news
The van was out of the shop with its reworked transmission just one day before my yellow dog got bitten by a snake and had to be rushed to the vet. That, believe it or not, was the good news. I had wheels.
I don't know the magic words - abracadabra? pretty please with cherries on top? - to get a plumber to the house to fix an outdoor pipe gushing county water into the gravel. The plumbers look you straight in the eye and say they'll come, but they never actually do.
But all the above is petty, personal stuff, nothing serious like what's going on nationally. These days I try not to listen to the news, because it's too disturbing to hear how some loud Americans are turning their backs on their fellow citizens - and doing themselves no favors - by opposing universal health care. I can't get over it.
Opponents say they don't want government in charge of their health care. The only part of the U.S. system that works well now is the part already run by the government. But some would rather scream "Socialism!" and have a tea party than listen to facts or see someone else benefit from a government program.
Every now and again I pass through the kitchen where the radio's playing and hear what passes for news. Sarah Palin is scaring other morons with bogus talk of death squads that she claims would sentence her parents and baby to death under Obama's health care plan. This big lie from a woman who hasn't been off the government dole long enough to find honest work.
Rush Limbaugh is pulling his usual verbal stunts for his usual audience. Here he is, richer than Midas, with plenty of money for his own "oxycotton" needs, and he simply can't see a reason for the hoi polloi to get medicine and treatment. The only thing wrong with Hitler, according to Rush, was his party affiliation: national socialism. The real thing wrong with Hitler is the same thing wrong with most health care opponents: racism.
And don't get me started on Congress. The people we elect to be leaders are so busy trying to decide what kind of saddle to put on the fence that they cease to be human, much less leaders.
I don't have time to develop a workable health care plan for this country. I pay other people to come up with solutions. So do you. We all pay Congress. It is Congress' job.
But it would seem to make sense to look at other countries where national health care works. France, for instance. Rated No. 1 overall by the World Health Organization, France has a working, appreciated and universal health care program. Let's copy that one. Or look at cities and states in our own country that have shown initiative and done something workable for their citizens. There are a few.
But we wouldn't want to go there. Might have to change something, shake up the status quo, make insurance competitive. Might have to admit we aren't too big and important to borrow an idea.
I'm trying to avoid bitterness in a country where working hard, living modestly, paying your bills and trying to stay healthy are not enough to assure you'll get good care when and if you need it.
I'm trying not to get angry about a country that listens to some right-wing blowhard on the radio before deciding what its opinion should be about getting affordable health care for all its citizens.
Rheta Grimsley Johnson is a syndicated columnist. She lives in the Iuka vicinity. Contact her at Iuka, MS 38852.
They won't call them Death Panels, but if you think the government plan won't end up rationing life saving health care, like it does in every other socialist hellhole, then you are the moron!
The race card does not work any more, everyone knows that "racist" now means "anyone that dares to disagree with the Dear Leader".
Read the bill and check out Rhom (dead fish) Emanuel's brother who is advising Obama on health care and you will see tha Sarah Palin is right about caring for sick infants and the elderly.
I love Rush Linbaugh and his sensible aproach to informing his listeners about the Obama takover of our lives. Rush has the largest listening audience of any one on radio or tv and those in power know that he will help get sensible people elected in 2010. That must scare the hypocrats very much.
We need reform, but it needs to begin with tort reform. I read one article where the writer was telling about all the fine homes owned by doctors. The only people who have finer homes are the trial lawyers and politicians
Medicare, the national health care is flawed. If you are on medicare you have to have a private supplement policy to avoid bankrupcy.
It was just reported that retired people will not get a cost of living increase for the next two years, however medicare insurance will increase so retirees will actually see a reduction in their social security payments.
You pay all your working life into social security, then you have to pay for your medicare insurance.
I agree with the writer, I do not enjoy listening to the news because all I hear is folks calling me a racist or mobster for standing up for my freedom.
I know there are those that have difficulty understanding the recess rallies and the tea parties. I know there are those who don't like any kind of protest marches, especially in Tupelo because we have not seen a lot of this kind of activity. Most events like these are usually somewhere else in bigger towns.
The people who attended the Tupelo rally were our neighbors from all across Mr. Childer's district who are trying to hang onto the great heritage of our nation as the only nation in the world where the people enjoy freedoms as we do. We are not racist as some think we are. We are not radicals, as some people viewing from a distance would like for us to be. We are everyday people who love our country. We are people with different backgrounds and from multiple church denominations. We are the backbone of our communities, business people, blue collar workers, teachers, ministers, stay at home mom's, parents of children with special needs, grandfathers who want to see their grandchildren grow up in a free nation as we had the opportunity too. There are many more people that make up the tea party attendees and the marchers. We are the silent majority that has chosen not to be silent any more. We are the voice of everyday Americans trying with respect to be heard and represented according to our wishes for America to remain a Christian nation and a free nation. We are now the watchdogs of our government. Apparently someone has failed to manage their duties as the watchdogs of our great nation so we are taking charge and are going to hold people accountable. We are real Americans with certified birth certificates to prove it that are not going to hush up. We will stand up for God and country and not be ashamed to do so. We will stand up for our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The very underlying aspect of the proposed healthcare bill being considered for law will destroy parts of this precious document. I cannot phantom anyone willing to sacrifice their freedoms, their great nation and their pride for personal gain, although it has occurred many times before and will again.
Destroying the Constitution in order to receive "free" healthcare is not the answer to the issue. Government control over its citizens is the ultimate goal. Once that is in place then we will all see the darker side of the healthcare reform being considered. I want healthcare for everyone but there are better ways. Listen to the people, work within the Constitution and the free enterprise system.
I agree insurance companies have made a killing with their rates but the rates are high to cover all of the malpractice lawsuits with unheard of settlements that have made people multimillionaires at our expense. This can be fixed easier than the healthcare issues. As I stated earlier, there is a better way. Just take time, discuss it with all the people and listen to the people. Don't try to bring the USA down to third world country status. Freedom is not free and neither is the proposed healthcare reform.
Medicaid and Medicare have more money streaming out than coming in. It will be running fully in the red before the end of this year!! So now tell us which Government Business is doing well?
These people you see screaming and yelling, some or part are planted by the opposition. How many out of control TEA Parties have you seen in MS? That is because they don't think MS is important enough to have to send these trouble makers all the way down South.
The TEA Party people put God first. Family second. And country third. They uphold the Constitution. They are law abiding citizens. They have good jobs with good insurance they would like to keep.
Why would any company in their right mind keep the insurance they are paying upward to 600.00 or 900.00 a month for, per employee keep said insurance if the government offers insurance for 300.00 per month per employee? Why would a company want to run the risk of having an inferior (and if it is not inferior why do the Congressmen and Senators, and the President refuse to have it also?) insurance, because the government can deem it so at their discretion, and pay fines?
Why would any person in their right mind want to continue to work if the government is going to give them insurance, welfare, foodstamps, crazy checks, utility assistance, and rental assistance? Why would any young person ever strive again to finish high school or college? Why would any person want to start a small business?
Why would a Dr. want to practice if he has to see 100 patients a day? Or chose if he wants to go against the government, and not perform procedures that run against his faith and morals? Why would any young person want to be a Doctor or nurse in the US if they know what is coming?
There are fixes. Some things are broken. But this is the wrong and morally wrong way to go about it. Cap and Trade is wrong and morally wrong. Some people, such as the TEA Party people, have woken up. I just hope the rest of the people don't wait too long to wake.
If we are trying to cover the 45 to 50 million people who do not have insurance, why does the entire system need to be changed? That is what most American's are thinking in my opinion.
Are there nut cases on both sides of the fence (far left & far right)? Of course there are. But lets have a civil discussion about it and what the final goal is and quit attacking the people (ad homenum)as our arguments. Attack the argument not the person.
Perhaps if the organizer's of our local tea parties would invite her to speak,I might be more interested in attending.It would definitely make it more interesting.
A Republican is;
SUPER ELITE (Insurance company executives looking after their own greedy welfare and the doctors making tremendouw incomes--look at the million dollars houses around Tupelo)
SUPER STUPID (Those individuals that always vote Republican which is contrary to their personal benefit)
SUPER RACIST (Get in a group of white people and mention President Obama and listen as you will hear the "N" word used frequently)
Tsk!
People on the right who are at a loss for words in a political argument scream "socialist;" on the left it's "Fascist" or "racist!" These are signs of intellectual bankruptcy. I expected better of you.