Why do we care?

Our country was founded on freedom; Of that, I think we can all agree. Beyond that, our founders' intents are up for debate. And we tend to become emotionally vociferous in our viewpoints. The Religious Right are convinced that we were founded on Christian (biblical) principles. The Left is convinced that we were founded on Secular Enlightenment values. And there is a broad spectrum between these two views that people fall into. Many other issues that we grapple with today are also debated as to what our founder' intentions were. My question is, "Why do we care what their 'intentions' were?"

This question will more than likely raise some eyebrows and may even cause anger. But I believe that this is a very valid question to ask, especially with the varied social, political, economic, international, etc., issues that we're facing in today's climate. Our differing viewpoints have never been so polarized and our ability to argue these points has never been so available, thanks to the internet and social media.

Our founders' most important intents lie within the Constitution, our foundation, our bedrock. They laid out the vision for the young country, allowing for the flexibility of change. Without this flexibility, we would have been doomed to failure before we even started. Some of the most important changes we've faced in the past decades have been issues of civil rights -- voting rights of blacks and women, interracial marriage, and now, we're debating gay marriage. And herein lies the importance of my question.

As we try to determine what they founders' intentions were, beyond what is expressly written in the Constitution, we must realize that the founders lived in a time where only wealthy, white, male landowners were a part of the political process. The slavery issue was hotly debated, but beyond owning a person, most refined men of the time also debated whether blacks, and women, had souls! They could not have envisioned women being independent, strong, contributing to the greater society. They could not have envisioned a Martin Luther King, Jr., let alone a Barack Obama. They couldn't have fathomed a world with nuclear weapons, fighter jets, or Facebook. So aside from the Constitution, I ask, why do we care at all what their intentions were?

As our culture changes, allowing for broader views and broader freedoms, we move further away from the culture, the views, of people who lived in the 18th century -- and I would argue that this is a good thing! We have built upon the stepping stones of so many others who have come before us, not just our Constitution founders. We honor all of those who have made contributions to our country each time we enter the voting booths, each time we engage in researching individual issues and debate them among ourselves. We are the fruits of all of their labors. Why attempt to remain in an antiquated mindset? I believe that our founders would actually be appalled that we try to maintain their supposed intentions instead of using the most amazing tool they left us, the Constitution, to grow, to progress, in this new and exciting and sometimes frightening age. 

The Truth Behind Healthcare Reform

When Obama was running for election, he promised to pass comprehensive healthcare reform before the end of his first term. Well, he succeeded far sooner than anyone would have thought possible; however, if he hadn't passed it prior to the midterm elections, we know from recent history that he wouldn't have been able to achieve it. We can see this by looking at the Clinton administration's attempt and how the midterms effectively castrated their ability to even discuss healthcare reform. Add to that the intense polarization that Obama's election has created in this country (the rise of hate-groups, the Tea Partiers, and the volatile rhetoric of right-wing pundints), and one can clearly see that Obama has had to move faster than lightening!

Now that HCR has passed, the right-wing pundints have regurgitated numerous bits of misinformation and many instances of downright falsehoods to perpetuate the system of fear and hatred that they have built over the last decade. Democrats from every walk of life are now called "socialists", "communists", and even "facists" (funny, considering facism is a far-right political ideology). Couple this with some fact-stretching by the left, and the average American has 2 choices: 1) to give in to the fear, believing that we will soon be a communist state; or 2) believe that all our problems will be magically erased, with time and the eventual implementation of HCR. The truth lies somewhat to the left, since the right has been spewing outright lies; but falls short of the magical elixer that liberals had hoped for.

First, HCR was not, by any means, shoved down the throats of the Republican representatives, and passed in the dark of night. For many months, the Obama Administration reached across the aisle to garner Republican support and, in fact, held a televised healthcare summit which allowed for several viewpoints from both sides of the aisle. In fact, many Republicans seemed to agree with the healthcare reform bill that was being debated, and offered several additional facets that would make it more attractive to Republicans, such as implementing stronger measures to prevent Medicaid and Medicare fraud and helping small businesses to provide coverage for their employees through a hefty tax incentive.

Unfortunately, after scrapping some of the strongest parts of reform, such as the Single Payer Option, and adding several Republican ideas, not one Republican voted for HCR. Now, it's important to note that the main thrust of "Obamacare" strongly resembles Mitt Romney's proposal for healthcare reform during the 2008 election. Many liberal pundints are calling this healthcare reform "Romneycare" to counter the conservative mantra.

Immediately following passage of this bill, the barely-recognized Tea Party people began to come out of the woodwork in droves carrying signs that depicted Obama as a Socialist, Communist, or Facist, and yelling about the government having too much involvement in our lives; that this HCR is the first step to a Marxist State, where our individual rights will be trampled upon! But in their other hands were signs demanding that Obama leave their Medicare alone! And they were unable to see the complete irony in that! They yelled that social programs are enabling poor people to be lazy and sponge off a system that eliminates all incentives to make something of oneself. They used public transportation to meet in a public park with police protections, and had food and water that the FDA deemed safe for human consumption while they rallied against social programs that paid for that transportation, paid for the upkeep of that park, paid for the police protection, ensured the safety of the food and water, and on and on. Again, the irony was completely lost on them.

So back to the bill. Why did the Republicans vote against HCR lock, stock, and barrel, even though they actually agreed with much of the bill? Because they are banking on misinformation and outright lies to scare the American populace into voting Republicans into a majority in November, effectively crippling the Obama administration from any further legislation, and then claiming that the Democrats are, once again, ineffectual at leadership. They intend on using the massive hatred and racial division that Obama's election has raised to perpetuate that campaign of fear through the next election cycle, when they see a clear and concise Republican Presidential win. Then they can basically defunct "Obamacare", restructure it slightly to appear more conservative in nature, and resubmit it as the magical elixer for all our problems. However, the Republican form of healthcare reform continues to deregulate insurance companies, and gradually eliminates Medicare and Medicaid funding.

Many top Republicans are currently debating ways to cripple Obamacare before it has the ability to be realized through blocking congressional funding. And several state Attorneys General have filed lawsuits to question the constitutionality of HCR.

Unfortunately, the Democrats helped to cripple this bill before it was passed. There are numerous loopholes in this law that allow the inusrance companies to lobby for lower regulation; in fact, the insurance companies have made substantial contributions to the writing of this bill. Once the single payer option was eliminated, this bill became a boon for corporate America, building on the current system, mandating that everyone be covered (ensuring the coffers of the insurance company will continue to grow). The implementation of the law is so slow that many Americans will be left in the cold waiting for coverage, and some estimate that tens of thousands of Americans will die each year without coverage in spite of HCR being passed into law this March. As time ticks by and loopholes are found through corporate lobbyists, the ability for stronger legislation to pass becomes a harder task to accomplish.

However, this is an important first step. If the Democrats can pull together and become a strong party, perhaps they can pull off a true magical miracle. Already, many people are starting to see the benefits of healthcare reform, such as the continuation of coverage for adult children up to age 26.

According to healthreform.gov, there are several immediate improvements that people will begin to see this year. For example, small businesses have already been receiving information concerning the tax incentives created to assist them with offering healthcare to their employees. And insurance companies can no longer block coverage for children with pre-existing conditions. States are currently working with the government to develop a high-risk pool to help cover people that have been unable to receive coverage due to their pre-existing conditions. And soon, people cannot have their insurance coverage dropped because they get sick.

The hope of the Democrats is that the Republican fear-mongering will give way to reality as people begin to see these benefits. Just as people want government to leave Medicare alone, so they hope healthcare will follow that path. And gradually, stronger legislation will be passed, leading to a single payer option.

It's important to research information and make your own mind up. What are your thoughts? Knowledge is power.. Namaste!

http://www.healthreform.gov/
www.usnews.com/blogs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
and the opposing view:
http://www.gop.gov/solutions/healthcare/resources

Return to the Illegal Immigration Debacle

Even though there are more pieces of legislation to look at, I wanted to take a moment to return to the illegal immigration debate. There are some facts that people need to be aware of. Below, I have 3 sources for additional research, and 1 just for a laugh (gotta love Jon Stewart!) 

First, it is important to note that President Obama has asked the US Department of Justice to review the law Arizona passed to determine if it violates constitutional law. I believe they will find that it DOES. The reason is simple, it uses institutional racism to racially discriminate. I found a great website that defines these terms:

Race

All human beings belong to a single species and share a common origin. They are born equal in dignity and rights and all form an integral part of humanity. All peoples of the world possess equal faculties for attaining the highest level in intellectual, technical, social, economic, cultural and political development. The differences between the achievements of the different people are entirely attributable to geographical, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors. Such differences can in no case serve as a pretext for any rank ordered classification of nations or peoples.
Source: "Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice" adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Article I

Racism

Is any action or attitude, conscious or unconscious, that subordinates an individual or group based on skin colour or race. It can be enacted individually or institutionally.
Source: US Civil Rights Commission

Institutional Racism

A system of procedures/patterns in all walks of life, i.e. education, housing, businesses, employment, professional associations, religion, media, etc., whose effect is to perpetuate and maintain the power, influence and well-being of one group over another. It originates in the operation of established and respected forces in the society; and thus receives far less public condemnation than does individual racism. Although more subtle than individual racism, it is more destructive of humanity.
Sources: Various Publications

Racial Discrimination

To treat differently a person or group of people based on their racial origins. Power is a necessary precondition, for it depends on the ability to give or withhold social benefits, facilities, services, opportunities etc., from someone who should be entitled to them, and are denied on the basis of race, colour or national origin.
Sources- The Ideology of Racism

Looking at these definitions, this is clearly a case of discrimination based solely on race and national origin. The bill states that law enforcement is required to stop anyone suspected of being illegal, but when asked what those criteria are, no one can answer that.. or they won't answer that! In fact, Arizona state officials have recently requested assistance from the federal government in identifying what an illegal immigrant looks like.

This bill also infringes on Arizonans civil rights. The bill states that, "A law enforcement officer, without a warrant, may arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States." This opens anyone, not just Hispanics, to unlawful detainment. And those who cry foul have no recourse, since law enforcement who enforce this law "...be indemnified by his or her law enforcement agency for all reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees." In other words, the average American citizen will be taking on the entire police force and the state of Arizona in any legal claim, and all of their accompanying resources, moneys, and legal representation. 

In addition, this bill also violates the Supremecy Clause of the constitution which "... gives the federal government exclusive power to regulate our borders, and with very few exceptions, states are not free to create their own laws regulating immigration," the Arizona ACLU stated.  

Another problem with this law is with the writers, themselves. The main writer is Sen. Russell Pierce who has been photographed with a known neo-Nazi, hugging. Another writer is Chris Kobach, who is a member of a group who has made white supremicist remarks, funded racist research concerning race and intelligence in an effort to prove white superiority. One may argue that these individuals are only guilty by association; however, this bill proves that they are guilty as charged - racists white supremicists.
 
Please folllow my links below and feel free to comment.
 
Knowledge is power, and power used appropriately can lead to humanity and compassion of all human beings!


 
reader supported news
world news
the daily show
the rachel maddow show
phoenix new times