Ted Kennedy, Another View

In recent days there has been a glorification of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. I have a different view. We should never judge others, that is solely up to God. Yet we have a right to an opinion and we have a right, even a duty, to point out something that we consider very wrong, especially when something has been given such wide spread attention.

While Kennedy has been glorified as a hero I think about the millions of babies lives that were lost through abortion under his "leadership" in the senate. I think about him voting 6 times in favor of partial birth abortion. I think about a meeting at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Mass in 1964, where the Kennedy family and supporters were coached by theologians and "Catholic" college professors on how to accept and promote abortion with a "clear conscience." This then set the model and pattern for many "Catholic" politicians thereafter to rationalize going after the pro-abortion vote, thanks to Ted Kennedy.

This did not change, however, that the Catholic Church considers abortion a grave sin against God and humanity.

I think about a beautiful young woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, and how she was left to die.

I think about his lifetime of womanizing and adultery, but worse how he degraded women and used them as objects.

I think about how he viciously attacked a good man like Robert Bork simply because Bork believed in preserving the life a an innocent child. Bork who is not only a good man, but one of the best judicial scholars in the country and would have made an excellent Supreme Court Justice.

I think about how he lectured and publicly criticized Pope John Paul II for standing firm on the issue of abortion following TRUE Catholic beliefs and doctrine. Ted Kennedy lecturing the Pope, the ultimate hypocrisy!

I think about the near treasonous acts of Ted Kennedy in 1983 as depicted in now released Soviet documents where he attempted to undercut the United States under President Ronald Reagan in return for political favor from the Soviet Union while we were involved in a Cold War.

I think about his ex-wife Joan being found lying in the gutter on the streets of Boston and the impact of he had on Joan Kennedy's life.

I think about the sorry state of our country today, much as a result of Ted Kennedy's leadership. This includes the erosion of our values and our current financial crisis.

I think about his quest of healthcare for "all", yet the Bills he supported will most certainly neglect the elderly, the handicapped, and the disabled through the rationing that will occur.

Yes, we should all pray for his soul and forgiveness, but another view of Ted Kennedy needs to be brought out vs. the current glorification. His funeral services seemed to imply how "Catholic" he and the Kennedy family are, yet they violate the most fundamental and important Catholic doctrine concerning the dignity of life through their support of abortion. All other good works diminish if the life of an innocent, helpless child is not protected, and even encouraged to be taken! His example needs to be criticized so that younger people and other people can see him for what he REALLY was.

Having now had the opportunity to meet Our Lord, if he were to come back, I wonder what Ted Kennedy would now say about abortion.

White House to Curtail Freedom of Speech

The White House that controls most of the media has been frustrated for some time by the ability of people to communicate freely on the Internet. This includes E-mail, blogs, and twitter...the ability of people to communicate, send each other information, the ability to do research on a topic to get the facts, look up information, communicate a contrary opinion, organize thoughts and efforts in opposition...you know, freedom of speech.

Now a bill is being put forward by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, who has spent months drafting it behind closed doors. The 55-page draft of S.773. which appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks of the Internet during a so-called "cybersecurity emergency". It is troubling, like most of the legislation being pushed through today by its vagueness. This is the new trick in legislation, make it voluminous and vague, this then gives the White House the power to make it anything they want to, very scary.

When Rockefeller, the chairman of the Senate Commerce committee, and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced the original bill in April, they claimed it was vital to protect national cybersecurity. "We must protect our critical infrastructure at all costs--from our water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records," Rockefeller said.

The White House is supposed to engage in "periodic mapping" of private networks deemed to be critical, and those companies "shall share" requested information with the federal government. "Cyber" is defined as anything having to do with the Internet, telecommunications, computers, or computer networks. There's no provision for any administrative process or review. This is very troubling and then you have the amorphous powers that go along with it.

Wake up, America!

Fire Washington

One can understand when an administration inherits a financial downturn that it will take some time to turn the situation around under the "new management". When the new administration, however, PLANS for a deficit of $9.05 trillion over the next 10 years that is inexcusable. Imagine if it were a business, or any other kind of organization, where those in charge told senior management we are going to operate at a massive deficit for the next 10 years. How long do you think that they would last before they got fired?

Yet that is exactly what we have going on in Washington today. Massive and out of control spending. The American people "hired" the current administration to get us out of the current financial crisis, not to continue it and make it significantly worse. Where is the plan for economic growth and income? Where is the plan for the cutting of wasteful federal spending? Give any good management 10 years and it is not only expected that it will be turned around, it should be demanded.

The American people are senior management. It is time that we fire an administration and those in Washington who are responsible for PLANNING a deficit of over $9 trillion over the next 10 years. It is unacceptable.

For One Brief Moment - September 11, 2001

For One Brief Moment

September 11, 2001

For one brief moment on September the 11th time seemed to stand still. People sought family members and recognized the importance of family. Parents gathered their children with a self-protecting love. Helping and caring about other people occurred. Acts of charity were plentiful and strong. There was an assessment of life and what is really important. News media, and many others, invoked the name of God. Churches, and places of worship were full. People unashamedly prayed. There was a strong feeling of patriotism, a pride in being American, and a desire to show the flag. Crime, and even the thought of it, was absent. We were all in support of our President. Congress and all elected leadership worked together for the good of our country instead of partisan politics. Nations across the world expressed concern, sadness, and unity with the United States.

For one brief moment……

ALL People Have Value to Society

Every human being irrespective of age and condition in life has value to society. This includes the complete spectrum from very young children to older seniors. It includes those who are handicapped or disabled, those who may have an illness, and those who have a physical or mental impairment. It includes people of all races, religions, and national origins. All have value to society and the potential of making both small and large contributions to society. No person, government, or organization can know or predict what contributions are possible from other human beings.

Love is immeasurable. The love between husband and wife, parents and children, brother and sister, or just the love between friends. The love that is given, and the love that flows back from grandparents to grandchildren. The love by parents of a down syndrome child, and the love given back to the parents by this child. In addition to love, there is the great value of teaching and learning from each other, and the interaction between people of all ages and condition in life. Some cultures show great respect for age and for good reason. A person who has lived long has gained great experience and wisdom, and in many cases has seen the consequences of choices and actions. Further there is an opportunity to gain pure input and wisdom on issues of importance; and major contributions to society.

Yet in the healthcare debate today there is a very strong undertone of placing "value" on people in regard to their age and physical or mental condition. Missing is the value of love. There is a strong implication in healthcare planning that some are worth more than others in regard to spending money and medical treatment time on them. Unfortunately it is more than undertone, there are some in high positions who have given advice and opinions on recent healthcare planning who have actually stated that we should consider some more valuable to society and others not worth the cost and time. What it shows is how low we have sunk in morality in our country that this would even be considered as a factor.

Is this one of the solutions for healthcare in our country...to ration medical care and treatment only to those who are deemed worthy? To play God at a high level of government, to determine who deserves to live and who does not?

We need to stop and think where we are headed as a country. The rationing of healthcare being proposed by some, that considers some people more valuable than others, is not what America is about. The current thinking and direction is nothing short of sinister.

ALL people have value.

Washington Arrogance on Healthcare

The most disturbing aspect of the current healthcare debate is a question of tone. Sincere people, the elderly, and many other people who question or oppose a federally controlled national healthcare plan are being considered by the White House and certain democrats as the enemy. They are being labeled as radicals, nazis, right wingers, nuts, and even being called un-American. Senator Arlen Specter, after a town hall meeting with his constituents claimed that the people attending did not represent America. These were his constituents! Representative Sheila Jackson Lee at a town hall meeting was so rude that she talked on her cell phone while people were attempting to ask her a question or give their input on healthcare. That in itself is symbolic. Basic courtesies were not even given to the people of her district.

Think for a moment. Nancy Pelosi, the person who heads a body of government entitled THE HOUSE OF "REPRESENTATIVES" (those who are supposed to REPRESENT us) said that those who question, who voice their opinions, who speak up in opposition, who disagree with the current direction are un-American. In a letter to Organizing for America President Obama called those who question his healthcare plan "the opposition".

Not only are those in Washington not interested in the voice of the people, it has reached a point of arrogance that they have utter disdain for those who differ in opinion. Now THAT, is un-American!

Opposing View to Nancy Pelosi

(This was submitted as an opposing view Op-ed to that of Nancy Pelosi / Steny Hoyer appearing in USA Today August 10. 2009, "Un-American attacks can't derail healthcare debate". I firmly believe that USA Today has an obligation to print opposing view Op-eds.)
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I am a semi-retired 70 year old small business owner with very deep concerns about the direction of our country. I am not a member of any organization or "mob", I am not a radical, and I am a registered democrat although in recent times it is difficult to identify with the party of today. I firmly believe that our country is in grave danger under the current direction in Washington, this includes both major parties. I am concerned, not so much for myself, but for the future of my children, my grandchildren, and for all future generations of Americans. The voice of the people in our country is no longer being heard, in fact it is being shut out. Special interest groups, lobbies, organizations that are unethical and even illegal, and irresponsible politicians are running our country. Nearly all of the warnings as given by the Founders of our country in regard to preventing the failure of our democracy are being violated.

Our nation is being driven into bankruptcy. With all the numbers and financial analysis being tossed around one has to only look at basic facts. Our nation is now at $11.7 trillion in debt and climbing, the expected budget shortfall this fiscal year alone is $1.84 trillion, and that is also climbing. Manufacturing and other private business in America have been devastated with extremely high unemployment in the private, non government employee sector. The US trade deficit is expected to be approximately $700 billion this year. Legislation is being stampeded through Congress that will add even trillions of more dollars to our debt. To me this is not only bankruptcy, but places our nation in peril.

At the same time extensive control of our country is being centralized within the federal government. This includes the seizure of major banks, financial institutions, major auto companies, the US Census, energy sources, organized labor, and other areas vital to the US. There are estimates of 3 dozen "czars" reporting directly to President Obama. Democratic Senator Robert Byrd stated, "The accumulation of power by White House staff can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances," There is a strong feeling by many that by purposely creating a false sense of urgency, a series of legislation with "sound good" titles are being rammed through Congress that will severely limit the basic freedoms of Americans. Much of this legislation will add significantly to our debt.

Now underway is an attempt to control the healthcare of all Americans at the federal level. There is no doubt that our current healthcare needs fixing, more like fine tuning, and there are some identified logical steps to do this. The role of the federal government, however, should be that of oversight, not complete control as now intended. Misleading numbers have been used. The claim is that there are 47 million people are without healthcare coverage. Out of that number there are 9.1 million people who earn $75,000 a year or more and chose not to have healthcare insurance, even though they can afford it. That is their choice! The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 59% of the nations illegal immigrants are uninsured, or about 7.1 million people. This means that effectively 90% of Americans, who want it, have health insurance. Further, for the most part, these 90% are very satisfied with their coverage. As a further indicator an AOL online poll (7/31/09) with over 50,000 votes showed 78% of the people oppose Obama's healthcare plan. Only 10% support it. All of this supports the fine tuning required, not a massive federal takeover.

There are other very serious issues with the proposed healthcare legislation. A chief advisor to Obama is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Either in direct words or by clear implication Dr. Emanuel wants doctors to look beyond the needs of their patients and consider social justice, such as whether the money could be better spent on somebody else. He believes that "communitarianism" should guide decisions on who gets care. He says medical care should be reserved for the non-disabled, not given to those "who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens". Unbelievably, in order to reduce costs he clearly implies that those who are lesser to society such as the elderly, handicapped, and disabled, should not be fully treated. He essentially favors a eugenics approach to healthcare. There is good reason why many elderly people, and many others are angry! They have a right to be. Further, it is misleading to say that a federal healthcare system will be budget neutral. The independent Congressional Budget Office has indicated that it will cost over $1 trillion. The net cost to taxpayers will be very significant.

People who HAVE read the entire 1500 page healthcare bill have serious concerns about specifics in the bill and some of these have been pointed out. Further there seems to be a new approach to legislation that should be highly questionable. This is in reference to voluminous legislation, yet still written in general terms that become "law". This law is then placed into specific federal regulations by Washington bureaucrats. Those who vote on it, let alone the American people, have no idea what the specific federal regulations are going to be. This gives an immense amount of unchecked freedom for the regulations to say anything they want them to, without any checks and balances.

Perhaps most disturbing of all is the fact that the American people's opinion and desires on running our country seem to be no longer considered. Given our current crisis and the alarming direction being set by those in Washington, people have a right to be heard and have a right to be upset. Anyone who has observed some of the tea parties and now the town hall meetings can readily see that many of those speaking up are just regular citizens, the elderly, various races and backgrounds, as well as many democrats. Yet they are being demonized as radicals, nazis, right wing nuts, and being called un-American. There is an attempt to pass significant legislation that will greatly affect all Americans not only today, but future generations, yet people are being denied the right to question, to speak up? There is an accumulation of frustration in America, not only in regard to healthcare, but all the issues, the massive spending, and more. People are very concerned.

We seem to have an ever growing arrogance in Washington. Think for a moment. The person who heads a body of government entitled THE HOUSE OF "REPRESENTATIVES" (those who are supposed to REPRESENT us) say that those who question, who voice their opinions, who speak up in opposition, who disagree with the current direction are un-American. This person is Nancy Pelosi. We ARE Americans, Nancy!

The Race to Save America

They don't care what the American people think. They are in a race to change America from a democracy, with all of our basic freedoms, to a nation and a people controlled by the federal government. They know that they have less than four years to accomplish it, since the American people are bound to wake up. The race is on since they know once our democracy is radically changed it will become almost irreversible.

President Barack Obama was elected based upon hype, slogans, and smooth talk. We knew little about him. He had no management experience, yet he now controls the most complex organization in the world. His education and background are vague and purposely hidden from us. What we do know is that he had associations with very radical people ranging from domestic terrorist Bill Ayers to a 20 year association with minister Jeremiah Wright who has been regularly spewing anti-American and racist diatribes. And there were more radical associations in his past, including ACORN. His only experience was as a "community organizer". His ultra left record followed him through his only other experiences as an Illinois state legislator, and as a junior U.S. Senator.

At breakneck speed the current administration and Congress have placed the United States in a position of near bankruptcy. President Obama fired the head of General Motors, seized control of major banks, financial institutions, major auto companies, the US Census and is looking to control the healthcare of all Americans. His control intentions extend to all energy sources and other areas vital to the US. There are estimates of 3 dozen "czars" reporting directly to Obama. He, essentially, controls Congress and the media. Democratic Senator Robert Byrd stated, "The accumulation of power by White House staff can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances," Purposely creating a false sense of urgency, a series of legislation with "sound good" titles are being rammed through Congress that will severely limit the basic freedoms of Americans.

Never since the formation of our great nation has America been so threatened. Every one of the warnings by our founders relating to preserving our democracy is being violated. Those that voice objection or a contrary position are being demonized through an orchestrated effort.

There is one chance, and one chance only to save our country. We need to vote those responsible, whether Republican or Democrat, out of office. We, the people, need to take back control of our country with a sense of urgency.

WARNING to Seniors on Healthcare

Under the Obama healthcare plan seniors are expendable. This isn't rumor, conjecture, opinion, or anything else, it is fact. A chief advisor to Obama is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Unbelievably, he clearly implies that those who are lesser to society such as the elderly should not be fully treated. He essentially favors a eugenics approach to healthcare.

Some leaders in the House of Representatives are confirming reports that the healthcare bill promotes euthanasia. The bill calls for the recommendation of "palliative care and hospice" for the elderly (rather than treatment). The House healthcare bill proposes to decrease hospital visits by establishing a “medical home pilot program” for elderly and disabled Americans. These medical homes would dump Medicare patients at facilities that would not require a doctor, only nurse practitioners or physician assistants.

President Obama has given a clear signal on what to expect in his April 14, 2009 interview where he stated, "That’s where I think you just get into some very difficult moral issues. The chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health- care bill out here."

Is this where we have arrived in America? The pure evil of the federal government acting as God, making decisions on who is worth medically treating and who dies? Seniors, and all Americans, need to speak up and speak up now before Congress passes this legislation detrimental to seniors and all Americans.

Elderly Expendable Under Obama Healthcare

All people 65 and older should be alarmed. People with parents, grandparents and loved ones who are elderly should be alarmed. You need to know the REAL facts of the Obama healthcare plan concerning the elderly.

A chief advisor to Obama is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Either in direct words or by clear implication Dr. Emanuel wants doctors to look beyond the needs of their patients and consider social justice, such as whether the money could be better spent on somebody else. He believes that "communitarianism" should guide decisions on who gets care. He says medical care should be reserved for the non-disabled, not given to those "who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens". Unbelievably, in order to reduce costs he clearly implies that those who are lesser to society such as the elderly should not be fully treated. He essentially favors a eugenics approach to healthcare. This is one of Obama's top advisors on healthcare!

Some leaders in the House of Representatives are confirming reports that the healthcare restructuring bill that the House is currently considering promotes euthanasia. Section 1233 of the House-drafted legislation encourages health care providers to provide their Medicare patients with counseling on ‘the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration’ and other end of life treatments. They report that the counseling would be focused on telling seniors how to end their lives sooner. Page 425 of the legislation indicates that Congress would make it mandatory that every five years people in Medicare have a required counseling session where They will be told how to end their life sooner. A WorldNetDaily report indicates the bill calls for the recommendation of "palliative care and hospice" (rather than treatment) in the mandatory counseling sessions, which is pain relief as patients die.

The clear message to patients is to do what's in society's best interests, and cut your life short.The House healthcare reform bill proposes to decrease hospital visits by establishing a “medical home pilot program” for elderly and disabled Americans. These medical homes would dump Medicare/Medicaid patients in facilities that would not require a physician to be on the staff, and therefore could be run solely by nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Physicians’ group say the legislation could lead to restrictions on which treatments may be used to effectively help elderly patients.

President Obama has given a clear signal on what to expect in his April 14, 2009 interview where he stated, "That’s where I think you just get into some very difficult moral issues. The chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health- care bill out here." He went on further to say, shockingly, "What I've been constantly searching for is a ruthless pragmatism when it comes to economic policy." So much for the elderly.

Is this where we have arrived in America? The pure evil of the federal government acting as God, making decisions on who is worth medically treating and who dies? And further when a group of elderly people visit the office of Senator Dianne Feinstein in West Los Angeles to talk about healthcare and she calls the police on them. Is this the America of the future? A Police State?

The elderly should be fully informed on what to expect and be outraged. All people should be outraged. This isn't rumor, conjecture, opinion, or anything else. The reality of the Obama healthcare plan is that the elderly are expendable members of America society. They cost too much.