. Just one. That's all. I will probably wait a very, very long time for an answer to that one because there aren't any government programs that can meet those criterion.
I pray every day now that the voters in this country will wake up. I pray that the voters, the voters who are not already involved in government in some way, those who are just plain everyday citizens, who work for a living, will be able to see every politician as that politician truly is. I pray that all the political gobbledy-gook that comes out of politicians' mouths, all the double speak, all the outright lies, will be seen for exactly what they are and the voters will vote out all the bullies, all the manipulators, and vote in those who will uphold the Constitution, uphold the rules of the House and Senate, uphold the freedoms given to the people by the Bill of Rights and not keep reinterpreting our founding documents according to their own whims and emotions, and finally those who will actually do what is good for the entire country, not for a few lobbyists, not for special interest groups. This includes repealing all laws that are on the books that are there solely benefiting special interest groups while screwing over the rest of us. This also includes the creation of a citizen's board whose sole purpose is setting the salaries and benefits of all elected officials and if the officials do not do the job for which they were hired (voted in), then they do not get raises. Salaries and benefits shall be based on what is good for the country, not what is good for the elected officials. I would also like to see an amendment to the Constitution that states that all elected officials are always subject to all laws and regulations that they pass. If they are so insistent that socialized health care be passed, they have to be a part of it as well as the rest of us. Also, as a part of this amendment, any elected official that is suspected of illegal activity is immediately suspended from elected duties, cannot run for re-election, and their pay is suspended until the situation is brought to an end. Yes it is harsh. It is meant to be harsh. It is meant to be a deterrent for those elected officials who are truly crooks and yet keep their offices, keep their pay, keep their benefits. Also, no more of this ridiculousness of convicted elected officials being paid retirement. Any elected official who is convicted of any crime at any time, immediately loses all government benefits. Immediately, no exceptions!!
God, You know the shape this country is in right now. You know the hearts of those elected officials in Washington and in the state capitals of every state in the union. You also know what is in the hearts of we the people. Please, God, show us what we need to do to correct the wrongs, eliminate the evils, to do what is really right and good and noble and worthy of praise. Please, God. In Jesus' name. Amen.
In case you cannot tell, I am angry. I am so very angry. The longer O is in office, the angrier I get. The more the Congress continues on its course of screwing the people over, the angrier I get. The more that the MSM tries to convince the people that we are just taking comments 'out of context' or that 'we just don't understand the complexities of the situation' or that we are just not being 'patient' enough, I want to scream and knock their heads together. They are arrogant, unfeeling (despite their declarations to the contrary), power hungry bullies who are running rough-shod over us all!!! What really angers me even more, though, is the voters who keep putting these bullies BACK into office. 'But ____ got us money for a new _____.' 'But _____ was so empathetic to my problem when I met with _____.' (Yeah right. I'll bet that if you had asked _____ exactly what your problem was five minutes later, _____ would not even remember having spoken to you five minutes earlier.)
I really want someone to name me just one governmentally run program that works. The military does not count because the military runs itself. Name me just one government program that works, that runs efficiently, that is using every cent of the money that it has wisely. Just one. That's all. I will probably wait a very, very long time for an answer to that one because there aren't any government programs that can meet those criterion.
I pray every day now that the voters in this country will wake up. I pray that the voters, the voters who are not already involved in government in some way, those who are just plain everyday citizens, who work for a living, will be able to see every politician as that politician truly is. I pray that all the political gobbledy-gook that comes out of politicians' mouths, all the double speak, all the outright lies, will be seen for exactly what they are and the voters will vote out all the bullies, all the manipulators, and vote in those who will uphold the Constitution, uphold the rules of the House and Senate, uphold the freedoms given to the people by the Bill of Rights and not keep reinterpreting our founding documents according to their own whims and emotions, and finally those who will actually do what is good for the entire country, not for a few lobbyists, not for special interest groups. This includes repealing all laws that are on the books that are there solely benefiting special interest groups while screwing over the rest of us. This also includes the creation of a citizen's board whose sole purpose is setting the salaries and benefits of all elected officials and if the officials do not do the job for which they were hired (voted in), then they do not get raises. Salaries and benefits shall be based on what is good for the country, not what is good for the elected officials. I would also like to see an amendment to the Constitution that states that all elected officials are always subject to all laws and regulations that they pass. If they are so insistent that socialized health care be passed, they have to be a part of it as well as the rest of us. Also, as a part of this amendment, any elected official that is suspected of illegal activity is immediately suspended from elected duties, cannot run for re-election, and their pay is suspended until the situation is brought to an end. Yes it is harsh. It is meant to be harsh. It is meant to be a deterrent for those elected officials who are truly crooks and yet keep their offices, keep their pay, keep their benefits. Also, no more of this ridiculousness of convicted elected officials being paid retirement. Any elected official who is convicted of any crime at any time, immediately loses all government benefits. Immediately, no exceptions!!
God, You know the shape this country is in right now. You know the hearts of those elected officials in Washington and in the state capitals of every state in the union. You also know what is in the hearts of we the people. Please, God, show us what we need to do to correct the wrongs, eliminate the evils, to do what is really right and good and noble and worthy of praise. Please, God. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Fourth of July
So I attended my first Tea Party today. I had planned on attending one on April 15th until my husband woke up at 2:30am with a heart attack. Needless to say, my plans to attend a Tea Party were steamed away (I know, terrible pun.) Anyway, my 19 year old daughter and I attended the Tea Party held in Washington Missouri today. It was great being among so many like minded people of all ages and walks of life.
Today's Party had less to do with expressing outrage over what has been happening with our government and more about what we the people can do to halt the progression of unconstitutional activities that will do nothing but cost us and future generations more and more money that we do not have. The president has said that the country has no more money. He has also said that the Tax and Ripoff bill that has just been passed will 'necessarily make electric rates skyrocket'. Which means that the cost of everything else will necessarily skyrocket as well. And where does that leave us. Slaves to the government with very little money for even the necessities of life.
That seems to be the plan that O et al (Pelosi, Reid, and all the RINOs and Democrats who voted for Tax and Ripoff and who support all of O's ideas) has had all along. All they are concerned with is power and money----for themselves and no one else. I keep hearing about how O hates rich people. He can't. If he hated rich people he would hate himself, his wife, his daughters, and all his friends. It is other people having wealth, those people who are against what he is for, whose wealth he hates. He is intent on expanding government to unheard of levels in this country and if he is successful, we are all screwed big time!!!!
BUT, I don't think he will be successful and the turn out at today's many Tea Parties and all the people across this country who recognize what he is doing and what will happen as a result if he is not stopped. I also know that he is NOT the one who ultimately is in control. God is in control and God does not support socialism nor government trying to control every aspect of our lives.
In my own prayers and so many times today, I have heard the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." This is one of the few Bible verses that I can more or less quote including book, chapter, and verse, but it is one that I have just recently learned so well. I think that it will become one of my favorites. God promises us that when we seek after Him and focus our minds on Him, He will take care of us. God never breaks His promises. We need to pray unceasingly for our country.
We also need to speak the truth unceasingly. One of the 'tricks' that O and his bunch have used time and time again, is to tell their lies over and over again. Unfortunately it is true that if a lie is repeated often enough, people begin to believe it. Well if it works for lies, it will work with the truth. We need to keep repeating and keep repeating the truth until people see it and believe it. We can't just sit around and wait. Sitting around and waiting will cost us our freedoms and our country.
The other thing that we need to do is to seek out and support conservative, Constitutionally minded, this is a Republic not a Socialist state minded candidates to elect to office. We may even have to consider running for office ourselves. The first office that anyone at all can even volunteer to fill is that of precinct committeeman or captain. Every state in the union has such a position available and there are so many unfilled positions right now that all it would take for most folks is to contact the Republican Party Central Committee Chair of their county and ask to be appointed. I did not even ask, I was asked by a man I know if I would be interested. I said yes and the next thing I know I have been appointed as precinct committeeman for my voting precinct. Look up precinct committeeman on the internet for more information about exactly what the duties are and you will be surprised. Then get in touch with the Committeeman Project.
It is time for all good people to come to the aid of their country so that we can fight off the socialists who are trying to take over the government. WE CAN DO IT!! But we have to put forth the effort and fight or we will find ourselves enslaved by those who are supposed to be working for us.
Today's Party had less to do with expressing outrage over what has been happening with our government and more about what we the people can do to halt the progression of unconstitutional activities that will do nothing but cost us and future generations more and more money that we do not have. The president has said that the country has no more money. He has also said that the Tax and Ripoff bill that has just been passed will 'necessarily make electric rates skyrocket'. Which means that the cost of everything else will necessarily skyrocket as well. And where does that leave us. Slaves to the government with very little money for even the necessities of life.
That seems to be the plan that O et al (Pelosi, Reid, and all the RINOs and Democrats who voted for Tax and Ripoff and who support all of O's ideas) has had all along. All they are concerned with is power and money----for themselves and no one else. I keep hearing about how O hates rich people. He can't. If he hated rich people he would hate himself, his wife, his daughters, and all his friends. It is other people having wealth, those people who are against what he is for, whose wealth he hates. He is intent on expanding government to unheard of levels in this country and if he is successful, we are all screwed big time!!!!
BUT, I don't think he will be successful and the turn out at today's many Tea Parties and all the people across this country who recognize what he is doing and what will happen as a result if he is not stopped. I also know that he is NOT the one who ultimately is in control. God is in control and God does not support socialism nor government trying to control every aspect of our lives.
In my own prayers and so many times today, I have heard the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." This is one of the few Bible verses that I can more or less quote including book, chapter, and verse, but it is one that I have just recently learned so well. I think that it will become one of my favorites. God promises us that when we seek after Him and focus our minds on Him, He will take care of us. God never breaks His promises. We need to pray unceasingly for our country.
We also need to speak the truth unceasingly. One of the 'tricks' that O and his bunch have used time and time again, is to tell their lies over and over again. Unfortunately it is true that if a lie is repeated often enough, people begin to believe it. Well if it works for lies, it will work with the truth. We need to keep repeating and keep repeating the truth until people see it and believe it. We can't just sit around and wait. Sitting around and waiting will cost us our freedoms and our country.
The other thing that we need to do is to seek out and support conservative, Constitutionally minded, this is a Republic not a Socialist state minded candidates to elect to office. We may even have to consider running for office ourselves. The first office that anyone at all can even volunteer to fill is that of precinct committeeman or captain. Every state in the union has such a position available and there are so many unfilled positions right now that all it would take for most folks is to contact the Republican Party Central Committee Chair of their county and ask to be appointed. I did not even ask, I was asked by a man I know if I would be interested. I said yes and the next thing I know I have been appointed as precinct committeeman for my voting precinct. Look up precinct committeeman on the internet for more information about exactly what the duties are and you will be surprised. Then get in touch with the Committeeman Project.
It is time for all good people to come to the aid of their country so that we can fight off the socialists who are trying to take over the government. WE CAN DO IT!! But we have to put forth the effort and fight or we will find ourselves enslaved by those who are supposed to be working for us.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A New Blog
For some unknown reason, I was unable to sign in to my other blog, so here is a new one.
So our Congress is at it again. Last Friday the House of Representatives passed what they call the Cap and Trade Bill, what I call the Tax and Rip Off Bill. The first objection that I have to this bill is the fact that it is intended to counter something that is based on junk science and that is if one uses the word science loosely. Far from what Gore et al would have us believe, there is NO consensus among scientists about climate change or as Gore used to call it global warming. He had to rename his cause when it was pointed out that our planet is actually cooling. http://www.junkscience.com/#GWS
http://www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/proceedings.html
http://www.nipccreport.org/
http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/23406/Scores_of_PeerReviewed_Studies_Contradict_Global_Warming_Alarmism.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scientists_opposing_the_mainstream_scientific_assessment_of_global_warming
http://www.petitionproject.org/
All these sites give information about how the so-called consensus does not exist, especially the last one.
The second reason that I object to the bill is the fact that not one of the House members read the bill. I know this because the bill was not completely written at the time the vote was taken. This bill was nothing more than a grab for power and money.
I was taught in elementary school that our planet constantly goes through warming and cooling cycles, hence the Ice Ages and Tropical Ages which have been proven through real science. Do our actions have some impact on our environment? Yes I do believe that they do. Do our actions impact our environment so much that we are in danger of destroying ourselves? NO!!
I do not understand the point of view that seems bent on eliminating the entire human race. There are people out there who really believe that the world would be better off without humans. If that is what they truly believe, they can leave the planet any time they so choose.
What is more disturbing to me is the way in which our elected officials, who are OUR employees, are ignoring doing the jobs for which they were hired. They were hired to represent US, not some lobbyists, not whomever gives them the most money for re-election, not some ideology that has yet to be proven. They were hired to represent US and from where I am sitting, they are not. They are voting for bills they have not read and then are 'surprised' when they find out what was actually in the bills. DUH!!! They give us a bunch of double speak that means absolutely nothing and then have the absolute arrogance to suggest that WE are stupid. I have 3 earned college degrees. I am not stupid. I am intelligent enough to recognize gobbledygoop when I hear it and that is all I am hearing from most elected officials these days.
All I can say in closing is all members of the House and Senate had better be looking carefully over their shoulders because we the people are as mad as we can be and we will not take this lying down. We will be working actively to defeat those who are refusing to do the job they were hired to do and replace them with responsible employees.
So our Congress is at it again. Last Friday the House of Representatives passed what they call the Cap and Trade Bill, what I call the Tax and Rip Off Bill. The first objection that I have to this bill is the fact that it is intended to counter something that is based on junk science and that is if one uses the word science loosely. Far from what Gore et al would have us believe, there is NO consensus among scientists about climate change or as Gore used to call it global warming. He had to rename his cause when it was pointed out that our planet is actually cooling. http://www.junkscience.com/#GWS
http://www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/proceedings.html
http://www.nipccreport.org/
http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/23406/Scores_of_PeerReviewed_Studies_Contradict_Global_Warming_Alarmism.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scientists_opposing_the_mainstream_scientific_assessment_of_global_warming
http://www.petitionproject.org/
All these sites give information about how the so-called consensus does not exist, especially the last one.
The second reason that I object to the bill is the fact that not one of the House members read the bill. I know this because the bill was not completely written at the time the vote was taken. This bill was nothing more than a grab for power and money.
I was taught in elementary school that our planet constantly goes through warming and cooling cycles, hence the Ice Ages and Tropical Ages which have been proven through real science. Do our actions have some impact on our environment? Yes I do believe that they do. Do our actions impact our environment so much that we are in danger of destroying ourselves? NO!!
I do not understand the point of view that seems bent on eliminating the entire human race. There are people out there who really believe that the world would be better off without humans. If that is what they truly believe, they can leave the planet any time they so choose.
What is more disturbing to me is the way in which our elected officials, who are OUR employees, are ignoring doing the jobs for which they were hired. They were hired to represent US, not some lobbyists, not whomever gives them the most money for re-election, not some ideology that has yet to be proven. They were hired to represent US and from where I am sitting, they are not. They are voting for bills they have not read and then are 'surprised' when they find out what was actually in the bills. DUH!!! They give us a bunch of double speak that means absolutely nothing and then have the absolute arrogance to suggest that WE are stupid. I have 3 earned college degrees. I am not stupid. I am intelligent enough to recognize gobbledygoop when I hear it and that is all I am hearing from most elected officials these days.
All I can say in closing is all members of the House and Senate had better be looking carefully over their shoulders because we the people are as mad as we can be and we will not take this lying down. We will be working actively to defeat those who are refusing to do the job they were hired to do and replace them with responsible employees.
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