Health Care Reform and Saving Lives

It has been a long and winding road for the health care reform bill as it makes it's way to the Senate floor. The past summer of discontent revealed a strong and loud voice of opposition to the public option and to any plan that would place the health care needs of the American people into the hands of the government. I can understand why people would oppose giving any type of control to the same government that handled Katrina or more recently, the economy. I am certainly not an economist, but John B Taylor is and he writes on his blog about another economist's views:"Cliff Winston of the Brookings Institution carefully reviews three decades of empirical research on a wide range of microeconomic policy studies in his important book Government Failure versus Market Failure. He comes to the same basic conclusion; as he puts it "thirty years of empirical evidence... suggests that the welfare cost of government failure may be considerably greater than that of market failure." I would rather face the consequences of market failure than government failure. When markets fail, the market can respond with innovative ways to find its own level again. When government programs fail, bureaucrats add new regulations to keep it going because, after all, it is someone else's money so the buck gets passed. I cannot think of a single government entitlement program that has made my life more complete. And it is not like I hail from a privileged dynasty. There was a few weeks in the summer of 1996 when I found myself unemployed, between jobs, laid off, as it were, and I applied for unemployment benefits because I qualified. You know what it did for me? It took the edge off of my desperate search and so I sent out a few resume's and headed to Guatemala to experience cultural exploration and to experience real poverty. It did not make me more motivated to seek employment...that came when the "benefits" were about to run out. I am not saying we don't need unemployment benefits. I am saying there is something wrong with calling it a benefit. I am sure it has helped a struggling family get through a difficult time. I am also sure that it has been abused, wasted, and is vulnerable to fraudulent use. But, again, it is someone else's money. I digress. Right now, we are facing government expansion like never before with nearly 2,000 pages of taxes and entitlements and lots of room for fraud and abuse. But, what is striking to me is that it is all coming down to a question of life. The pro-life advocates, of which I am a shameless member, have kept vigilant eyes on the bill. We have discovered that the bill is an expansion of abortion funding and creates a mandate for federally funded abortions. It is unacceptable and I am willing to bet that it will stop this health care monstrosity in its tracks and bring it to its knees. Abortion is not health care and more and more Americans agree. More and more Senators agree, too. We will not back down on this. Health care should save lives, not end them. Right now, American hospitals will not turn away a sick or injured person who cannot pay. But under this plan, we will see the rationing of health care via government standards that decide what treatments are necessary and who needs them. Go here and let your voice be heard.

Elections Have Consequences

I could use this same title for most of my posts about the actions of the Obama administration. This week, while we are glued to our sets watching the Sotomayor Saga...snooze...., health care legislation is being overhauled and hate crimes legislation is being introduced. Ch-ch-ch-changes....that's for sure. Earth shattering, ground breaking ch-ch-ch-changes. And while I think these changes are pointing our country in the wrong direction, I have to remind myself that elections have consequences. I am aware of a certain clarity that one has when one has not voted for the current administration. And conversely, I am aware of the tendency for those who did vote for the current administration to default to autopilot and apathy and allow this administration to proceed in overdrive. It happened to those who voted Bush into office, twice, I might add. The Bush opponents had a certain clarity about Rumsfeld, that Bush supporters lacked. And now, the clarity and concern has been awakened in conservatives. I am not sure how this awakening will translate into political action. In the meantime, Sotomayor will likely be confirmed without pause. And we will be ushered into an era where the highest court in the land will now use empathy to decide cases. This court will also take into consideration the race, gender, life experience and sexual behavior of an individual before deciding on the case. As Sotomayor continues to parse her words and, by omission, basically acknowledge that abortion is a constitutional right, will we continue to sit in the passenger's seat and watch our country pass us by?

Can't Get Enough Sarah

The nutty blogosphere couldn't say enough mean and hateful things about soon to be ex-Governor Sarah Palin as she abruptly announced her resignation plans. In my quest for the beef of the story, which at this point is...stay tuned...I came across very detailed conspiracy theories. Here are the top theories. The mainstream media hasn't a verifiable clue so they are all speculating that she is seeking another office or perhaps getting an early start on her 2012 campaign. The nutty blogosphere (oh I hope I don't have to eat my words, but she is a politician, so ANYTHING is possible) thinks that she engaged in a pay for play scheme with the builders of the Wasilla sports complex. They have threads a mile long talking about how the windows of her home look just like the windows of the sports complex. GASP!
You can't believe how many people are spending their Friday night theorizing about Sarah Palin's sudden announcement. I feel pathetic reading the comments. But hey, the kids are asleep and this is my time. The vicious rumor mills out there remind me of the stereotypical mean girls that we all knew in High School. You know the ones that couldn't stand it when a girl was prettier or more accomplished than them so they ridiculed and talked about her behind her back. Love her or hate her, we can't seem to get enough of her. So, to all those Tanya Hardings out there, give Governor Palin a break. Until you have walked a mile in her shoes, you cannot possibly know her. If you disagree with her, then stick to the issues and leave the personal attacks to the bullies.

Update:The nutty blogosphere has to eat their words. LOL SARAH PALIN IS NOT UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION

Independence Day

July 4 is also a First Saturday this year. If you know what I am talking about then you are a faithful Catholic deeply consecrated in Truth. If you don't know what I am talking about, this is for you. The First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was first mentioned by Our Lady of Fatima on July 13, 1917. After showing the three children a vision of hell she said, "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace... I shall come to ask for... the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays..."

Eight years later, on December 10, 1925, Mary and the Child Jesus appeared to Lucia, the sole surviving Fatima visionary, at a convent in Pontevedra, Spain. Our Lady rested her hand on Lucia's shoulder, revealing a heart encircled by thorns.

The Child Jesus said: "Have compassion on the heart of your most holy Mother, covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation..."Our Lady spoke next, saying: "Look, my daughter, at my heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."

Our great country is polarized and in turmoil on so many fronts. Just this week North Korea is testing missiles and unemployment is at a 26 year high. By recognizing this First Saturday, we can contribute to the reparations that will bring about an era of peace we have never before experienced. During this Independence Day, let us honor Our Mother who will magnify our prayers and bring us closer to her Son.

Franken Wins!

And now, the circus has a clown. They are going to go crazy overreaching and that is a good thing for the 2010 elections where they will all be tossed out by fired up thinking types. I hope. Hope and change. It's a good thing.

Summer Swimmers

Swimmers 1

I have to brag about my kids and my niece. I am so proud of them. They are facing their fears of cold water, competition, spotlight, and judges. As for my kids, I had to force them to join and I force them to complete one season so that they know what the experience is before they reject it. They are developing the great discipline of rising early and swimming laps in cold water. They are gaining confidence and camaraderie as part of a team that just won their first meet. They may never do this again, but they will know that they have the capacity to achieve. As for me, I am developing the discipline of rising early and ushering them off to practice. I have to work on my attitude in that area. I have become a bag lady. I have a purse, a towel bag, a snack bag, a miscellaneous bag and I bring extra bags for the wet stuff. It's all good. I am just so proud of them! Go Team! Go Team! By the way, click on the title of the painting...beautiful paintings!

Pray Globally, Act Locally

Click here for Iran Updates (VIDEO): Live-Blogging The Uprising

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Pick your news outlet and you will find that each one attempts to polarize every piece of news. They try to pit us against them. I am posting the St. Francis peace prayer to remind us to make peace with each moment, each person, especially the members of our own family, neighborhood and community.

Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

That might explain this.

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Looking for Lines in the Sand

It is Saturday morning and everyone is out getting the best deal for Father's Day or cleaning the house or mowing the lawn. And then there is Iran. The turmoil is rising to a melting point. Back in the Bush era, we knew where we stood. Bush was swift to draw lines in the sand. The current administration is refraining from meddling. Eventually, President Obama will need to take a stand. Let's not forget that we are keeping an eye on a North Korean ship and this emerging story may very well be related to the story in Iran. In the interim, we can all pray for a peaceful resolution to this uprising.

Year for Priests

Friday, June 19, 2009 marks the beginning of the Year for Priests. This is a time to recognize the numerous gifts that these men have bestowed on the faithful for years. The Pope acknowledges the pain that has been caused by those priests who did not uphold their vows, but rather caused deep pain and sorrow for so many. They inflicted a cancer on the sweetest rose, the Church. The faithful that remain in the Church are working to heal the pain and make sure that this never happens again. I have had the priviledge of knowing more than a few of these good men. I often ask myself what gives them the strength to put the collar on day after day when they are demonized by the media. I know that it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Still, they need our prayers.

Dazed and Confused

President Obama fired the Inspector General of AmeriCorps citing that he was "confused, disoriented." Not that Obama was confused or disoriented, but that the Inspector General was, of course, you understand. I don't mean to confuse you. This does not smell right. There are too many conflicts of interest. Either Obama is saying that Gerald Walpin is too old, in which case Kennedy, Pelosi, and Liberman better step up, or Obama is inventing a reason to fire this guy who blew the whistle on Obama's friend. Keep an eye on this story. It is being selectively covered at the moment, meaning that only Fox News is covering it. Fox News gets a lot of criticism and is becoming known for its tenacity in going after the Obama administration. Isn't that what all networks should be doing?

Don't Demonize Me, My Friend, You'll Be Sorry

Joan Walsh debated Bill O'Reilly on his show, The O'Reilly Factor to discuss her charges that he was, in part, responsible for Dr. Tiller's murder because he called Tiller "the baby killer" repeatedly on his show. Bill O'Reilly was Bill O'Reilly, i.e. attack dog, ratings hound, so she must have known what she was walking into. I would not want to be in her shoes, defending the practices of this particular abortion doctor. I am guessing there are not many contenders for that job. Her only defense was to repeat that "what he did was legal." Slavery was legal at one time, too. She was flustered and clearly did not have her facts and even admits this when she says "I skimmed them" when referring to the records of patients. These patients listed rather trivial reasons for such a violent procedure. Life of the mother is a reason most people do not object to, however this is so rare that it cannot explain how Tiller was able to kill 60,000 fetus'. The tensions rise to the point where she levels the threat that is the title of my post. I am not sure what will happen to Bill O'Reilly now that he has, in fact, demonized Ms. Walsh. That remains to be seen. I am left wondering what her mission is. Does she object to freedom of speech? You decide.

And Iran...Iran so far away

What were you up to Monday night? I had gone to a movie and dashed home to tweet about it and I got caught up in a twitter revolution. For about and hour, I was a part of the action. I was not changing diapers, folding laundry or doing dishes. No, I was sharing in the protest against a fraudulent election and information suppression with Iranians who heretofore had been, I am ashamed to admit, unknown entities to me. I suppose a part of me had dismissed them as broken people who had folded under the weight of an oppressive regime. But, the truth is that they have been empowered to make their voices heard. And thanks to twitter, Americans are not the "them" that we had been for years. Now we are their allies. By changing my profile twitter picture to green, I show solidarity with those seeking to establish true freedom and democracy in Iran. Twitter has made us neighbors and friends.

Pro-Life Advocates Make FOCA Vanish into Thin Air

Time magazine's Senior editor, Amy Sullivan, reported in a recent Time article that the grassroots crusade to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act was all in vain. She attempts to spin the most radical abortion bill ever authored as merely mythical. Her title, The Catholic Crusade Against a Mythical Abortion Bill, is nothing short of a bold faced lie. My first awareness of FOCA dates back to last spring when I viewed a youtube video of then candidate Obama speaking at a Planned Parenthood event. In the video, he states that the first thing he would do when he became president was sign the Freedom of Choice Act.
He was rewarded with enthusiastic applause. Evidently, it was not mythical to that audience. And it is not mythical now. Just because it has not been put before this congress does not mean that it cannot. With a Democratically controlled White House and Congress, it is a reality based concern for all pro-life advocates. "What is the big deal?" or "What the FOCA?" you might inquire. Well, in contrast to Ms. Sullivan's deceitful description, FOCA would not merely codify Roe v. Wade, but rather would elevate abortion to a fundamental right. So why would Ms. Sullivan spin the article this way? A quick google search leads me to find that she is a self-professed Liberal Democrat who is pro choice. Now there is nothing wrong with that, unless you produce news stories that are biased in favor of your political identity. Additionally,she has authored a book that instructs Democratic candidates on how to spin hot button issues in order to get elected. She believes that if the pro-choice advocates change their language when it comes to abortion, they can appeal to pro-lifers, without giving up their pro-choice position. In the article cited above, she was spinning this article to favor liberal democratic pro-choice candidates and leaders while discrediting the opposition. FOCA is a radical proposal and I hope that Obama was just being a good politician and pandering to a radical left wing group. The story that Ms. Sullivan missed was in telling how effective the grass roots pro-life movement to raise awareness of FOCA was. And now that the light is shining on FOCA, its writers and supporters have scittered and the spin is that FOCA is a myth. So, the pro-lifers made FOCA vanish. Now, that is a story worth telling. But, pro-lifers are not going to rest on their laurals, here. The pro-abortion agenda will march on in quiet ways. But, we will be there watching and listening and saying no, no, no. You cannot take the life of an innocent human being no matter how inconvenient. Life is a fundamental right, no matter whose life it is. We will not yield.
Read the bill here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.2020
For more information on FOCA:

Octuplets in California

There is a new debate in town and it will last about five minutes so I thought I would put my two cents in while they are worth something. First of all, Nancy must be shaking her head and questioning the patriotism of a woman breeding during these tough economic times. In her own state of California! Second, the frenzied media, once drooling with sympathy and wonder, is now sputtering with disgust that a woman with six kids could possibly consider adding another one, never mind seven, or, oops eight! It gets even better, the hypocrisy, I mean. She is a single mother. That's a good thing, right? Men are not necessary, right? So she went to a clinic and got herself implanted. That is the progressive, good thing to do. Then, she has all the embryos implanted and refuses to allow a "reduction" to take place. That is a fertility clinic term for abort the weakest links in the womb so as not to place a burden on the state of California. What? Is she pro-life now? Now, we are upset because we find out she already had six rugrats running around the house between the ages of two and seven. "What the hell is wrong with her?!"...to quote my husband. Which part, I ask him? You mean to tell me that it is okay to decide that you want to have children in the non-traditional way, but it is not okay to have too many? And who decides how many is too many? "Do it the way God intended or adopt," he says. Men are so wonderfully simple and I mean that in the best possible way. Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to conceive in these progressive ways.

It feels like a punch in the gut from out of nowhere. From the fist of a mythical man, comes a blow to our efforts. What it is, is a signature to overturn the ban on funding abortions around the world. And it has been happening each time the party changes ownership of the White House. I and my four babies and my husband joined the March for Life movement on Thursday, January 22, 2009 with about a quarter of a million other demonstrators. I had heard (sarcasm) that there had been a "sea of humanity" to welcome the new president. The rows and rows of port-a-potties were the only evidence I saw that there had been an historic inauguration of a new president. But when a quarter of a million people showed up to see or hear from him on Thursday he was nowhere to be seen. But, the scratching noise of his pen was heard early Friday morning when he signed his name to lift the ban on funding of abortions around the world. So, we rejoin the efforts of all the great eugenicists and we now, with our pocketbook, help to clean up the global gene pool and rid it of the undesirable traits that lead to poverty. Like it or not, that is what we are doing. Oh, and slaughtering the innocents. It doesn't seem to matter to President Obama that thanks to ultrasound we have seen a human being , that we have watched a beating heart, heard a beating heart, discovered whether it was a girl or boy. It doesn't seem to matter that research has shown that a developing baby has feelings. It doesn't seem to matter to President Obama that he has lifted a ban on the funding of the slaughtering of innocent human beings. Most of them are dark skinned, fatherless, and poor. Sound familiar? Perhaps we have too many people that fit those demographics. Again, sarcasm. On this same day, President Obama has signed an executive order to close Guantanamo and signed other orders that would lead to a kinder and gentler approach to how we treat terrorists. While I laud any movement from our newly elected President towards a kinder and gentler nation, I ask him to be consistent. From conception to natural death, let us be kinder and gentler to all regardless of race or gender or class or age. Because a fetus is just a really young person.