Watch and Enjoy. Schoolhouse Rock should be required viewing for all US citizens. And it's just fun.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Health Care Reform?
I thought long & hard about whether to post on this issue, simply because I'm not a political blogger, nor do I want to become one. But this bill is going to affect our country for years to come.
I have been faced with the hardship of having no insurance, having to find private insurance, fighting with the insurance company for payment, the list goes on and on. I am in agreement that health care reform is needed. I do not agree that this is the way to do it.
Before you stop reading, let me finish. One of the things that has been bothering me about the whole debate is the anger & name calling. It is a passionate issue & it is bringing out the best & the worst of people. Understandably. I want to try to explain how I feel about it & why, but I want to try to do it in a calm, rational, non-judgemental manner that everyone can understand. Maybe not agree with, but listen. I have listened to the other side of the argument, & like I said, I agree we need reform. And I'm actually a little bit put off that none of the Republican leaders tried harder to find another solution or explain why it might not be the best plan with less... yelling.
Here is the other thing. I am a patriot. I support the office of the President, & I support my President. The President of the United States is MY President. I may not have voted for him, but he is my President. I do NOT have to support everything he says, does or promotes. Blindy following someone without educating oneself on the issues is as bad as blindly opposing the person without listening to the issues.
But I will wish the President success, because I want my country to be the best it can be, not only for me now, but my children & grandchildren.
Our founding fathers came to America to get away from oppression from the government. A government who told them how to live, what to say, how to worship, excessive taxes, and none of these things promoted a healthy & happy life for the people. America was founded with the idea that less government control makes for a healthy & free life. All of this is detailed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
I've read both of those documents recently. Yes, I have. I'm not going to even try to explain or interpret anything in them. The language is centuries old & I'm not a history scholar. I know what I learned in school. I just wanted to read them because I personally think all adults should re-read them from time to time, lest we forget.
One thing I do think is that it is not a good thing for the federal government to be in control of too many things in our country. We are on our way to something we might not be prepared for.
Back to health care. Reform is needed. I had to pay out of pocket for a medically necessary mammogram when I was 36. My physician wrote an order for it. I had a lump. My insurance (a group plan) wouldn't pay for it because I wasn't 40. Huh? Things like that are unacceptable.
But requiring people to buy insurance... the federal government will require you to buy insurance. Is that right? Better yet, is that constitutional? Can the government mandate that you buy a service? Sure, they require we purchase auto insurance, but they don't require we purchase a car. I feel that when we allow the government to start telling what to buy & how much to buy, we are approaching a slippery slope. Where does it stop? We just have to be careful.
The other thing I think I can confidently say most people who have a problem with this bill are concerned with is how the health care is going to be paid for. My problem is that with the economy the way it is now, most people are having trouble not only paying for their own insurance, but just putting food on the table. *I heard Joe Biden say yesterday that he understood how people are feeling now, people are sitting at the breakfast table wondering "how they are going to keep their kids in school." Um, Mr. Vice President. I understand your children have never darkened the doors of a public school, but most of America is not worrying about how to pay for "free" public school. Food, clothes, & electricity are what we're concerned with.*
So, to pay for the health care of a few million people who don't have it for one reason or another, the government is going to take even more money out of our paychecks. Money that pays for milk & bread for our children. I don't mind helping people, I DO help people, I feel it's all a part of the Golden Rule, treating others the way I want to be treated, but I do mind the government telling me that I HAVE to & how much & when I have to do it. How resentful will I feel when I can't get my own children something basic & needed because our hard earned money was taken to pay for someone else's health insurance. How do I explain that injustice to my child?
Then there are the small businesses. Actually, let's not even go there. Let's just talk about businesses, companies in general. A company's biggest expense is now going to be the employee that needs a health care plan for their family. Spouse & multiple children. Are they going to keep that employee on the payroll or let them go? I hope they keep them. Government control of a business. See where we're going?
It's the TAKING that is the problem. The government TAKING.
I'm giving worst case scenarios. Or am I? It takes looking at the whole picture, not just saying let's fix it and then giving a pat on the back because we've "fixed" the problem that previous administration allegedly started.
Do I have another solution? I don't. But I'll be thinking.
If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy. - Thomas Jefferson
I have been faced with the hardship of having no insurance, having to find private insurance, fighting with the insurance company for payment, the list goes on and on. I am in agreement that health care reform is needed. I do not agree that this is the way to do it.
Before you stop reading, let me finish. One of the things that has been bothering me about the whole debate is the anger & name calling. It is a passionate issue & it is bringing out the best & the worst of people. Understandably. I want to try to explain how I feel about it & why, but I want to try to do it in a calm, rational, non-judgemental manner that everyone can understand. Maybe not agree with, but listen. I have listened to the other side of the argument, & like I said, I agree we need reform. And I'm actually a little bit put off that none of the Republican leaders tried harder to find another solution or explain why it might not be the best plan with less... yelling.
Here is the other thing. I am a patriot. I support the office of the President, & I support my President. The President of the United States is MY President. I may not have voted for him, but he is my President. I do NOT have to support everything he says, does or promotes. Blindy following someone without educating oneself on the issues is as bad as blindly opposing the person without listening to the issues.
But I will wish the President success, because I want my country to be the best it can be, not only for me now, but my children & grandchildren.
Our founding fathers came to America to get away from oppression from the government. A government who told them how to live, what to say, how to worship, excessive taxes, and none of these things promoted a healthy & happy life for the people. America was founded with the idea that less government control makes for a healthy & free life. All of this is detailed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
I've read both of those documents recently. Yes, I have. I'm not going to even try to explain or interpret anything in them. The language is centuries old & I'm not a history scholar. I know what I learned in school. I just wanted to read them because I personally think all adults should re-read them from time to time, lest we forget.
One thing I do think is that it is not a good thing for the federal government to be in control of too many things in our country. We are on our way to something we might not be prepared for.
Back to health care. Reform is needed. I had to pay out of pocket for a medically necessary mammogram when I was 36. My physician wrote an order for it. I had a lump. My insurance (a group plan) wouldn't pay for it because I wasn't 40. Huh? Things like that are unacceptable.
But requiring people to buy insurance... the federal government will require you to buy insurance. Is that right? Better yet, is that constitutional? Can the government mandate that you buy a service? Sure, they require we purchase auto insurance, but they don't require we purchase a car. I feel that when we allow the government to start telling what to buy & how much to buy, we are approaching a slippery slope. Where does it stop? We just have to be careful.
The other thing I think I can confidently say most people who have a problem with this bill are concerned with is how the health care is going to be paid for. My problem is that with the economy the way it is now, most people are having trouble not only paying for their own insurance, but just putting food on the table. *I heard Joe Biden say yesterday that he understood how people are feeling now, people are sitting at the breakfast table wondering "how they are going to keep their kids in school." Um, Mr. Vice President. I understand your children have never darkened the doors of a public school, but most of America is not worrying about how to pay for "free" public school. Food, clothes, & electricity are what we're concerned with.*
So, to pay for the health care of a few million people who don't have it for one reason or another, the government is going to take even more money out of our paychecks. Money that pays for milk & bread for our children. I don't mind helping people, I DO help people, I feel it's all a part of the Golden Rule, treating others the way I want to be treated, but I do mind the government telling me that I HAVE to & how much & when I have to do it. How resentful will I feel when I can't get my own children something basic & needed because our hard earned money was taken to pay for someone else's health insurance. How do I explain that injustice to my child?
Then there are the small businesses. Actually, let's not even go there. Let's just talk about businesses, companies in general. A company's biggest expense is now going to be the employee that needs a health care plan for their family. Spouse & multiple children. Are they going to keep that employee on the payroll or let them go? I hope they keep them. Government control of a business. See where we're going?
It's the TAKING that is the problem. The government TAKING.
I'm giving worst case scenarios. Or am I? It takes looking at the whole picture, not just saying let's fix it and then giving a pat on the back because we've "fixed" the problem that previous administration allegedly started.
Do I have another solution? I don't. But I'll be thinking.
If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy. - Thomas Jefferson
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Mind Your Own Business
Mind your own business? What? Where's the fun in that? I've never really been one to mind my own business, but I know how annoying it is when nosy people try to mind MY business.
I have an 11 year old son (Number One Son) & he is pushing the limits of acceptable behavior. He is getting in trouble for the dumbest things. Common sense things. All a part of the "growing up" angst he is going through, according to his principal.
His friends are doing it too, so he's in good company. Three of his buddies got in trouble this week for fighting. Two of the three were suspended. Now these boys are very kind hearted boys. They're "stinky boys," as Queenie says, but they are good boys. No bullies here. Number One Son wouldn't be friends with bullies, because he knows what it feels like to be bullied.
There is a neighborhood mom who saw a bit of the playground fight & is now, get this, spreading rumors about the boys & the fight. Really? Spreading rumors about children?
She is telling people that these boys are bullies & she even went so far as to send a scathing email to the moms of the two boys in trouble regarding their boys & their parenting.
Ok, you know, I understand, especially if her child was involved in the fight as well. What? Her child was not involved, you say? What? Oh, she has a daughter who was nowhere near the fight? What? Her daughter is not even in their class? Oh...
I'm sorry, I don't understand when people started thinking they had the right to nose into things that have nothing to do with them. And to insult a mother over something she knows nothing about, come on, moms. We have to stick together, first of all.
Secondly, gossiping about children. That's pretty immature & not setting a very good example.
I have an 11 year old son (Number One Son) & he is pushing the limits of acceptable behavior. He is getting in trouble for the dumbest things. Common sense things. All a part of the "growing up" angst he is going through, according to his principal.
His friends are doing it too, so he's in good company. Three of his buddies got in trouble this week for fighting. Two of the three were suspended. Now these boys are very kind hearted boys. They're "stinky boys," as Queenie says, but they are good boys. No bullies here. Number One Son wouldn't be friends with bullies, because he knows what it feels like to be bullied.
There is a neighborhood mom who saw a bit of the playground fight & is now, get this, spreading rumors about the boys & the fight. Really? Spreading rumors about children?
She is telling people that these boys are bullies & she even went so far as to send a scathing email to the moms of the two boys in trouble regarding their boys & their parenting.
Ok, you know, I understand, especially if her child was involved in the fight as well. What? Her child was not involved, you say? What? Oh, she has a daughter who was nowhere near the fight? What? Her daughter is not even in their class? Oh...
I'm sorry, I don't understand when people started thinking they had the right to nose into things that have nothing to do with them. And to insult a mother over something she knows nothing about, come on, moms. We have to stick together, first of all.
Secondly, gossiping about children. That's pretty immature & not setting a very good example.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Food Fight!!!
I have found myself in a place I didn't want to be. Not a terrible thing, I just feel very unqualified. I am in charge of the spring fundraiser at my children's elementary school. We are having a carnival with games & a silent auction as well.We have decided to have a specific activity at the carnival for fundraising purposes that should prove to be very popular. An organized food fight. I'm excited about it, I think it will be a lot of fun. We have the location secured, but here is the question of the week:
In an environment like we find ourselves in these days, what kind of items are appropriate for a "food fight?" Expired food items? "Faux" food items?
We want to have fun, raise funds for our school, but we don't want to be wasteful or provide an example of wastefulness.
Any ideas, gentle readers?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Happy Birthday Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.
We had Green Eggs & Ham in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday! The kids loved it.
I leave you with a couple of my favorite "Seussisms."
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
I leave you with a couple of my favorite "Seussisms."
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter and Those Who Matter Don't Mind.
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