End of a Decade an Year end Thoughts

Gather the Horses by Charlie Mars

So here it has come December 31, 2009 and we have seen probably one of the most drastic almost revolutionary decades in this country's history. The pendulum has swung to both ends though in my humble opinion no where near as extremely left as it has to the right, but then according to the wingnuts I am an extremist communistic, socialistic fascist liberal trying to soialize this great country. Uhm ok maybe they are right in part. However unlike their uneducated or just plain lazy mouth pieces (aka Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, etc) I have taken the time over and over again to read both the Declaration of Independance and Constitution. I have taken the time to read the personal letters and speeches our Founding Father's left us and so when I say they would be greatly disappointed in us a the governing population and ready to hang, for political treason those who pertend to lead us.

First of all it is a reflection of you and me the people of this ountry who sit's in our governing bodies be it the local city council all the way up to the White House. Don't lik your official then go to work to get a new and better one elected. So it goes without saying change or more governmental responsiveness comes from us not large campaign donors. Yeah guys you might want to look past those great TV sound bytes and slogans and verify if what your candidate says now matches what he/she has stood for and supported in the past. Once in remind them as often as necessary that yes Bank of America, Verizon, Comcast etc have deep pockets for nice campaign war chest building, but it is your fingers not theirs that do the walking and talking inside the voting booths.

Do not let organizations spoon feed you information about what is going on, you will only hear their slant and side and the truth often lies in between. Take for example the recent health reforms undertaken by Congress. We heard all sorts alarmist accusations by opponents of the reform, often those opponents like Dick Army's Freedom Works organization were funded by the health insurance industry like "death panals for granny", or government take over of your health insurance and socialistic medicine. All that seems to have died down now that the health insurance lobby got what they wanted. Talk about a specialized socialistic medical plan hows this? Mandated rules telling us we MUST buy health insurance policies from companies already making money hand over fist while not covering customers for what they paid for. Yes that proviso is ending but what is not ending is the accepted practice of these insurance giants being able to harge us whatever they want to with no regulations, they are still exempt from anti trust laws and there is NO public opton to maybe offer competition to bring down prices for us the consumer. I have heard analyst predict that health insurance costs will rise to 17-25% of your family's earnings on of before 2017, and insurance companies openly say they are raising prices on premiums because of this legislation. What they fail to mention is they will be getting a low cost customer base (younger healthier folks who usually don't but insurance now, will be forced to or fined). They don't talk about the fact that yes they can no longer turn you away for a pre-existing condition but they can charge you higher rates that those who may be disabled due to these conditions can't afford so they will get a tax payer funded subsidy to help them buy an insurance plan (hey if a hospital does something like that isn't it called double billing?). Socialized medicine? Hell this sounds more like facist medicine to me, you have no choice? Of course the unremarked upon little consequence of all this is there is no cap on insurance ompanies who can continue to raise premium prices and eventually we will be giving all our incomes to the insurance giants who run this country.

Then there are the political shinnanigans we all seem to accept as part of the political process, but something we all should be appauled over, not to mention what passes for so called journalism these days. Yesterday Dickless Cheney got on his computer and typed up a piece of crap about the Obama's lak of understanding about the war on terror and inability to handle it. He sent it off to Politico which automatically published it and all of a sudden it was news. The problem is the opinion piece was so factually inaccurate (and I am no longer Obama's biggest fan either) it was laughable and should have read, "The Demented Ravings of an Angry Old Man". Will Politico take this opinion piece and print it if I send it to them? Hell no I have easily verifiable facts in this opinion piece what fun are those? Yet it was only yesterday it seems Cheney and the whole Bush crowd were condeming folks for saying less pointed things about the Bush Administration and in some cases calling for the the censureship of such critics. Realax though Dickie I didn't support it then I don't support ensureship now either though I am dropping Politico from my must read list.

Finally hats off to Arianna Huffington and the Huffington Post. I read their New Year's Resolution piece this morning and it kinda of inspired this article. Yes people there is a way to affect change in this country and this piece offers a good way to provide a bit of payback out there for all of us (this includes the Tea Baggers). Take your money out of the big banks like Citi, Chase, and BOA and put it in your community banks. Those are the banks that need the help and in return will help you. They didn't engage in the risky hedge fund trading designed to decieve investors that led to the financial melt down, they gave loans to the pzza shop down the street from you where you get real New York or Chcago pizza. They gave it to the locally owned cleaners and Carpet Stores that serve your community. They are the banks you an walk into and are greeted by name because they recognize you are their neighbor. Huffington Post is launching a web campaign called moveyourmoney and you can find out more by clicking the link to their site. Lefties and righties can unite and take back this country by banding togather and effecting change here's a small step but with enough acting on this we an make a huge impact on the scene in a less violent fashion then pitchforks and torches (although I still think that isn't a bad idea). I am including their film based on the movie It's a Wonderful Life for you enjoyment too, along with a song from Charlie Mars that encourages one to "ride on forward no matter what others say"

Happy new years to one and all and especially to those who have dropped by to read my opinions every once and a while. Will try to do more in the upcoming year.


Once Upon A Time In America

Do You Have Clue?

STOP THE PRESSES! Congress is holding a rare pre-holiday weekend session to debate I guess more thoughtfully health reform. Yeah, and I am actually Superman. This rare weekend session was in response to Republican complaints that the Democrats were not allowing enough time to give full consideration to this massive legislation. A political game move to counter another political game move and so it goes on and what is gained? Nothing. What is lost? Possibly everything as selfish Senators look out for their pockets (aka campaign war chests) rather then doing their jobs which is to look out for us the American people.

Remember my cynical observation in the second sentence of this piece? Here is the thoughtful considerations we have seen so far. Death panels rather then end of life care. Socialized medicine, or worse government take over of medical care. The list goes on. Lost in all the the hyperbole is the fact many Americans go without care often with fatal consequences and some child loses a parent, sibling or the parent loses a child or spouse. That's what this is about. People who through the advances in medicine are able to lead quality productive lives, that is until they lose their job or they health insurance becomes too expensive to pay, or God forbid they need that insurance finally after leading a healthy life but somehow contracts cancer or some other serious disease and all of the sudden the insurance company who was enjoying the monthly check it got from that person now has to write a check for that person. Can't have that so that individual gets dropped from the insurance plan, or their job decides they must get rid of the employee because they are costing the company more money. Oh yes kiddies that happens too. You know those yearly changes in coverage you have to sign up for in November? They are audits. Don't think your financial manager doesn't know when you are using the companies insurance plan? Think again.

I used to think that until I found out differently. My wife is a Comptroller for a large contract company. She worries all the time for her employment security because she gets monthly reports on the expenses to the company each employee costs. What that includes the expenses you are causing by using your health insurance plan. I am expensive, almost 22 years ago I had a multi organ transplant, my medications are not cheap. Those anti rejection drugs have been the same for these past twenty two years but their price continues to skyrocket. Why? There has been no research and development costs, well I guess the share holders and CEO's want bigger dividends and bonuses. So my wife turns in her reports and lives in fear that one day the CFO of the company will decide to cut costs and she will be laid off because of me.

Remember that these game playing Senators are supposed to be looking after you and me. They passed this wonderful law called the Health Insurance Portability Act known as HIPPA. Under that law my medical expenses, treatment costs are supposed to be confidential. The law is very clear on that. Except the poor health insurance companies are supposed to contain costs and have to let folks know when those costs are rising so guess what? Through a back door they let your employer know YOU are the reason your premium costs are going up. Compassion, oh that no longer is a concern in health financing. Profits are though. Don't believe me? Look at what Aetna is doing. They are raising product price and forcing out 650,000 plan holders to further increase profits. Yet there are still idiots out there who claim there is nothing wrong with the system we have and will cry and complain about those who want "socialized medicine". They are lazy as one previous reader wrote me and don't want to earn their way. Well when I am hospitalized with pneumonia because I couldn't afford to see a doctor because I didn't have health insurance and the seasonal influenza I picked up from you while riding the metro into my temp job which offers no health insurance got worse who picks up the bill? You do, so you misinformed Faux Noisers, we already have socialized medicine.

The insurance industry is a big part of the problem in this country, but there is plenty of blame to go around. Take for instance the tests performed by hospitals, medical labs etc. Do you realize that only in the medical field you buy a piece of testing equipment and as the years pass you charge more for the privilege of using that piece of equipment? How many MRI's over the years does the average machine perform? I don't know but I know probably next year the price will increase although the machine has already paid for itself that first year. If not you should make the difference up by giving me a few extra Tylenol at $7.50 a pill.

There is a reason we are in trouble here folks. Politicians as a rule often cannot debate an issue on it's merits. How do you debate whether a person deserves health care based on their socio economic class? All you conservatives who so fear terminology tossed about like "socialism" without looking at how the terms are misused and distorted. So many conservatives tell me they are "God fearing church going moral people". Ok while you were in church did you pay attention to any of those lessons where Jesus lectured and preached about our moral responsibility to care for the poor, sick and injured? Or did you you have one of those preachers who ranted about how you would burn in Hell should you not go out and threaten your Congressman and Senator with unemployment should they not vote the way the Church thought they should. I know somewhere I read that in this country that was not supposed to be....lemme see ....oh yeah interesting document called the Constitution.

The fact that our representatives cannot debate health reform based upon it's merits and feels it necessary to oppose something through the use of cheap parliamentary tricks, lies, distortions or simply based on the fact they belong to another party should be raising red flags every where. perhaps they oppose it simply because they have been to corrupted by the campaign dollars spent by the health insurance lobby considering 56% of the voters from his state support the public option. But hey, what do the voters know Aetna opposes it. Recently both parties griped and complained about the corruption running rampant in the Afghan government. The corrupting that runs so openly here makes many third world countries seem like church alter boys.

So my question to you is do you truly have a clue as to what the debate is truly about? You betcha nothing out side of continuing pain and suffering for many Americans while a few corporate slobs and Senators can line their pockets. Torches and pitchforks are available here in a mail order two for one special, one week only so hurry while supplies last.

Some Reasdonable and Intelligent Questions and Observations

Well the beginning of the end occurred last night in the Senate when the Senate in a 60 to 39 vote completly along partisan lines allowed the health care bill to come to floor for debate. Blanch Lincoln (D-Arkansas) and Mary Landrieu (D-La) tossed in their support for the debate giving the Democrats the 60 votes they needed to bring the bill to the floor and override the threatened Republican filibuster. The farce that this vote and the manner it came about should be something that brings all the peasants (you and me folks) out to the streets with our pitchforks and torches with tar and feathers added.

Landrieu proudly announced her vote had been given after Harry Reid (D-Nev) Senate Majority Leader basically bought her vote for a figure of between 100 to 300 million dollars for her state. This is the same Senator who proclaims herself a fiscal conservative and expresses concerns about the bill because of the so called expense to the tax payers (aka peasants). Blanch Lincoln who gave her support because Reid gave in to a seventy two hour period study the bill. Senator Lincoln you were reasonable here and I salute you, however your direct opposition to a public option and threats to vote against the bill if it is not stripped from the final bill puts you at the top of my list.....almost....to get the first dose of tar and feathers. Ben Nelson (D-Neb) though is on the top of my list winning his bought and paid for concession of getting the anti trust provision for insurance companies stripped from the bill. He also claims to be "worried about the cost for today's and tomorrows peasants. Senator, if that is so true then why did you just enable the insurance companies to continue to mug and rob me? Yes, you are an accessory to this crime because one of the provisions in this bill basically forces me and mine to have to buy insurance from these companies who can charge me whatever they like, while guaranteeing I will be unable to find a best bargain like K-Mart vs WalMart?

Then there are the Republicans. Biggest group of fascists I have ever seen. They are all lock goose stepping to the tune that we will oppose and forbid this from ever going through the democratic process of a vote in any manner possible simply because it's a democratic purpose. If that is your only justification for opposing it you have forgotten in your little egocentric self inflated world this is not about you, but a decision for and about us, the American people (aka peasants). Your feudalistic view of both the voter and the democratic process makes you ignorant of the system of government you supposedly support at best, or are against completely therefore making you traitors to this country at worst. Your oath of office was to the laws and Constitution of this country not your party. All the practices and procedures you claim the Democrats are using to keep you out of this you had no problems using when you had a majority to say, pass huge tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans leaving the majority of us with nothing but bigger bills. Or was it the way you rammed a war on two fronts down out throats when that is the first lesson any officer learns in their training. You never fight a war on two fronts. Then there was the rush and false scares you used to get the Patriot Act and the Protect America Act through during the middle of the night. The only protection America needed was protection from you and the democratic chicken hearts who supported this.

Finally though there are the peasants (you and me folks). Those who have allowed a good system that was an example to the world of our true great spirit to allow our government to degrade in a system so mired in corruption, influence peddling and sheer incompetence that I can no longer distinguish our governmental processes from the corrupt government processes of a third world nation. In fact I will go so far as to say most at least of the third world has learned to hide it's hypocrisy better then we have. I don't care whether you are for or against this bill or others like it. You are wrong to oppose it in my view but to allow your political representatives to pull your chains any way they wish with open unconcealed lies. We allow this! I ask you, what would happen if you were a small business owner who had an employee who lied, ran up your expenses, and flat out sponged off of your company demanding all the benefits for themselves rather then allowing the company to flourish? You'd fire their butts and I would be willing to bet, and they would never get a good employment recommendation from you would they? Yet you tolerate this from your elected representatives and continue every two to six years renew their employment contract (re-elect the lying bastards).

We cannot flourish or rise above our situation as long as we allow those whom we employ to play games with our futures and well being. Big insurance, pharmaceuticals and banks may donate millions through their lobbying firms or even directly. Yet it is yours and my vote that allows then to have their "socialistic medical" coverage they seek to deny us, or allow banks to get away with bringing you and me to financial ruin by betting on bogus scams that even confused them, the big financial insiders who claim to know it all. We allow those industry people to have the access to OUR representatives that we deny us. They are allowed to express how a bill should be written or to write it so it favors a few shareholders and CEO's. In so doing this we give people who are only interested in enriching themselves the chance to walk all over us and to devalue us even more then we devalue ourselves. We allow our jobs to be exported. The promise of a career made of hard work to become just a temp position, so valued because of it's scarcity that we give up our vacation time, evenings with our families, and health to fail. Don't believe an aristocracy exists in this country and there are no such things as feudalistic lords and peasant workers? Open up you your eyes and ears while unplugging your noses so that you can see, hear, and smell the overwhelming stink you live in. After you have done this tell me why some asshole stock broker deserves a million dollar bonus over the fireman who saved your child's life at risk of his own, the policeman who takes a bullet from a criminal while protecting you, or the nurse in the hospital ER who not only ensured your comfort when you were in such terrible pain from a common illness while correcting a medical dosing error made by some MD who is working a second job because the insurance companies who charge you more each year while giving you less coverage and the doctors less reimbursement while holding the extra dollars so their profits are now higher then the oil companies profits when gasoline was over four dollars a gallon.

Think things have changed over the past few centuries? I will quote the late John Lennon here. "You are still fucking peasants as far as I can see."

It's Been A While but the Blood Pressure Still Skyrockets

I looked at the date on my last posting and realized that it has been a while for me here. I wondered why because the political events occurring today are a passion for me, but alas somehow the discussion of these events and the revealing of the lies and distortions had lost their glamor. It for me became mundane and very routine, and despite all the "talk" of change and reform, in the end that was all it was, talk. Then over the summer some of what I had been writing about hit home and became personal. I lost my job and for the past four and a half months have been looking for another, without success and I am a Registered Nurse so yes the job market is not pretty folks. I had to quit reading many of the in depth stories about how things were shaping up in our so called "recovery" because for me the recovery was far off. As I looked further into our twisted value system I realized just how sick we as a nation had become.

Oh another whiner you say? Maybe, but rate this for me. A stockbroker who helped in their own small way destroy the financial well being of say 20 of his clients and 20 pension fund investments by either or in combination goes home with a "retention bonus of one million dollars, 3 million shy of what he made last year, but a bonus for basically failing in his job taking undo risks with his client's assets while through the course of the previous year making multiple trades so he could pad his pay check for the so called "work" he had done. Me on the other hand what did I do? Was it something simple and meaningless that I spotted an anomaly in a patent's physical assessment and brought it to the attention of the physician and patient so care could be addressed saving that patient and their loved one's further pain AND expenses down the road where the condition might have blossomed into something more insidious, high priced both financially (yeah in so doing this I not only saved the family of the patient money but Aetna or Wellpoint or TriCare a huge sum), and in quality or quantity of life. During this past year how many folks did I alert about possible needed changes in medications for diabetes or blood pressure and get them into a physician where this could be completely evaluated. How about that woman who came in with a reactive asthma attack for whom I got immediately on an albuterol nebulizor treatment thus saving her life? I am still looking for my bonus for acting competently, yet Mr. Goldman Sach's is getting millions for helping to put me and many others out of work, without health insurance while their CEO tells insurance industry executives that health reform should not pass, and takes home millions in bonuses for screwing up every one's lives. Something is off here don't you think?

Then there are our supposed representatives in Congress who are there to represent US the voters when it comes to health reform, and industry regulation but somehow believe that the interests of Aetna out weigh the interests of those who elected him to the Senate and has guaranteed to sink health reform. Mr. Lieberman, can you show me where there was a Mr. Aetna that voted for you this last election? Even if you could, that is one vote while polls show at least 57% of your voters want health reform now! Thought in a democracy the majority ruled? Apparently not in the land of the U.S. Senate where it now takes 60 votes to pass a bill rather then the old majority of 51 votes. Oh yeah wasn't it a Connecticut court a few years back that ruled corporations were human entities in the eyes of the law and their interests out weighed the interests of real people and gave the city legal rights to act on behalf of the corporation's interest and take property away from citizens so a shopping center and business center could be built on their property. Forget those people had lived their, paid taxes contributed to the richness of the human experience. The "corporation" could not be denied. This ruling was upheld in the Supreme Court much to the "dismay" of lawmakers who were going to act right away to ensure this never happened again. Problem is that basic legal fundamental is already forbidden in our Constitution. Guess those judges slept through that part of Law 101. Oh yeah and that Congressional outrage and swift immediate action, where is it now? What ever happened? Especially since as of today their is no further protection as so promised by these stalwart defenders of our rights that work by the way for us, not Goldman Sachs, Phizer or WellPoint Insurance Corporations.

Hey folks here is another wonderful problem I noticed too. Seems that little bit about the separation of church and state no longer exists either. You know churches are supposed to look after our spiritual well being and help us live as moral human beings, while staying out of the Legislative process. In return the State agrees to stay out of the religious business and not grant special privileges to one religious faith over the other, say like what happens in Saudi Arabia or Iraq. Also because the Church doesn't participate in governmental process we don't ask them to pay taxes. Seems fair right? Then someone please tell me what happens when one side violates that agreement like this last year when the Church of Later Day Saints bankrolled an amendment to the State of California's Constitution banning gay marriages? Sounds like the Church has decided it would enter into politics and governmental affairs to me. Or how about more recently when the Catholic Bishops got several lawmakers most notably this idiot Congressman whose name tells you how bright he is, Stupek (sounds like stupid to me) to attach an amendment to the health reform bill further restricting a woman's right to choose? Hey Bishops in case you haven't heard the Supreme Court already dealt with that issue and said it was legal, despite what you may choose to say. So you will attempt to influence everyone and force your belief's down their throats. Damn that sounds awfully Talibanish to me.

As a final example of the Catholic church and many other evangelical churches as well but it is the Catholic church here acting on it's own threatening the Washington DC city council that should they allow an amendment to the DC constitution to go on the ballot and pass they will withdraw many of their so called "charitable" services to the residents of DC. That sounds pretty totalitarian to me not to allow the "free citizens" of a community to decide things for themselves. Are you next going to do like some Muslim countries do and force people to worship in your temples or face stoning? We know Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury can't find it in his heart to impose regulations on his Wall Street buddies, but why has he also failed to to revoke the tax exempt status of these churches? If the churches are now going to involve themselves in governmental and legislative process and try to pass laws at our expense, then they can damn well pay for that privilege like everyone else must.

I could go on and on but I must wind down as my blood pressure has once again skyrocketed. I have an eight year old daughter I intend to spend as much time with as possible and hope I make it and she doesn't grow up without a daddy. With my health issues though as things stand today I am liable to have my health care yanked right out from under me because I am too expensive and cut into some corporate executive's bonus package. I already have to tell her there won't be the Christmas she has had in the past because daddy can't find a job. I must explain to her wen she gets older how important it is that you set standards for yourself as well as priorities and stick to them. As it is today we have lost that mindset and though many in the country call themselves "Christian" and cast stones at others who sin, it seems Christianity has forgotten those deadly sins we were once told about called greed, gluttony, and avarice. One day, I hope I will hear the words I haven't truly heard since president Kennedy uttered them and meant them. "I made a mistake and I am responsible and accountable". Course it would also be nice if we started holding our employees (our elected officials) responsible as well. There is something wrong here, I can't except it and I don't wish to participate in it. Those are the reactions and actions of people we label as "psychotics" and lock away in mental hospitals. It has gotten pretty damn bad when a psychotics thinking seems more moral, rational and logical then the so called normals of the world.

Question To the Democrats on Health Care From the Foo Fighters

The Foo Fighters and Let It Die

Harsh Realities

Harsh reality, what is to you? I know to me it is a cold bitch that repeatedly slaps the shit out of you until you open your eyes and see something for what it truly is. There is along the way smaller and gentler steps to try and get you to either see where you are going, or what the end result might be of the action(s) you are taking. Harsh reality it seems is something that is blocked from ever gaining entrance through the doors of our illustrious leaders to whom we entrust the governance of this country. Then there are the fringe groups on both sides that we have so conveniently labeled the right or left. It seems that these extremes are being embraced by a broken, disgraced and humiliated Republican Party. That at least was a point so saliently made by columnist Frank Rich in today's New York Times.

Case in point, in today's piece when he talks about how shocking it is the GOP leaders can, on national TV defend wackos that feel the need to bring semi automatic weapons to a political rally. Mr. Rich points out the completely unrealistic excuse that it is the government's fault some nut job brought an AR-15 to a speaking engagement the President appeared at. Stating on last Sunday's Meet the Press show that:

“Well, I’m troubled any time when we stop having confidence in our government,” the senator said, “but we’ve earned it.”

The speaking engagement was to answer questions in a Town Hall style meeting about health reform, a topic that many could argue was the antithesis of health issues. The Senator in question was Tom Coburn (R-Ok). Somehow this right wing wack job equated health care reform with a suppression of his so called "second amendment rights". Hey wacko, how did you come up with that comparasin? Maybe it was that if we fixed our ailing health care system we might be able to save a couple of people we normally wouldn't have when you went on a shooting rampage? This question goes out to all those gun toting fools who have shown up carrying loaded weapons at a Presidential gig. If you ask them their party affiliation, they will either tell you Republican, Libertarian, or Lyndon LaRousch, both parties have close to to the radical right so for this article's purpose we will connect then to the Republicans.

This where normals like you and me can see a complete divergence from reality. See today, in spite of all the lies and misrepresentations, along with a drop in the polling numbers for President Obama on his handling of the health reform debate, his approval rating is 98% higher then the approval rating for the Republicans as reported in an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. Obama's ratings are at 41% approval (a drop from 55%) while the Republicans handling of the health reform issues are 21% approval. That by the way is the same percentage of the population that identifies itself as Republican. Look seriously President Obama and Michael Steele. 21% is less than a quarter of the population, Mr. President that might be a harsh reality slap in the face about the chances of success for bipartisanship). This is that part of the population that candidate Obama so succinctly described as "clinging to their guns and religion". Also that portion of the population that the NRA has so completely brainwashed.

I bring up another case in point here. At one time I was a very good shot, one that very few could beat. I have shot in competitions with Marines, police, FBI and even the Secret Service and won. When I hear people from NRA talking about assault weapons as hunting rifles and home protection I laugh and explain, "liar". You can't really hunt with an AK-47 or AR-15. You can hunt with a .308, which by the way I could easily use to snuff out your lying lives had I that inclination (did I mention I was a sniper at one time and the 308 was a great weapon for both hunting and sniping). At the same time these folks buy big caliber hand guns thinking they are a better man and in some cases woman for it. Yet they forget that those firearms are not much use past 25 yards because of the recoil which makes aiming hard. You want home protection, buy a Remington 810 12 ga. riot gun. Load it with #6 buck and store it safely. The 810 can be bought legally with an 18" barrel (ideal for in the house) and that ammo will take out any intruder without taking out 15 of your neighbors. Hell, you don't even have to be a good shot just point and shoot.

Getting back to my reality issues though, imagine you were sitting on a warm sunny afternoon in your home and your next door neighbor came over about a mutual problem with tree roots. However, in this case he was strapped with a 9mm and was demanding you dig up your tree. Wouldn't that seem a bit intimidating to you? Imagine that same neighbor going to a health reform debate strapped like that? Wouldn't the purpose be the same? We have seen the loons compare Obama with Hitler over health reform please tell me how annihilating 6,000,000 Jews equates with trying to get everyone an opportunity at health care? Yet Republican leaders say nothing about this and often defend or encourage it. Yes, we have the first amendment, however that does not preclude civil decency or shaming those who abuse it.

Republicans after the last election saw their demographics shrink to areas most likely described as "southern white" areas of the country. These are the same that love to carry their rifle or shotguns in the rear window of their pickup trucks ( I will admit here they are not the majority of gun rights advocates). They are silent at these outrageous comments made by the fringes when in the past they and the Dems would have condemned the speakers for their out landishrantings (does anyone remember the out rage over General "Betray Us?).

The gun advocates will respond they have a right to protect their homes and families and whole list of other American values. They cry about how Big Brother is trying to steal their hard fought liberties away. Yet these same people had no problem when the government under the guise of fighting terrorists tapped their phones, emails, checked out their preferred reading materials at the local library (maybe the Obama Justice Dept could start checking out those who picked up gun books that described how to turn semi auto weapons into fully auto weapons?), turn about is fair play you know but in the end two wrongs don't make a right. If though gun owners continue to use the second amendment as an excuse to intimidate their opponents, eventually they will enable that long dreamed nightmare of government coming to snatch their guns away. Home defense will mean nothing against an M-1 Abrams tank or Bradley, forget the F16's. Your actions of bringing a gun to a meeting where the President is because "it's your right" will end the first time that your actions provide the cover (and that's what they will do folks) for someone who really is out to harm our elected leader. That's right, you will have aided and abetted that lunatic. Kinda makes mincemeat out of your chant "give me my country back" when democracy (you know that thing that says majority rules) gets tossed aside. You want to know by the way the folks who will take your guns away? It's not the left, but more likely the right who fear anything that challenges their ideals and perceived authority (remember Dick Cheney? Looked in the mirror lately?)

Harsh reality here you guys. You are not furthering your cause. Believe it or not there are as many on the left that served their country and own guns as you. Probably more. Trying to blur the lines of reality with fantasy in the name of claiming that reality serves only as a self fulfilling prophecy. Trying to abuse your constitutional right to intimidate or scare another can only lead to your loss of that right. Don't believe me? Try yelling "fire" in a crowded theater and then using the first amendment as your defense in court. The bitch just gave you that cold hard slap.

Liars and Hypocrites

Well in another piece here I will attempt to point out the obvious. However, I won't be able to point all of the hypocrisy spewed forth by the right wing conservatives. That should also include some echoed by Democrats as well. Usually, I don't expect conservatives to read this piece. Yet I took great pride a year and a half ago when Real Clear Politics featured an article of mine calling Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) House Minority Leader out for comments he made about those that didn't support George Bush and the war in Iraq. Real Clear Politics is defined by many on the left as a right leaning blog but ever since I have enjoyed reading things there, because there is an attempt to present both views. So once again I hope conservatives surfing the web will at least take time to read this article and if they wish, to leave a comment. I respond to all though should they be ignorant name calling as one recent post I reserve the right to gut you.

The inspiration for this piece came from both Rachel Madow and Keith Olbermanns reporting on Sen John Ensign (R-Nev) justifying his recent love affair as not the same as Clinton's, because "he didn't break any laws". Oh really Senator? What state did you have sexual relations in with the wife of your best friend and Chief of Staff? In Nevada, yes you possibly committed no criminal offense, unless you had sexual relations in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Washington DC or even Maryland. So Senator, depending on where you had sex with your lover, adultery is a criminal offense, albeit a minor one. Then there is the issue in your case of putting the the son of your lover on the GOP payroll and your parents offering $96,000.00 in "gifts" to the husband of your lover, whom as I noted earlier was your Chief of Staff and so called best friend. Please do not even try this card. As archaic as those laws are, they are still THE LAW and in most states reasons to grant an immediate divorce. Therefore I declare you tonight's worse liar and hypocrite.

The second group I single out here (actually) I am combining several as it all relates to one issue are the conservatives out there calling the single payer option a government sponsored socialistic take over of health care. They then decide to disrupt Town Hall meetings and not allow the rest of America to ask their questions. All the while the ones not allowed inside the meetings because they came to late are disrupting the meetings outside the doors chanting about their "first amendment rights". Hey guys we are not talking about the first amendment here, we are trying to discuss health reform. When you disrupt a town all meeting I am having with my representative by making so much noise it is impossible to have a civil discussion either for or against, you are trampling all over my first amendment rights. Who is the Nazi and fascist then? To top it off, many of you are not from my Congressional district, you are insurance company shills bussed in by a group called Freedom Works, whose founder former house speaker Dick Army was an insurance company lobbyist until he was forced to resign from his lobbying company by progressive bloggers and political news reporters like Rachel Madow. With their fear mongering they have incited the elderly crowd (that's right you AARPers and I'm one of you as well), who cry " keep your hands off my Medicare, but don't know it's a government run program, probably the most liked program competing with Social Security. Can you point to a specific place in health reform that talks about cuts to Medicare? No, you can't, though Republicans like Ronald Reagan feel your program is "socialism" and along with his Republican ideologues, wants to cut these programs. What a bunch of hypocrites and liars when you distort the facts and try to drum up support for your minority causes out of fear and lies (hey isn't that the way Hitler and the Nazi's started out? Just saying.). Major kudos go out to Rep. Barney Frank last night who put one of those wackos in her place. What really is so dishonest and a lie is the comparison of Obama with Hitler over this health reform debate. Obama is speaking out for a proposal designed to decrease human misery and help lies. As I remember my history, Hitler had the Nazis killed six million people of Jewish origin. Where is the similarity? Or is it a modern history rewrite like evolution being a disproved "theory" because the bible version is fact?

Our third winner tonight goes to a similar group in the health reform debate though a different brand. This relates to those protesters against health reform who decide to show up to places where Obama is speaking with their AR-15s and loaded handguns. They claim it is about their second amendment rights and that Obama basically wants to take their guns away. More of Big Brother right? Wrong. This is asinine. Does anyone remember George Bush with Dick Cheney and their "free speech zone"? Had anyone showed up a Bush event like that they defiantly would have experienced worse then what that poor granny got at the GOP National Convention in Milwaukee. Then there is the complaint of government sticking their nose into our private lives. Where were all these screamers and shouters when George W. Bush decided he did not need court approval to snoop on your emails and telephone calls. Or how about that bit about the President being able to arrest anyone on the grounds they are a terrorist, or even suspected of terrorism and hold them indefinitely without access to the courts or counsel? Better look out you right wing southern rednecks, Obama has that power now based on the premise Dick Cheney and George Bush operated on. Though I would support your appeal based on constitutional grounds and shout just as loudly against Obama as I did Bush should he decide that was ok. Free government paid tip to Romania anyone? Yes, rendition still exists.

Fourth in our list are the conservative democrats and Blue Dogs whom you really can't distinguish from Republicans. Maybe they should be higher up on this list but....... These are the people who supported the Democratic platform which called for a major over haul of our health system yet when it came down to work towards this process, they jumped ship and have held everyone hostage (except the House) to the wishes of the insurance carriers. Sen Max Baucus (D-Mont) seems to have hijacked health reform by ruling out from the start any consideration of universal coverage or a single payer option. As Chairman of the Finance Committee, he has dismissed all the members of that committee except himself and two other blue dog democrats and three Republicans. Could it be that he receives the second highest amount of political contributions from the health insurance industry and has to keep that money gravy train protected despite what his voters may wish? Go to his campaign web site linked above and you will see a picture of a smiling Baucus behind Obama who is speaking. Damn he sure has a firm grip on those coat tails. Then if you look down, on the web site is a linked article about "delayed mail holding up his response to many who write in. Wannna bet their feelings? Look at today's news story about a town hall meeting here the audience clearly supported major health reform, not the crap Baucus supports and he blames it all on the "YouTubers" coming from out of state to harass poor Sen. Baucus. It's ok if they astroturf against reform, but to harass this poor Senator? Could it be Senator Baucus that you are hamstringing legislation in favor of a greedy corrupt industry that affects the entire country? You don't want hear what I call you.

Finally, there is President Obama and his staff. Mr. President, you promised me and three hundred million Americans you were going to change government. There would be transparency, honesty, integrity and no lobbyist in your Administration. One of your first cabinet picks was a lobbyist. All of the people on your economic advisory committee and cabinet like Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Treasury, or even SEC are either Wall Street insiders or member of the regime that brought us into this financial pitfall. They were either too lazy, or too invested in the status quo to do their jobs. Mary Shapiro is a classic example. As former head of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority did nothing, like Nero while Rome burned. Hell, she could not even investigate Bernie Madoff appropriately, although all the evidence needed was handed to her agency on a silver platter.Kathline Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary this weekend along with President Obama dismissed single payer coverage as insignificant to health reform in this country. Pardon me here but WTF? Today, according to a Washington Post article, numerous so called White House advisers and aides that remained unnamed expressed surprise at the vitriol the issue of single payer health care raised? Who the hell are these folks? Obviously they no nothing about what the American voter wants and are either biased by their own views or basically incompetent stupid morons (I include the two authors of this article as well although the ladder applies to them for sure). What happened to transparency in government as President Obama promised? That went out the window with the revelation of Obama's secret dealings with Big Pharm. Then there is the issues of wire tapping, rendition, DOMA, DADT, and a whole host of other things early supporters and contribut rs were promised. Don't even get me started on all the financial reforms we were promised that seem to have been Blowing in the Wind and vanished.

A message to the White House. The reason health care costs have spiraled is the insurance industry plain and simple, Huge premiums, less coverage, increased out of pocket expenses. Insurance premiums over the past decade have risen three hundred percent! While the average workers pay makes it barely above three percent. Do you folks see the disparity? Oh yeah and we get less services as well. Recently the right wing hero Joe the Plumber talked about "taking the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosie behind the wood shed and beating her senseless". He claimed she and the dems lied and that was the "way we used to do it". I am older then you Joe an yes I know what that phrase means. Though we are not entirely without our faults, based on the list above, no matter how you rank order them, I thing were I your father I'd be in handcuffs for killing you and your brothers and sisters.

Although More of a Pacifist, This Song From the 80's Reflects My Growing Mood Towards the Wingnuts. (Hey Second Amendment Rights You Guys)

The Health Reform Debate We Need To Have With the Doubters.

As every day the hope that there might be any real health reform seems to drift further and further away, today's little headlines helped me form a great debate forum that we need to hold. Hell it would only last a few minutes, but it should be broadcast nationally on prime time TV so everyone who failed to support change despite their true dissatisfaction with our health system today. I would volunteer to be on this panel, and I would invite both Sara Palin and Glenn Beck to join in this discussion. My eight year old daughter volunteered to join with me, she wants to be a vet and has some serious issues with Palin, but I decided to be civil and avoid true public humiliation on national TV. The debate would probably be as follows:

Moderator: Good evening viewers, tonight we are proud to bring you a factual discussion on the issues surrounding health care reform, something we in the main stream media have tried to avoid so far, but since Warren Buffet and George Sorros bought out two of the national networks and were going to air the debate, we at Faux News decided as a service to our viewers to join in this national debate. A debate I might add that we have covered fairly and without bias. Our debate participants tonight will be the former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin! Also we are joned on this august panel by the nationally known radio and TV expert on this matter.......Mr. Glen Beck! A moment of disclosure here Mr. Beck also appears on the Faux News channel with his own news show, though due to a drop in sponsors I understand might be canceled soon? Is that right Mr. Beck?

Beck: (Cries uncontrollably)

Moderator: Finally, appearing on behalf of socialized medicine is Constitutionalist (me), a blogger of no note, and Registered Nurse. Constitutionalist holds a dual Masters degree in Counseling and Psychology, a graduate of Marymount University with a degree in Nursing. A rather fine Catholic school outside of DC. Where did the nuns go wrong Constitutionalist?

Me: Actually Mr. Moderator, the nuns and most Catholic nursing schools strongly favor universal health care. Something called the Christian Ethic was how one nun explaine it to me.

Moderator: uhrm....Ok, let's get started. Governor Palin I believe this first question goes to you. Recently the Senate Finance Committee decided to drop the controversial "death panel" provision out of the Senate bill. Would you care to comment on that?

Palin: Why yes! I brought this issue to the national fore front as a pro life supporter I felt it was my moral obligation to keep the government from killing grandma and special needs children like my son Trig. I had a moral obligation to speak out and I am proud to say today I and all the other fredom loving Americans won a moral victory!

Moderator: Constitutionalist you may respond.

Me: Can I ask the Governor a question as part of my response?

Moderator: That is not the manner in which these........

Me: Governor, since when did my personal physician become a government agent? When in fact have you ever seen a physician come to a house on a house call? Isn't it true you supported such things when you were Governor before you decided to make these stories up?If you need a reminder try April, 16 2008 when you issued a proclaimation calling that day "Health Care Decisions Day" and you encouraged citizens and hospitals to come togather and discuss these things? The provision in question just allowed for the payment by Medicare and the new health reform bill to pay for these rather then grandma paying for them out of her pocket. Money I am sure she would rather spend on her granddaughter, or donate to her church. Did you make up these lies because the insurance companies asked you to so they would avoid having to pay for such counseling? Why are you against my mother's granddaughter Governor?

Palin: Well tha's untrue, and I can prove it. As we discovered in my interview with Katie Couric, I don't read. What makes you think I would start reading with the health care bill?

Moderator: Ok, uhm, let's move on here. Mr. Beck, you recently claimed President Obama was trying to remake this country with health care reform into a socialized "cross between Venezuela, and France" Can you more deeply explain that?

Beck: (Cries uncontrollably)

Moderator: ....Ok let's move on. Governor, you and other members of the conservative right claim universal health care will result in a rationing of health care and limited services. Could you explain please more explicitly how this would occur?

Palin: Why yes it should be obvious to everyone that if everyone had universal coverage then the lines at the doctors offices would be longer. We would all have to wait. In e4mergency rooms since everyone had health insurance they would all flock there and crowd the place. As that wonderful Congresswoman Michelle Bachman so astutely observed it would increase everyone's "hassle factor" and cause a great inconvenience to all! Finally, if our health system is so bad why do people from all around the world come to take advantage of it?

Moderator: Good point. Mr. Beck your thoughts please.

Beck (sobbing uncontrollably) Well look at how unjust that would be! Alcoholics like me would be able to get detox and substance abuse treatment, getting clean and sober and I would have no one to look down on. The AA meetings would be over flowing and I might not get a chance to rant! I might be forced to be confronted about my behavior, and questions about the totality of my recovery would be questioned. Constitutionalist has in the past accused me of being a dry drunk!

Me: You mean your not?

Beck: See! (cries uncontrollably moaning about reoccurring hemorrhoids)

Moderator: Constitutionalist?

Me: Yes, again the right wing has introduced myths and lies. Initially granted there might be a bit longer wait, but health care would change from a disease intervention model, to a healthy prevention model which reduce the need for so many doctors visits. As a result you would probably see a return of many doctors back to medicine who left because of the multiple requirements of individual health plans that required them to spend as much as fifty percent of their time arguing with insurance companies over tests and needed treatments, as well as completing multiple forms. With the introduction of universal care, treatment and testing would be based on a medical scientific model rather then a corporate model focused on profits. As for increased ER visits, the use of ERs would sharply decline, along with ER waiting times because people would be able to see a primary care physician rather then use the ER every time they got sick knowing ERs must treat instead of requiring insuran e first. That cost by the way is passed on to consumers so we already are footing the bill. With the advent of universal care would follow a universal standard of care, not the varied ones we now have based on the plan you have. It would definatly reduce the need for many of the ancillary staff hospitals and doctors offices need to process paperwork.....

Paline: There you see! It would decrease employment resulting in higher unemployment!

Me: Calm down Govenor, as I was saying, it would reduce the need for ancillary staff. This includes those hired by insurance companies who often make health care decisions for you and me with no medical training, only a set of guidelines designed to save insurance companies money.

Moderator Thank yo........

Me: No Mr. Moderator I am not finished. The health reform issue is much more involved then the right wing sound bites you and others use to confue and scare the public. Governor, let's say your daughter while playing soccor breaks her foot. She is in a lot of pain and crying but you and the coach realize it's not a life threatening injury so you load her up in the car and drive to your local ER. Today under our current system you would register and then have to wait in what would probably be an over crowded waiting room. There you would find many uninsured who unable to see a general practitioner were waiting to see a doctor.

Palin: But my daughter has a broken foot and it's a real emergency!

Me: That's not the way the system works. When you go to an ER they triage you in order of severity of illness. Your daughters injury would be no greater then a child or adult that had a 103 degree fever, was throwing up for the past two days etc. In fact as for the ladder the person throwing up for two or three days based on their ability to recieve medical care might be a greater emergency then your daughter. The folks with the fever might have anything ranging from the simple cold to flu and even the swine flu. But you and everyone else must wait your turn, in order of arrival. Then you run the risk of yourself and your daughter being exposed to a concurrent infection often called a nosocomial infection.

Palin: But you said my daughter had a broken foot not something wrong with her nose!

Me: Never mind, to answer Governor Palin's last concern with respect to the quality of our current health care system, did you realize the the United States is ranked 49th out of fifty countries in terms of longevity? It is 39th out of that same fifty countries in infant mortality. That means that France, Germany, Canada and England all are ranked higher then us in quality care an outcomes of care. Yes people from other countries come here because our health system is based on a for profit model as opposed to a care system model. That means if the dictator of North Korea decided to come here for treatment, because he had his country's resources at his disposal, he would get preferential treatment over you or me because he could pay more. Regardless of whether you or I had health insurance. We have great doctors and hospitals. Many are world leaders in medical research, yet often times treatment is denied to many Americans because they just don't have the insurance coverage or if they do they can't afford the copay!

Moderator: We are almost out of time here, I would ask that all three of you offer a closing argument. We will start with Governor Palin, then Mr. Beck, concluding with Constitutionalist. Governor?

Palin: Thank you Mr. Moderator. As I have said the democrats and President Obama want to reshape this country into a socialist, communist state. He wants to destroy this country like his terrorist buddy Bill Ayers did in the 60's. Capitalism is what made this country great, and the insurance companies of today have sought to force improvements on our health care system. Look at where we are (wink wink)! To introduce health care reform which really is a code word for socialized medicine is a farce. Look at the horror stories from our neighbor Canada of long waits or denial of care. We must fight against Obama and the democrats to keep America free and strong. My son in Iraq is not risking his life to bring about socialist change to our country. He like our Founding Fathers want a democracy we can all thrive in providing we work hard to better ourselves and further our Christian values.

Moderator: Mr. Beck?

Beck(crying uncontrollably): I.....I....defer to our esteemed health care expert Mr. Limbaugh (moans about reoccurring hemorrhoids)

Moderator (whispers quietly): Can someone please shut off his mike? Finally Constitutionalist, your parting thoughts?

Me: Thank you. Folks we must look more closely at the facts not the sound bite scare tactics employed by the conservative right wing. How can you have compassionate health care when you must first look at the cost factor? Whose to decide whether your spouse is worth the cost of a proceedure or my daughter? Aren't they both alive and special? Governor Palin and the right wing toss out lables like socialism and communism, words that many equate with the denial of Christianity. But doesn't Christianity teach us to care for the sick and injured? Didn't Jesus himself take the time to cure many Lepors? Governor Palin and Mr. Beck would have you believe that the changes purposed by President Obama are socialized medicine. She brings up the fact that her son is bravely serving his country in Iraq. What she leaves out is that her son while on duty with the military gets "socialized" medicine. That's right, Aetna or United Health Care don't regulate his medical coverage, the government does. When he gets out he will continue to be eligable for "socialized health care" regulated once again by the government. That will come through the Veterans Administration. Many in the town hall meetings that try to disrupt the discussions because of their fear instilled in them by right wing conservatives are beneficiaries of so called "socialized" medicine. Medicare. Ask them if they want you to mess with their coverage and you will get the same treatment Congressman Rastenkowskie got in 1989. Frankly, I'd pay good money to see that if the Governor and Mr. Beck were the focus of tha......

Moderator: Thank you Constitutionalis.............

Me: I am not through. All to often the right wing has introduced the specture of how our Founding Fathers would be spinning in their graves should we get universal health care. Thomas Jefferson must have seen into the future and saw this debate for he left us this that appears to have direct bearing on this topic when he said; "The laws of humanity make it a duty for nations and individuals, to succor those whom accident and distress have thrown upon them."

Moderator: This concludes our debate. Thank you for tuning in.

Note: It has now become imperative for Mr. Obama and the Democrats to directly confront those politicians who are spreading their lies and distortions of the truth. That includes those within the Democratic party such as Senator Baucus. Failure to do so will be a bill Congress and all politicians are so adept at passing that do no good and our meaningless, but in the end, cost you and me, the American taxpayers millions, if not billions.

Have We Gone Too Far To Turn Back?

Over the weekend (yeah it took me this long to write this), I was scanning the headlines of the blogosphere and a puzzling question kept reoccurring in the back of my mind. Have we gone too far as a society to turn back? It bothered me and in some ways haunts me because the answer has a direct bearing on the world both mine and your children will inherit. Being a skeptic and pessimist naturally my conclusions are a bit darker then most after recent revelations about the secret deals the White House made with big pharmaceuticals, my hopes crashed and burned. With the elections last November I had a brief moment of hope, but as I continue to observe our so called "democratic process", I am struck by the complete hypocrisy and farcical stage show put on by our leaders. It is not only our leaders though, it is a reflection of our population as a whole, from the single voter right up to the media and corporate governors.

How did we get here and does anyone realize the cliff we are driving over? Some of the headlines that fed my worry followed this line. In the great debate over health care reform, actual debate is stifled by mobs of people who chant about their "first amendment rights to speak", yet deny that right to everyone else. A recent New York Times article summed up the situation, and the tactics used by opponents of health reform ( I do not use the term "care" with our current health practices). So rather than discuss what is needed to reform the health industry, opponents suppress discussion and questions that might be informative. Democracy? I thing not. Totalitarianism is more descriptive, where you strike down any view that doesn't coincide with your own. Again though how did we get here? Was it the Newt Gingrich revolution where the term "liberal" became synonymous with traitor? How about the election in 2000 when the recount in Florida was disrupted repeatedly by rioters known as the " Brooks Brothers Brigades". Recently, Robert Gibbs the White House press secretary began to refer to the unruly crowds in these same terms. Recently it has been alleged that protesters were either paid or organized by the insurance industry and big pharmaceuticals.

Then there are the individuals who make up these protests. As the debate heats up we see violence and intimidation on the rise at what is supposed to be a public forum. These tactics are all being endorsed by conservative groups, and frankly admitted to by them. You can see examples here, here and here. So where does this lead us? The question goes far beyond the health reform debate. Some of it is the same old tactics used by politicians for ages. They make promises and then forget those very promises that got them elected counting on the voters short term memory not to bring up previous falsehoods. The complaint often echoed as a refrain of the voter as reported in the media is, "my vote doesn't matter" and "corporations run America not the voter". As hard as it is for me to say this the only politician truly honest about this hypocrisy was Dick Cheney on November 9, 2006 when he responded to a reporter's question about public opinion with the now famous "so". A statement he uttered several times when questioned about the American voters wishes.

There are several avenues in modern social psychology for our system of democracy to go, and quite frankly none of them are good. What I see through the eyes of someone who was trained in social psychology is the effects of "learned helplessness" as first published by Martin Seligman in 1965. The anger at losing an election, the anger beginning to be expressed by both sides at not feeling their views are taken into account, the continued back flipping by politicins who openly take money in large amounts from lobbyist representing corporate interests and then pass meaningless legislation in the name of reform, but without any language that adds teeth to that reform. Then there is the issue of personal responsibility which over the past few decades seems to have disappeared, except in cases of vengeance. Many of these land mark changes come by way of the courts and trial lawyers as exemplified in the now famous "twinkie defense" of Dan White. When you are powerless in your own eyes the end result is depression. How an individual responds to that depression varies but one of the most common and profound reactions is alienation of the self and lashing out with anger and hostility. All of which accomplishes nothing in the end. Politicians and their advisers are well aware of these theories and on techniques to sort of "divide and conquer" the voter. Their behavior was noted as early as 1930 by a psychologist named Herbert Lasswell in his famous book Psychopathology and Politics. With our tendency to find excuses to excuse poor behavior and seek another cause for that behavior, the individual is stripped of accountability, and from here I think you can see the snowball effect.

So this brings me back to this article's original question of have we gone too far to turn back? What will it take to stop the current madness? Before my liberal friends go finger pointing remember we are just as guilty (remember Code Pink, the Vietnam protests, etc?) as the conservatives are. What we are seeing today is that a major political party is encouraging this now, but when they were recently in power they curbed political protests with so called "free speech zones", far removed from the actual event or speaker. The media, in order to capture the public's attention actually promotes conflict and allows complete fabrications and exaggerated lies to get publicised (Sara Palin's recent remarks about "death panels"), rather then reporting the statement then reporting the lie that is. The fact that the media publishes such nonsense should be an affront to all. Then there are the pundits on both sides that feel they must step up to the camera or microphone to justify, analyse, criticise and debate the statement. John Q Public out there becomes rightly confused, disorientated and so the main issue under discussion becomes pulling the plug on Grandma, or first and second amendment rights, abortion, etc and the original topic was improving our health care.

This is just a small example of the over all problem yet looked at in these terms the problem seems huge. If we continue down the path we are going now we will end up in a chaotic situation with riots, violence, distrust and eventually the complete loss of the freedoms we have professed to hold so dear. Government will have to intervene to restore peace, politicians will become totally authoritive, and the type of government will spring up that would give Dick Cheney a hard on. It is not just the fault of the right or the left, but the fault of the individual voters who accept what is given to them by the leaders they employ. Right now Congress has been changed by both parties to keep true legislative action from ever occurring. This accusation specifically goes the Senate, so legislators can come back with a failed mandate and say "it wasn't my fault" and escape the accountability they deserve. We the voter go along with this, and every year it gets worse. Answer the following if you don't believe me; What happened to banking reform, credit card reform, legislation to prevent the mortgage scams that helped lead to this financial crisis? What happened to the return of respect and honoring the Constitution that recent legislation ruined (i.e. the Patriot Act, the Protect America Act, etc.). It was promised to us by this most recent slate of Democrats we elected. What happened to the end of rendition? It was supposedly for high level king pin drug dealers and the most dangerous terrorist. Recently under President Obama it was used on some low level contractor in Afghanistan who knew about bribes, but wasn't the one offering the bribes! So please don't say "we won't do the same things they did". This will only continue and get worse unless all of us wake up and do something to stop this dangerous slide over the cliff. Is this the type of future you want for your kids? I know I don't.