Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Healthcare Policy Shouldn't Personal
Recently, when listening to the Healthcare debate, I hear two different arguments entirely. The LEFT argues the value of healthcare itself. The RIGHT argues the merits of the healthcare bill. So, what happens is, the Right is demonized for being "against" healthcare, whereas the Left are accused of being socialist. I believe this is intentional.
There are very few people in this nation, I believe, that are against people getting access to healthcare. That is an emotionally charged battle cry designed to divert and distract Americans from using their brains. Americans would much rather feel than think. They want to be told how to think rather that form their own opinion. America has become a spoon fed nation and joiners, instead of leaders.
But emotion has no place in this debate and I will tell you why. We all form opinions with different perspectives and experiences. Although each person can be respected in terms of free thought/speech, every opinion does not demand respect. I've never been one to agree that "feelings aren't wrong." Feelings are fleeting, fallible and often wrong when forming policy. Feelings are about individuals. Policy is about the public. When we use emotions, we end up with a self-serving goal, instead of a democratic goal that serves all the people.
So, moving beyond the emotional hate speech and listening to what one educated concerned American feels,let me expound on the failings of the healthcare bill.
I am all for reforming the cost and administration of healthcare. But, here’s the problem - the bill didn't fix the costs; it only changed who pays for it and how its is paid for. There was no Tort reform to protect doctors, which would allow them to lower their costs for delivering healthcare. There was no efficiencies in administration costs. There is no positive "incentive" for small business to provide insurance (only an additional duty to do so). So, I just don’t think this bill fixed costs.
Additionally, I am in favor covering pre-existing conditions or major chronic health conditions. I don’t think “limits” on such care is even humane, if the consumer is willing to pay premiums for it. If you cannot get proper care or have been denied coverage, it is shameful. That needs fixed.
So, the Healthcare reform is not what is being debated, it is the healthcare bill. People need to understand that. For instance, no matter which way they present it, I am now forced to pay for people's sex change operations and abortions - of which, I fundamentally disagree with. Why do 26 yr. olds need to be on their parent’s plans? How is that saving costs? Let’s create some jobs and put those 26 year old adults to work so they can buy their own healthcare and pay into the system to help those who cannot work.
My point is, we don't need to expand healthcare coverage, we need to provide jobs to people so they can afford and pay for healthcare the same way others do. We need to make healthcare affordable, not simply help people pay. And, we need to focus on what needs fixed, instead of throwing in all these extra covered procedures. Accountability has been trumped in the name of compassion.
This is what I mean by a different having two different arguments. I agree that people who disagree are not bad people, but I disagree in that they are not wrong. I do think they are wrong. I feel strongly that people have settled for the satisfaction of their own self-interests and not looked at the larger, long term perspective. There was a better way - but our elected officials didn't have the political backbone to do the right thing.
There are very few people in this nation, I believe, that are against people getting access to healthcare. That is an emotionally charged battle cry designed to divert and distract Americans from using their brains. Americans would much rather feel than think. They want to be told how to think rather that form their own opinion. America has become a spoon fed nation and joiners, instead of leaders.
But emotion has no place in this debate and I will tell you why. We all form opinions with different perspectives and experiences. Although each person can be respected in terms of free thought/speech, every opinion does not demand respect. I've never been one to agree that "feelings aren't wrong." Feelings are fleeting, fallible and often wrong when forming policy. Feelings are about individuals. Policy is about the public. When we use emotions, we end up with a self-serving goal, instead of a democratic goal that serves all the people.
So, moving beyond the emotional hate speech and listening to what one educated concerned American feels,let me expound on the failings of the healthcare bill.
I am all for reforming the cost and administration of healthcare. But, here’s the problem - the bill didn't fix the costs; it only changed who pays for it and how its is paid for. There was no Tort reform to protect doctors, which would allow them to lower their costs for delivering healthcare. There was no efficiencies in administration costs. There is no positive "incentive" for small business to provide insurance (only an additional duty to do so). So, I just don’t think this bill fixed costs.
Additionally, I am in favor covering pre-existing conditions or major chronic health conditions. I don’t think “limits” on such care is even humane, if the consumer is willing to pay premiums for it. If you cannot get proper care or have been denied coverage, it is shameful. That needs fixed.
So, the Healthcare reform is not what is being debated, it is the healthcare bill. People need to understand that. For instance, no matter which way they present it, I am now forced to pay for people's sex change operations and abortions - of which, I fundamentally disagree with. Why do 26 yr. olds need to be on their parent’s plans? How is that saving costs? Let’s create some jobs and put those 26 year old adults to work so they can buy their own healthcare and pay into the system to help those who cannot work.
My point is, we don't need to expand healthcare coverage, we need to provide jobs to people so they can afford and pay for healthcare the same way others do. We need to make healthcare affordable, not simply help people pay. And, we need to focus on what needs fixed, instead of throwing in all these extra covered procedures. Accountability has been trumped in the name of compassion.
This is what I mean by a different having two different arguments. I agree that people who disagree are not bad people, but I disagree in that they are not wrong. I do think they are wrong. I feel strongly that people have settled for the satisfaction of their own self-interests and not looked at the larger, long term perspective. There was a better way - but our elected officials didn't have the political backbone to do the right thing.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Just the Facts
Rather than debate the traditional pro-life bullet points, I will defer to the numbers. If they do not shock you or at least trouble you, perhaps that makes my biggest point of all. . . .
Number of American battle deaths in all U.S. wars since the birth of our nation (1776): 654,000
Number of American infant deaths by abortion in all the U.S. since 1970: 52,333,826
Ratio of U.S. abortions to battle deaths in all U.S. wars: 80 to 1
Maybe we’re fighting the wrong war. . . .
Number of Americans of all ages and races murdered daily by handguns – 20.5
Number of American unborn babies of all races killed every day by scalpels – 3,411
Ratio of babies killed by abortion to people killed by handguns: 166.4 to 1
Maybe we’re controlling the wrong weapons. . . .
Average cost for an abortion in the United States today: $500
Estimated cost of preventing an abortion through compassionate education: $25
Ratio of cost of an abortion to cost of education: 20:1
Maybe we're paying for the wrong health “care.”
Suicide rate for women following a live birth: 5.9 per 100,000.
Suicide rate for women following an abortion: 34.7 per 100,000.
Increased risk to women who have had abortions: 488%
Maybe women have been deceived. . . .
Notes: Basic Data drawn from the U.S. Statistical Abstract, and World Almanac with projections and analysis by the Movement for a Better America. Abortion data based on published data from Guttmacher Institute. Abortion Index is updated every six months. Latest update: 1-2-2010 For permission to distribute copies of The Abortion Index, write to:
Movement for a Better America
PO Box 472
Mt. Freedom, NJ 07970-0472
Number of American battle deaths in all U.S. wars since the birth of our nation (1776): 654,000
Number of American infant deaths by abortion in all the U.S. since 1970: 52,333,826
Ratio of U.S. abortions to battle deaths in all U.S. wars: 80 to 1
Maybe we’re fighting the wrong war. . . .
Number of Americans of all ages and races murdered daily by handguns – 20.5
Number of American unborn babies of all races killed every day by scalpels – 3,411
Ratio of babies killed by abortion to people killed by handguns: 166.4 to 1
Maybe we’re controlling the wrong weapons. . . .
Average cost for an abortion in the United States today: $500
Estimated cost of preventing an abortion through compassionate education: $25
Ratio of cost of an abortion to cost of education: 20:1
Maybe we're paying for the wrong health “care.”
Suicide rate for women following a live birth: 5.9 per 100,000.
Suicide rate for women following an abortion: 34.7 per 100,000.
Increased risk to women who have had abortions: 488%
Maybe women have been deceived. . . .
Notes: Basic Data drawn from the U.S. Statistical Abstract, and World Almanac with projections and analysis by the Movement for a Better America. Abortion data based on published data from Guttmacher Institute. Abortion Index is updated every six months. Latest update: 1-2-2010 For permission to distribute copies of The Abortion Index, write to:
Movement for a Better America
PO Box 472
Mt. Freedom, NJ 07970-0472
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