Government Health Care Flow Chart (from Congress)

This chart is from Congress and illustrates how simple our new government health care will be. I'm not making this up, this is not a joke, although I can see where you would get that.

http://www.newmajority.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dems_health_plan_organizational_chart.jpg

I beg to differ Mr. President

President Obama,

You were asked last night about a black Harvard Professor who was arrested for disorderly conduct after breaking into his own home. The police responded to a call of two men breaking in to the home, asked to see his ID, and he defiantly refused and accused the officers of racism. Eventually he shows proof of ownership, but continues to be agitated. You said that "I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry,"

Apparently you and I are different. I would not be upset to see the police showing to prevent what looked like a burglary of my property. I would be grateful and happily show them my ID. I would be left thinking I live in a safe neighborhood with a good neighborhood watch. Hopefully I would know my neighbors so they would have recognized me in the first place, but that's beside the point.

And then you had the boldness to say "No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home." I still can't believe called the police officers stupid for doing their job and responding to a robbery. Sure, now you are claiming that you were calling the incident stupid. But clearly you said the police acted stupidly, which implies you called the police officers stupid. The professor was not arrested at that point for breaking into his home, he was arrested for disorderly conduct.

You then said "And No. 3 — what I think we know separate and apart from this incident — is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionally and that’s just a fact." Whether or not you not you said it was apart from this incident, your words in fact imply you are calling the officers racists. I think its obvious this wasn't a case of racism. Perhaps the man shouldn't have been arrested, but if you're being yelled at and called a racist for doing your job you aren't going to be sympathetic. There was a black officer present. Additionally, the arresting officer has taught a diversity class to other officers for the past five years. I don't think a racist would do that. The police officer shouldn't be apologizing, you and the professor you should be apologizing for calling him racist.

It wouldn't surprise me if your friend Professor Gates wanted to be arrested. I'm not saying he came thinking he would get arrested. But now that he was arrested he is on cable news. Next thing you know he will be announcing his book deal.

Sincerely,

Greg

Health Care - Worth Taking the Time to Fix

Yesterday, thankfully, it was announced that the health care bill will not be voted on before the August recess despite President Obama's time table to do so. (You can't blame the Republicans anymore, the Democrats have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate so all the delays are from their disagreements) This is only a good thing, in my opinion, no matter what side you stand on.

If health care is as important an issue as it is claimed, then we the American people deserve for any bill promising reform to have had the time devoted to it to try and ensure it is well thought out. There are many issues yet to have been addressed, including how much exactly this will cost, how we will pay for it, who and how covered procedures and medicines will be determined, what sacrifices we will have to make, (and there will be, despite vague answers) and more. This are not easy and light issues. As of yet, I have not heard satisfactory answers to these questions. His news conference Wednesday certainly failed to offer them. To try and push such a bill through without these questions having been addressed and explained to the American people, who should have a chance to respond, was ludicrous on the part of the President.

The problems of our nations health care have been around and developing for years. How then can you argue that a bill must be passed so quickly, that a couple more months cannot be given to try and ensure the bill is good? Many point to President Bush as having used the politics of fear to push through legislation in the wake of 9/11. I point to President Obama as using the politics of fear to push through health care and other legislation that dramatically changes the nature and role of our government. Obama is afraid if he doesn't get his bill passed soon, Americans will begin to realize that it isn't the silver bullet he promised. The economic crisis that burst forth open last October was not related to health care. (it was caused by over-borrowing, and is being fixed by over-borrowing) And yet, the President seems to connect the two and use the financial crisis as a pretext for rushing through health care reform. If President Bush used fear tactics, President Obama has used them from the beginning of his presidency.