The above title was on the cover of a National Review magazine a while back, and it has stuck in my mind as overly appropriate. Because euthanasia does creep, very quietly and behind the scenes. It isn't just for the National Socialists of Germany in the 1940s. It's not just for patients who are terminal and in pain. It's not just for the future when the "death panels" of Obamacare are fully implemented. It's here and it's now, and has been for a while.
As our cultural norms are "progressing" so also is our expectation of end of life care. There are plenty of "death with dignity" folks out there working to legalize euthanasia--even infant euthanasia, which is now legal in several European countries. And you don't have to have a terminal condition: 1% of all deaths in Belgium are now due to euthanasia. Voluntary suicide is legal in Oregon, Washington, and Montana. But laws are not necessary--euthanasia happens all the time in hospitals. One by one, "progressive" healthcare practitioners have been changing the landscape of medical treatment with end-of-life decision making. At least 30% of total healthcare dollars spent on a person during his lifetime are during his last year. So if you shorten the life by one year, you can save a whole lot of $. Liberals operate on that principle all the time. How do I know this? I've seen it.
I have worked in six different ICUs in three different states over 20 years, but the first place I worked was a Medical unit. This was the mid-80s, and it was just becoming commonplace for a physician to order "Do Not Resuscitate" status for patients who were very old and sick or who had a terminal illness. One physician infuriated us by admitting terminal, dying patients to the hospital but refusing to write DNRs. So we'd end up doing CPR on them when they died: a futile and violent nonsense.
But the culture changed, and end-of-life discussions and plans now commonly go along with terminal diagnoses, which is good. But in emergency situations there is often no opportunity to consult the patient about his wishes, and the family is guided by the physician. I noticed a direct correlation between the treatment decisions of doctors and nurses that I knew to be more liberal, and a haste in withdrawing or minimizing treatments for their elderly patients. One very liberal nurse (that I had many arguments with at 3 a.m. when things were quiet in the unit) even went so far as to say that "It's a waste of resources to admit old people to the ICU." Not "Old people shouldn't be admitted because it doesn't do them any good--poor outcomes and suffering--quality of life--etc." but "It's bad for society."
One of my co-workers was actually caught attempting to "euthanize" a patient by administering massive doses of IV morphine--this was in the news, and she did get in big trouble. Yes, the patient would have died anyway--probably within the next week. But it's a very short trip in the mind of a progressive from letting someone die, to helping someone die more quickly to save resources. And she was the most liberal of anyone I've ever worked with--she told me that her teenage daughter's form of rebellion was to stop having sex with her boyfriend and "find Jesus"--she was very disturbed about that. Just a window into her mind.
On one occasion (I can't give too many details because of confidentiality) I took care of an active older man (driving, golfing) who'd had a small heart attack and developed pneumonia and was put on a ventilator. He did great during the night and his chest X-ray looked better in the morning. I was shocked when I came back the next night to find that he was dead--they'd put him on a morphine drip and taken him off the ventilator and let him go. I'd stop breathing too if I had pneumonia (which I did a few years ago) and was put on a morphine drip! But his doctor was one of the liberal ones and had told his family that he would probably not recover--he'd only been in the ICU for 2 days--so they consented.
And patients are also quietly euthanized outside of the ICU. I took care of a young-ish woman who had brain damage from an accident, but who was stable and off all treatments. She had decent reflexes but would probably never recover much brain function. The doctor and family decided that she wouldn't want to live that way, so they stopped her tube feedings and she died of dehydration. This was a Terri Schiavo case that never made it to the Supreme Court, not even to the hospital's Ethics Committee--it was just done. And it's done all the time.
To be clear, I am not in favor of administering every treatment to every patient all the time--comfort, yes, life-sustaining drugs, no. But withholding food and liquids is murder in my mind. What usually happens in these cases is that before too long the patient contracts pneumonia or a UTI, then gets septic, and, without antibiotics, passes away. And that's OK in many cases where there clearly is no hope of a meaningful recovery. But it takes too long for many of my liberal colleagues, who are in such a hurry to have a tidy, inexpensive death.
And that takes us back to the main point here. When we have "socialized medicine" we are all pulling from the same bank account for our treatments. Rationing becomes the name of the game, since healthcare is an unlimited demand on a limited pool of resources. So if Patient A gets a treatment, Patient B will not get it, because the "powers that be" decide how many doses of each drug to purchase, how many salaries to pay, how many hospitals to build and equip, etc. and it will never be enough. So if you receive a diagnosis of cancer and think you'll probably not make the five year survivor mark, you may, in the depression of the first stages of post-diagnosis grief, make the "heroic" decision that it's simpler and more altruistic to die rather than to fight for your life. What a good socialist you are! Bring on the suicide cocktail!
Cultures are changed by many forces and incentives. But one undeniable one that is on our horizon is the pressure that "rationed medicine" puts on individuals and their life-or-death decisions. Euthanasia goes from unthinkable, to a repulsive option only to be used in a few selected circumstances, to an acceptable option for many circumstances, to the desired "final solution" to the problems of having an aging population and not enough money or personnel to care for them. Socialized medicine definitely weighs in on the euthanasia balance scale, tipping it toward death.
When I was a missionary/nurse in Peru we would avoid taking sick missionaries to the "free" (government) hospitals, because people would DIE while standing in the long lines there; we would use the for-profit hospitals instead. But I went to one once, and the level of grunge and despair shook me to my soul, and I remember thinking "Thank God we don't have socialized medicine in America." .......... :-(
So what the heck does this have to do with my starting point--Ken Cuccinelli? In my fantasy world it goes:
Elect Conservative Leaders at the State Level>
The Conservative State Legislatures call a Convention (following Article 5 of the Constitution) to Propose Amendments to Strip the Federal Government of much of it's Ill-Gotten Power>
The States Repeal the 17th Amendment and Roll Back the Powers of the "Federal" (National) Government, including Obamacare>
Sensible Legislature is Proposed to Reduce Healthcare Costs, mainly based on Deregulation and increasing Competition
I know it would be an uphill battle, but following the events of the last three years (Obamacare passed over the objections of the majority, Obamacare challenge defeated in the Supreme Court, attempt to defund Obamacare defeated in Congress) I don't see an alternative. A quote for you:
"Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have." -- Harry Emerson Fosdick
Sunday, October 27, 2013
And If We Fail? The Future of Healthcare--Part 3
If nothing changes--if we continue down the road to a national consolidation of power--there will be many unforeseen changes to our country: God still has a plan for us, so the power-hungry won't have it all their way. But one thing I believe will happen like night following day is that within ten years or so we will have a "national" healthcare plan. Obamacare is flawed from the start–who knows–maybe that was intentional. So as soon as it is in full swing messing people up, they will cry for change. And the Statists will be there with a beautiful, simple, attractive "single payer" system of government healthcare. And we will love it.
At least the majority will love it, and that's all that matters in a democracy, right? Specifically, following the clear patterns of the Canadian and British healthcare plans, the majority of people in their 20s through 50s will be enamored of it--after a few years we won't know what we did without it. So easy! You just show your card when you go to the doctor or hospital and they take care of you. We also won't remember paying less than 50% of our income in taxes of one form or another (we're not that far away from that now) but at least we don't have to worry about paperwork or changing policies with changing jobs.
So about 75% of us will be happy with it. And who won't? Those who actually use the services to a significant extent--the old and the ill--the weakest members of society. Lest you think I'm just shooting from the hip here, I'll provide you with some hard data and some sad stories.
Currently in the U.S.A. our organ transplantation rates are TWICE those of Europe. Why is that significant? Organ transplant is something that is very expensive to do, and the person is frequently not able to return to an active, productive life but always has some limitations including being on costly medicine for the rest of her life. From a Social Darwinist viewpoint (like is prominent in atheistic Europe), it's not good for society: we can't spend a lot of our communal resources (money) on any one person, especially if that person is not able to re-enter the workforce. So we ration. Instead of calling it "socialized medicine" we should call it "rationed medicine" because that is what happens in every country that it is tried in. Organ transplants are already rationed by the nature of them, since there are only so many spare organs to go around. So to have this procedure be twice as common in the US is a solid indicator of the fact that we value human life in this country and try to preserve it at least twice as much as folks across the pond.
My friend Cheri Thiriot lived in England for 20+ years, and she's not happy to see Obamacare being rolled out (who cares about how rocky the rollout is--it's coming). She said that in Britain if you get cancer and try to get treated, you may be told "Sorry, the drug that you need is not available in this district--our quota has been used up." Rationing! Despite the propaganda-fest at the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics (I thought it was so creepy--didn't you?) Britains don't trust the NHS.
"A 2007 survey of almost 1,000 physicians by Doctors’ Magazine found that two-thirds said they had been told by their local NHS trust not to prescribe certain drugs, and one in five doctors knew patients who had suffered as a result of treatment rationing. The study cited one physician who characterized the NHS as 'a lottery.' A new study this year by GP magazine...found that 90 percent of NHS trusts were rationing care."
And Canada is no better: it is common to wait a year for a knee replacement. My brother-in-law is married to a Canadian, and when we went up to Toronto for the wedding we chatted with her grandmother . She told us that her son was diagnosed with Marfan's syndrome after his heart stopped one day and he was resuscitated. After being stabilized he was SENT HOME--there was no availability for a date with the cardiac surgeon for the next six months. So he waited, knowing each moment that his heart could stop again and next time he might not be so lucky. In the US he'd have been in the OR by the next day!
And what about here? In the US there are laws in place that mandate that people can get treatment for medical emergencies regardless of ability to pay–yes, they’ll bill you later and try to get you on Medicaid, etc. but that can’t hold up your ability to access treatment. My cousin is an anesthesiologist in a Texas hospital close to the border of Mexico. He says that every day the ER is packed with Mexicans who have crossed illegally to try to obtain medical care. So they treat them, but it is such an overwhelming problem that the treatment is often along the lines of "Oh, your arm is off? Here’s a band-aid." There are certainly no heart valve replacements (like the Canadian waited six months for) or long-term dialysis. Maybe they’ll take out an appendix, or stitch you up a bit, or give you some pills. And send you on your way. This is what rationing looks like here–insufficient funds or will to treat all the demand, so you just pretend to treat it. And that is very easy to do in medicine, since few people have a good grasp on pathophysiology, pharmacology, and all their treatment options (the internet is helping with that). More on this in Part 4 "The Creeping Culture of Euthanasia"
At least the majority will love it, and that's all that matters in a democracy, right? Specifically, following the clear patterns of the Canadian and British healthcare plans, the majority of people in their 20s through 50s will be enamored of it--after a few years we won't know what we did without it. So easy! You just show your card when you go to the doctor or hospital and they take care of you. We also won't remember paying less than 50% of our income in taxes of one form or another (we're not that far away from that now) but at least we don't have to worry about paperwork or changing policies with changing jobs.
So about 75% of us will be happy with it. And who won't? Those who actually use the services to a significant extent--the old and the ill--the weakest members of society. Lest you think I'm just shooting from the hip here, I'll provide you with some hard data and some sad stories.
Currently in the U.S.A. our organ transplantation rates are TWICE those of Europe. Why is that significant? Organ transplant is something that is very expensive to do, and the person is frequently not able to return to an active, productive life but always has some limitations including being on costly medicine for the rest of her life. From a Social Darwinist viewpoint (like is prominent in atheistic Europe), it's not good for society: we can't spend a lot of our communal resources (money) on any one person, especially if that person is not able to re-enter the workforce. So we ration. Instead of calling it "socialized medicine" we should call it "rationed medicine" because that is what happens in every country that it is tried in. Organ transplants are already rationed by the nature of them, since there are only so many spare organs to go around. So to have this procedure be twice as common in the US is a solid indicator of the fact that we value human life in this country and try to preserve it at least twice as much as folks across the pond.
My friend Cheri Thiriot lived in England for 20+ years, and she's not happy to see Obamacare being rolled out (who cares about how rocky the rollout is--it's coming). She said that in Britain if you get cancer and try to get treated, you may be told "Sorry, the drug that you need is not available in this district--our quota has been used up." Rationing! Despite the propaganda-fest at the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics (I thought it was so creepy--didn't you?) Britains don't trust the NHS.
"A 2007 survey of almost 1,000 physicians by Doctors’ Magazine found that two-thirds said they had been told by their local NHS trust not to prescribe certain drugs, and one in five doctors knew patients who had suffered as a result of treatment rationing. The study cited one physician who characterized the NHS as 'a lottery.' A new study this year by GP magazine...found that 90 percent of NHS trusts were rationing care."
And Canada is no better: it is common to wait a year for a knee replacement. My brother-in-law is married to a Canadian, and when we went up to Toronto for the wedding we chatted with her grandmother . She told us that her son was diagnosed with Marfan's syndrome after his heart stopped one day and he was resuscitated. After being stabilized he was SENT HOME--there was no availability for a date with the cardiac surgeon for the next six months. So he waited, knowing each moment that his heart could stop again and next time he might not be so lucky. In the US he'd have been in the OR by the next day!
And what about here? In the US there are laws in place that mandate that people can get treatment for medical emergencies regardless of ability to pay–yes, they’ll bill you later and try to get you on Medicaid, etc. but that can’t hold up your ability to access treatment. My cousin is an anesthesiologist in a Texas hospital close to the border of Mexico. He says that every day the ER is packed with Mexicans who have crossed illegally to try to obtain medical care. So they treat them, but it is such an overwhelming problem that the treatment is often along the lines of "Oh, your arm is off? Here’s a band-aid." There are certainly no heart valve replacements (like the Canadian waited six months for) or long-term dialysis. Maybe they’ll take out an appendix, or stitch you up a bit, or give you some pills. And send you on your way. This is what rationing looks like here–insufficient funds or will to treat all the demand, so you just pretend to treat it. And that is very easy to do in medicine, since few people have a good grasp on pathophysiology, pharmacology, and all their treatment options (the internet is helping with that). More on this in Part 4 "The Creeping Culture of Euthanasia"
Saturday, October 26, 2013
100 Years of the 17th Amendment--is ENOUGH!--Part 2
The Progressive Era gave us, in 1913, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, which calls for the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people of each state. No big deal right? More democracy is a good thing, right? But this single piece of legislature has altered the political landscape so much that after 100 years the Founders wouldn't recognize this as the system they set up, and Obamacare has put the nails in the coffin of the Constitution.
At the Constitutional Convention there was lots of debate regarding how the bodies of Congress were going to be chosen. The Virginia Plan, created by James Madison, called for a large "first" House directly elected by the people, and a smaller "second" house (Senate) elected by the first. The governor of Virginia, Edmund Randolph stated that the second house "ought to be much smaller than that of the first; so small as to be exempt from the passionate proceedings to which numerous assemblies are liable...(secure from) the turbulence and follies of democracy." These men knew that if democracy (the House) were to have no balanced counterpart in the Senate, the various states would gradually lose power to an encroaching national entity. In truth, we no longer have a "federal government" in which the states have significant power, but a national one, and that was exactly what the delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention feared.
But why does that matter today? Surely it's OK if each state has the same laws--better even, since it makes it easier to move around and do business in the USA? What has happened since 1913 is that the Senators have become, not agents and representatives of their states, but representatives of their political party. So any special interest need only woo (read $$$) one party, and they have the vote of not only all the Congressmen of that party but all the Senators. THIS was how we got Obamacare and many many other destructive programs. A Senate elected by their own state legislatures, as the original Constitution had set forth, would be much harder to sway to a position that would centralize power in Washington.
Back to the point about democracy: Bryan Caplan, Paul's Econ professor at GMU, wrote a book called The Myth of the Rational Voter (video of him discussing it here), which dismantles the idea that democracies choose good policies. In fact, democracies always tend toward socialism--this has been known for a long time. And socialism comes armed with a flood of busybodies telling you how to live your life. And these are not just suggestions, being backed up by the police power of the State. Thus, Statists love democracy.
The hand-wringing surrounding the potential repeal of the 17th Amendment goes like this: "The Tea Party wants to strip from voters the power to elect their own Senators!" Actually, each person has a much greater chance of influencing an election in their own district as they choose state legislators. If you elect legislators that are in line with your own views of the proper role of government, then they can represent you as the debates surrounding the choice of Senators are on the table. And those Senators would really listen to their state constituency, instead of just voting along party lines.
Why does this matter? If we don't repeal Obamacare quickly the pain of extraction will be that much greater. More on that in Part 3--the only part I have any real specialized knowledge in because of my 20 years as a Critical Care nurse--why socialized medicine is a disaster in every country it is tried in.
At the Constitutional Convention there was lots of debate regarding how the bodies of Congress were going to be chosen. The Virginia Plan, created by James Madison, called for a large "first" House directly elected by the people, and a smaller "second" house (Senate) elected by the first. The governor of Virginia, Edmund Randolph stated that the second house "ought to be much smaller than that of the first; so small as to be exempt from the passionate proceedings to which numerous assemblies are liable...(secure from) the turbulence and follies of democracy." These men knew that if democracy (the House) were to have no balanced counterpart in the Senate, the various states would gradually lose power to an encroaching national entity. In truth, we no longer have a "federal government" in which the states have significant power, but a national one, and that was exactly what the delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention feared.
But why does that matter today? Surely it's OK if each state has the same laws--better even, since it makes it easier to move around and do business in the USA? What has happened since 1913 is that the Senators have become, not agents and representatives of their states, but representatives of their political party. So any special interest need only woo (read $$$) one party, and they have the vote of not only all the Congressmen of that party but all the Senators. THIS was how we got Obamacare and many many other destructive programs. A Senate elected by their own state legislatures, as the original Constitution had set forth, would be much harder to sway to a position that would centralize power in Washington.
Back to the point about democracy: Bryan Caplan, Paul's Econ professor at GMU, wrote a book called The Myth of the Rational Voter (video of him discussing it here), which dismantles the idea that democracies choose good policies. In fact, democracies always tend toward socialism--this has been known for a long time. And socialism comes armed with a flood of busybodies telling you how to live your life. And these are not just suggestions, being backed up by the police power of the State. Thus, Statists love democracy.
The hand-wringing surrounding the potential repeal of the 17th Amendment goes like this: "The Tea Party wants to strip from voters the power to elect their own Senators!" Actually, each person has a much greater chance of influencing an election in their own district as they choose state legislators. If you elect legislators that are in line with your own views of the proper role of government, then they can represent you as the debates surrounding the choice of Senators are on the table. And those Senators would really listen to their state constituency, instead of just voting along party lines.
Why does this matter? If we don't repeal Obamacare quickly the pain of extraction will be that much greater. More on that in Part 3--the only part I have any real specialized knowledge in because of my 20 years as a Critical Care nurse--why socialized medicine is a disaster in every country it is tried in.
Why Virginians Must Elect Ken Cuccinelli--Part 1
The Virginia gubernatorial election is a week and a half away, and the liberal media is telling us that it's all over for Ken--the polls show him down 7 to 10 points. His campaign has been outspent 2 to 1 by Terry McAuliffe; no surprise there, since $ has been McAuliffe's strong suit for years as a political fundraiser and DNC chairman under Bill Clinton.
This cannot happen. We cannot elect Clinton's lapdog who has been involved in all kinds of shadiness over the years. Ken Cuccinelli has been a principled leader as a State Senator and Attorney General, fighting for things I and other Mormons believe in: life, family and freedom.
I have been gloomy for a while now about the future of this country, as the federal government continues to ingest larger and larger chunks of American property (command and control of land, money, and everything down to what light bulbs you can use), American jobs, and American decision-making. Obamacare represents a take-over of 1/5th of the American economy, and that's not the worst of it (see Part 3 on the future of healthcare--coming soon).
But there is still a "chance and hope of escaping (that) fate" (Dickens' Christmas Carol): the federal government can be rolled back if we get enough freedom-loving leaders in positions of power at the state level. I have been reading the new book by Mark Levin (I hate his personal attacks, but I love his political wisdom) The Liberty Amendments. In it he calls for a Constitutional Convention following Article 5 of the Constitution: "...on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution." The book addresses the history of the Constitution--why the various parts were put into place and how they have been mangled in the interim. It also discusses the history of the efforts to amend the Constitution through various means. This would be an uphill battle, but now is the time to engage in it--so many people are angry about Obamacare that there is some momentum that way. And Ken is just the man to take it on--he's the first of several state Attorneys General who sued the federal government over the individual mandate to buy health insurance--and were told by a Supreme Court (stacked immorally by Obama with Obamacare-involved Elena Kagan) that the states were essentially just arms of the federal government now. Which we'll get to next in "100 Years of the 17th Amendment."
This cannot happen. We cannot elect Clinton's lapdog who has been involved in all kinds of shadiness over the years. Ken Cuccinelli has been a principled leader as a State Senator and Attorney General, fighting for things I and other Mormons believe in: life, family and freedom.
I have been gloomy for a while now about the future of this country, as the federal government continues to ingest larger and larger chunks of American property (command and control of land, money, and everything down to what light bulbs you can use), American jobs, and American decision-making. Obamacare represents a take-over of 1/5th of the American economy, and that's not the worst of it (see Part 3 on the future of healthcare--coming soon).
But there is still a "chance and hope of escaping (that) fate" (Dickens' Christmas Carol): the federal government can be rolled back if we get enough freedom-loving leaders in positions of power at the state level. I have been reading the new book by Mark Levin (I hate his personal attacks, but I love his political wisdom) The Liberty Amendments. In it he calls for a Constitutional Convention following Article 5 of the Constitution: "...on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution." The book addresses the history of the Constitution--why the various parts were put into place and how they have been mangled in the interim. It also discusses the history of the efforts to amend the Constitution through various means. This would be an uphill battle, but now is the time to engage in it--so many people are angry about Obamacare that there is some momentum that way. And Ken is just the man to take it on--he's the first of several state Attorneys General who sued the federal government over the individual mandate to buy health insurance--and were told by a Supreme Court (stacked immorally by Obama with Obamacare-involved Elena Kagan) that the states were essentially just arms of the federal government now. Which we'll get to next in "100 Years of the 17th Amendment."
Resurrection!
This blog was created when I was the Relief Society President of the Gainesville ward, and we had an ongoing book club that focused on reading books on history, politics, and economics. I "needed" a place to write some observations and thoughts about the current state of the country, so this works.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
"I'm 63 and I’m Tired" by Robert A. Hall
Robert A. Hall is the actor who plays the coroner on CSI if you watch that show.
I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.
I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought Mc Mansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.
I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela.
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.
I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.
I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.
I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America , while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.
I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military..... Those are the citizens we need.
I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.
I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois, where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.
I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.
Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.
Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.
I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.
I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.
I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought Mc Mansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.
I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela.
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.
I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.
I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.
I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America , while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.
I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military..... Those are the citizens we need.
I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims, who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon, or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq, or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia, because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.
I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois, where the "Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet.
I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.
I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.
Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.
Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
September Book Club Meeting - The Real Benjamin Franklin
We will be meeting Friday, September 24th at 1:00 at 13104 Big Leaf Maple Ct. GV.
And for your reading enjoyment...
A new, updated, Dr. Seuss book:
I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks,
or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker, Nan,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN.'
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.
I do not like your smug replies,
when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!
Author Unknown
And for your reading enjoyment...
A new, updated, Dr. Seuss book:
I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks,
or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker, Nan,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN.'
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.
I do not like your smug replies,
when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!
Author Unknown
Sunday, April 25, 2010
This is refreshing
BRUCE R. McCONKIE
"It is our firm conviction as a people that the stars and stripes will be waving triumphantly in the breeze, as a symbol of the greatness and stability of the United States of America, when the Lord comes. This nation was established to be the Lord's base of operations in this final gospel dispensation. From it the gospel is to go to every other nation and people. The greater its influence among the nations of the world, the more rapidly the gospel spreads. But the Lord has told us that all nations, the United States included, shall cease to be when he comes" (The Millennial Messiah, 491).
EZRA TAFT BENSON
"We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith when he said: 'Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction" (Church Historian's Office, Salt Lake City, July 19, 1840) (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 623 - 624).
JOSEPH SMITH
Words of James Burgess: "In the month of May 1843, several miles east of Nauvoo, the Nauvoo Legion was on parade and review, at the close of which Joseph Smith made some remarks upon our condition as a people and upon our future prospects, contrasting our present condition with our past trials and persecutions by the hands of our enemies; also upon the Constitution and government of the United States, stating that the time would come when the Constitution and government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands, but this people, the Latter-day Saints, will step forth and save it. . . .I, James Burgess, was present and testify to the above" (The Words of Joseph Smith, 279).
EZRA TAFT BENSON
"The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang, as it were, by a thread, and at that time 'this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction' (Journal of Discourses, 7:15). It is my conviction that the elders of Israel, widely spread over the nation, will at that crucial time successfully rally the righteous of our country and provide the necessary balance of strength to save the institutions of constitutional government" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 618-619)
HAROLD B. LEE
On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 11:49 AM, Daniel Kelly Ogden wrote:
There are some extraordinary and very timely thoughts from President Harold B. Lee (speaking in October 1973) circulating on the Internet. I looked into the quotation carefully and have confirmed that the words below are accurate; at the end I list the sources. Latter-day Saints and all Americans need this right now. (Someone might even want to forward this to Glenn Beck; he needs to see it!)
President Lee:
Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail.
This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the New Jerusalem. . . . This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple.
We are living in a time of great crisis. The Country is torn with scandal and with criticism, with faultfinding and condemnation. There are those who have downgraded the image of this nation as probably never before in the history of the country.
I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. . . . It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through.
We must be on the optimistic side. This is a great nation; this is a great country; this is the most favored of all lands. While it is true that there are dangers and difficulties that lie ahead of us, we must not assume that we are going to stand by and watch the country go to ruin. We should not be heard to predict ills and calamities for the nation. On the contrary, we should be providing optimistic support for the nation.
You must remember . . . that this church is one of the most powerful agencies for the progress of the world, and we should . . . all sound with one voice. We must tell the world how we feel about this land and this nation and should bear our testimonies about the great mission and destiny that it has.
If we do this, we will help turn the tide of this great country and lessen the influence of the pessimists. We must be careful that we do not say or do anything that will further weaken the country. It is the negative, pessimistic comments about the nation that do as much harm as anything to the country today. We who carry these sacred responsibilities must preach the gospel of peace, and peace can only come by overcoming the things of the world. Now, we must be the dynamic force that will help turn the tide of fear and pessimism.
(Excerpts from a talk given at Ricks College Devotional Assembly, "Have Faith in America," October 26, 1973, and printed in two sources:Ye Are the Light of the World: Selected Sermons and Writings of Harold B. Lee, 340, 350-351, and The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams, 365-366.)
"It is our firm conviction as a people that the stars and stripes will be waving triumphantly in the breeze, as a symbol of the greatness and stability of the United States of America, when the Lord comes. This nation was established to be the Lord's base of operations in this final gospel dispensation. From it the gospel is to go to every other nation and people. The greater its influence among the nations of the world, the more rapidly the gospel spreads. But the Lord has told us that all nations, the United States included, shall cease to be when he comes" (The Millennial Messiah, 491).
EZRA TAFT BENSON
"We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith when he said: 'Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction" (Church Historian's Office, Salt Lake City, July 19, 1840) (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 623 - 624).
JOSEPH SMITH
Words of James Burgess: "In the month of May 1843, several miles east of Nauvoo, the Nauvoo Legion was on parade and review, at the close of which Joseph Smith made some remarks upon our condition as a people and upon our future prospects, contrasting our present condition with our past trials and persecutions by the hands of our enemies; also upon the Constitution and government of the United States, stating that the time would come when the Constitution and government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands, but this people, the Latter-day Saints, will step forth and save it. . . .I, James Burgess, was present and testify to the above" (The Words of Joseph Smith, 279).
EZRA TAFT BENSON
"The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang, as it were, by a thread, and at that time 'this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction' (Journal of Discourses, 7:15). It is my conviction that the elders of Israel, widely spread over the nation, will at that crucial time successfully rally the righteous of our country and provide the necessary balance of strength to save the institutions of constitutional government" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 618-619)
HAROLD B. LEE
On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 11:49 AM, Daniel Kelly Ogden
There are some extraordinary and very timely thoughts from President Harold B. Lee (speaking in October 1973) circulating on the Internet. I looked into the quotation carefully and have confirmed that the words below are accurate; at the end I list the sources. Latter-day Saints and all Americans need this right now. (Someone might even want to forward this to Glenn Beck; he needs to see it!)
President Lee:
Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail.
This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the New Jerusalem. . . . This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple.
We are living in a time of great crisis. The Country is torn with scandal and with criticism, with faultfinding and condemnation. There are those who have downgraded the image of this nation as probably never before in the history of the country.
I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. . . . It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through.
We must be on the optimistic side. This is a great nation; this is a great country; this is the most favored of all lands. While it is true that there are dangers and difficulties that lie ahead of us, we must not assume that we are going to stand by and watch the country go to ruin. We should not be heard to predict ills and calamities for the nation. On the contrary, we should be providing optimistic support for the nation.
You must remember . . . that this church is one of the most powerful agencies for the progress of the world, and we should . . . all sound with one voice. We must tell the world how we feel about this land and this nation and should bear our testimonies about the great mission and destiny that it has.
If we do this, we will help turn the tide of this great country and lessen the influence of the pessimists. We must be careful that we do not say or do anything that will further weaken the country. It is the negative, pessimistic comments about the nation that do as much harm as anything to the country today. We who carry these sacred responsibilities must preach the gospel of peace, and peace can only come by overcoming the things of the world. Now, we must be the dynamic force that will help turn the tide of fear and pessimism.
(Excerpts from a talk given at Ricks College Devotional Assembly, "Have Faith in America," October 26, 1973, and printed in two sources:Ye Are the Light of the World: Selected Sermons and Writings of Harold B. Lee, 340, 350-351, and The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams, 365-366.)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Next book
Discussing The Forsaken was very interesting -- thanks for your insights ladies! Jen Wall served a mission in Estonia in 1993, two years after the "Velvet Revolution" set them free from Russia. She remembers how when she first got there, the stores had just a few things in them, and were sometimes empty -- the people had plenty of (worthless) money, but nothing to buy with it. As her mission went on there was more and more food in the stores, with more selections. The prices were high, since it was all imported, but the young people were ecstatic -- though they had never seen bananas before and didn't know how to eat them. The “Five Year Plans” were supposed to end hunger and give everyone a job and health care, but food (and all other consumer goods) shortages, and the lines they produced, lasted the entire seventy year history of the Soviet Union.
That is just one tiny anecdote I thought I'd pass on that shines a light on the central problem of socialism -- basically, if you rely on the government to take care of you, it may, or may not, take care of you. Or it may keep you alive, but your living conditions are so poor (like in the Gulags) that you wish you were dead. Why would a bureaucrat care if you have good food and decent clothes. "We're trying to beat the Americans in the space race! We can't afford bananas for you!"
I'm writing an article on "socialization" for the LDS Eastern Home Educators conference (I promise this isn't a crazy tangent, but a link between our last book and our next book), and I just opened the book Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms by the noted educational historian Diane Ravitch, and read, in the chapter "On the Social Frontier" the following:
"It was odd that the Russian Revolution inspired (American) educators to want to build a new social order through the schools, because the schools in Russia had not created the Russian Revolution; nor did any of the progressive educators wonder how their own social ideals had been forged, since all of them were the products of subject-centered traditional education. Nonetheless, they shared the faith that progressive education would lead the way in building a new, collectivist social order. In the 1930s, few in the education profession questioned whether they should engage in the political education of their charges. Any educator who said his goal was to teach young people to master academic subjects risked being seen as a reactionary." (p.220) This fabulous book details the century-long fight between parents/local schools and the educational elite over whether the schools should be emphasizing academics to develop well-educated youth, or, as the elite wanted, teaching only job skills and "socialization" along with heavy indoctrination in the gospel of socialism.
We're NOT going to be reading this book (not now anyway), but here's the tie-in: the educrats who run the schools get to choose the values that our society will live by in twenty years, and right now, having mostly got their way in preaching socialism and denigrating western civilization, they are attacking capitalism through another route -- environmentalism. Both Lisa and Natalie said that they are actively involved in "un-indoctrinating" their kids from what they learn at school, and much of that has to do with "Saving the Planet" and "Going Green." Brother Nanto told me that little Paul is afraid of the dark and had been sleeping with a night light on, but lately had been insisting that they turn it off, since it was going to cause "global warming." SO SAD!
So (at last I get to it) the book that we are going to read next, in order to get lots of ammunition to fight the "watermelons" (green on the outside, red on the inside), is called The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism, by Christopher Horner. He is an old co-worker of my husband's from the days when he worked at the Competetive Enterprise Institute, and is a really sharp, hilarious guy -- I've met him. Here's a couple of interviews with him.
There are 18 copies of the book in the Fairfax system, two in the PWC system (but one is lost and the other checked out.) I have two copies that I have lent out already, but when I get them back, I can pass them on.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Next up -- what?
Please vote on a book (or group of documents) to read over the next month or so. You can check out the links below to see what they are like, and may vote for more than one. I'll send out the winner in a week.
Jeni
Jeni
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