Liberty Postings

Whenever there is a major event that causes a shake-up in the political landscape, the emotions intensify on both sides of the debate.  Often times, Republicans and Democrats both take on the roles of aggressor and defender in justifying their core principles.  Most recently, the battle has been raging over the Tea Party movement and the approval of health care “reform” legislation.

It doesn’t matter if the topic is health insurance, Hurricane Katrina, or the War in Iraq.  The points on which each side chooses to take its stand are silly and frustrating.  So, I would like to offer a few suggestions to both parties that perhaps can help the discussion move forward.

Republicans — Stop talking about how you are the party that freed the slaves and passed Civil Rights legislation.  We get it.  Lincoln was a Republican.  Yes, the Southern Democrats were a group of hateful bigots.  These events happened 145 and 45 years ago.  If you (rightfully) don’t like to hear someone say, “You owe us reparations because your great-great-grandfather owned slaves,” then don’t take credit for the good stuff from the 19th century, either.

Democrats — Stop telling people that they are voting against their own interests.  The “common American” is not as ignorant as you would like to believe.  Maybe some people really would rather struggle financially but know that they are making it on their own instead of letting the government take care of them.  Maybe they don’t believe in taxing success and taking from the bank accounts of others so that they can rest a little easier at night.  And, maybe they really do embrace the principles of individual freedoms and personal responsibility.

Republicans — Stop using Bible references on the floor of the House to explain your reason for opposing government programs.  Stop saying we are a Christian nation.  We are not a Christian nation (see the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment).  I am not saying that the mere mention of God needs to result in being tackled by five Secret Service agents.  I’m a Christian, and I think we all could use a little more God.  I want the nativity scenes in the public square and Santa Claus to be allowed in the “holiday” parade.  But, please stop mixing theology with political philosophy.  My conservatives principles are not tied to my faith.  The core values of freedom, low taxes, private property, and (very, very) limited government will create the type of country in which you can embrace your Christian faith without apology and others can embrace having no faith at all.  That’s the way it should be.  Otherwise, the tent will continue to shrink.

Democrats — Do you see that card in your left (of course) hand?  The one with the big “R” on it?  Yes, that’s the one.  Tuck it back into your coat pocket and save it for when it’s really needed.  There is still real racism, sexism (more so than racism, I contend), homophobia, classism, etc. in this country.  However, when you have the knee jerk response that everyone who opposes your entitlement programs or your approach to education, crime, housing, the increase in the price of a stamp, etc. must be a racist, you are belittling actual bigotry in this country.  If the race card is the only play that you have, then people will become desensitized and you will become the “party that cried racism.”  When a true violation of civil rights occurs, will anyone still be paying attention?  Sadly, perhaps not.

Glenn Beck — Oh, my goodness.  Progressives, progressives, progressives.  Got it.  Fear the progressives.    Oh, and Woodrow Wilson was the most dangerous man in history.  I know I’ve always been terrified that presidents of Ivy League universities will someday have the strength and influence for complete world domination.

Chris Matthews — I haven’t had cable in a month, so I’ve missed any recent rants you may have shared with your small viewing audience.  But, you, sir, I believe do have a sincere hang-up with race.  So nice of the big white man on TV to pat the black president on the head and tell him he spoke so well that he forgot about skin color.  So condescending.  (OK, I know that’s a dated reference.  Just had to balance out the Glenn Beck thing.)

Let me start off by making this point quite clear.  I am opposed to the contents of the health care reform legislation.  I am not excited about 95% of the population being insured at a painful cost to the taxpayers and to small businesses across this country.  What if you don’t want to be insured (as around 1/3 of the uninsured are that way by choice)?  Sorry.  Apparently, government knows better.  Just let them make that decision for you — don’t worry your pretty little head.

What are some of my favorite nuggets in this “reform” bill?

“Kids” can remain under their parents’ health insurance until they are twenty-six years old!  Way to be a grown-up!!

“Hi, I’m 25 years old and my mommy still comes with me to the pediatrician.  Why should I take responsibility for myself?  It’s hard out there in that cruel, mean world!”

Starting in 2014, you will get FINED $695 if you don’t have health insurance!!  The government is going to punish you because it doesn’t like the choice you make as an adult.

Medicaid coverage will be offered to anyone making 400% of the poverty level or less.  For a family of four, that means that the government will take care of your coughs and sneezes if you make less than $90,000.  Really?  A family making $85,000 can’t get its priorities straight and purchase health insurance?  Sounds like a budgeting class is in order instead of government insurance!  I make much less than $90,000 (try less than a 1/3 of that) and I’m a single parent of two kids … and, since I’m self-employed, I pay for my own health insurance.  I want to keep it that way.

As much as I dislike this huge expansion in the federal government, I’m even more disappointed in the process it took to get here.  The Democrats have provided us with a clear example of “the ends justify the means.”

When President Obama was still a candidate, he was certain that he was going to be super-duper popular and everything he wished for would happen with ease.  So, he had no problem saying that he wouldn’t be a 50 plus one president.  Whoops.  Changed his mind, I guess.

Also as a candidate, then-Senator Obama pledged to make the health care debate an open one, with every moment of discussion covered on C-Span.  Did that happen?  Ummm … again, that’s a negative.

The Democratic leaders in Congress and the White House are making the rules up as they go along because they firmly believe that they know what is best for us silly common folk.  Come on, who needs to keep promises to the American people?  Maybe they’ll get irritated for a day, but then they’ll put their focus back on March Madness or American Idol, right?

I do not believe for one second that Speaker Pelosi or Senator Reid really care about all of the uninsured people who will now receive insurance from the government.  I honestly think these leaders find the Americans who are supposed to benefit from this bill to be simple minions and I imagine that, behind closed doors, they snicker about how easily duped their constituents are.  They see health care reform as their first step of many in expanding government, creating more dependents (and, therefore, a built-in voter base), and fundamentally changing the core principles of our country.  Ah, power!  Ain’t it grand?

A: The person who made the stupid comment

Some loser who probably was trying to impress his friends (who undoubtedly share a similar spot along the loser to winner continuum) grabbed a mouthpiece to the public address system in a Wal-Mart and told all of the black people to leave the store.

During a piece about this incident on NPR this morning, a woman was interviewed who said she intends to boycott Wal-Mart until the store apologizes and the person who got off on hearing his voice ring out over the speakers of a big box store filled with fluorescent lights is caught and punished.

Really?  There are plenty of reasons to stay away from Wal-Mart, but the hijacking of a PA system is not one of them.  How can Wal-Mart help the ridiculous decisions made by people who enter their store?  If Wal-Mart was held accountable for the poor taste practiced by their patrons, management wouldn’t have time to deal with anything else!

When I was in the seventh grade at the prestigious Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School in Laurel, MD, one of my co-stars in the school play set off a stink bomb in the second act as a way to distract from the fact that he didn’t know his lines.  He was a tool.  But, the parents of our neighborhood did not decide to boycott the school.  (That would have been sweet, though!)

During the same time period in our nation’s history, many shirts purchased at your more popular retail establishments had small horizontal strips of fabric sewn along the back between the shoulder blades.  Some boys took to calling these loops “f** tags.”  Again, a brilliant way to prove out loud that you are a ridiculous moron.  But, I don’t recall anyone calling for a protest against The Gap.

Here’s the point.  There are plenty of individuals in our society who say and do dumb things, even offensive things.  They should be ostracized and receive consequences for doing so.  But, let’s use moments like this to reinforce the ever-diminishing concept of individual responsibility.  The anger over the inappropriate comment made in the New Jersey Wal-Mart the other day lies squarely with the person who said it, not with the store in general.