Wednesday, September 30, 2009

It Just Won't Work

How do I know that government run health care would fail and cost American taxpayers millions, billions, or even trillions of dollars? I WORK IN GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE!!

I am in the Navy and I am a hospital corpsmen. I work in a clinic that sees both military members and civilians alike. Navy Medicine is a government run health care system and I can tell you first hand that it sucks!

While at work today I took a glance at our schedule of patients and the reasons for their visits. Out of the 59 patients that walked through our doors today 6 may have actually needed to be here. Ok, let me be fair, 10 of those 59 were here for physical exams so lets not count them. That leaves 49 patients...8 out of 49 people had legitimate reasons to be seen by a doctor.

I will give you a break down of some of the reasons for visits today:
- 5 people had a headache
- 7 patients complained of basic cold symptoms (sneezing, cough, runny nose or congestion-- NO FEVER)
- We even had one person come in with a...wait for it....drum roll please.... A MOSQUITO BITE!

This, America, is your tax dollars hard a work. Instead of running to the store and grabbing a bottle of Motrin or some Dayquil and self medicating themselves they run off to their "free" clinic to get a prescription for things like TYLENOL.

If the government was to offer this kind of health care to the general population, America's debt would very likely double in the first year. People would come out of the woodwork for "free" health care. If someone has allergies and doesn't want to pay for the $12.00 for a bottle of Claritin, all they have to do is go to the "free" doctor and get their "free" medications.

And don't even get me started on the quality of care. Most (not all) of the doctors I work with get so sick of seeing patients for bogus aliments that they just stopped caring. And why should they care? In the current health care system doctors have to work to build a relationship with their patients and be sure that they deliver a high level of quality care to ensure that their patients want to come back again if they need. In a government run system, you as a patient would be assigned to a doctor, you don't get to choose. If you don't like that doctor you may be able to request a new one but not before you fill out mounds of paper work stating a valid reason for your dislike. If the doctor knows that they are going to have a steady flow of patients
no matter what then why should they have to give the slightest damn about weather or not their patients leave satisfied with the level of care they received?

Government run health care is a bad idea. It will cost American tax payers unforeseen amounts and the money would go toward quantity of patients, not the quality of care given. I see a government system of health care every day, I have seen first hand the patients who abuse the
right of "free" health care (see examples above) and I have seen others who are down right fraudulent (faking pain to get "free" narcotic pain killers).

Please don't let the American health care system come to this. Contact your representative and urge them to vote against a public option or any other form of government run system. Let your voice be heard!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

An Unarmed Man is a Subject; An Armed Man is a Citizen

My husband came to me today and asked me to look into current gun control legislation floating around Washington. My husband is very passionate about gun ownership rights and after being married to him for 2 ½ years, and listening to his extremely valid points, I have become just as passionate. In the 111th Congress there are currently 27 bills in the House and 11 bills in the Senate, some are for gun ownership rights but most are for gun control.

What is gun control? Well, if you sit down and think about it, gun control is nothing more then a group of laws that hinder law abiding citizens from obtaining firearms. Anyone who has plans to use a firearm for nefarious purposes is not going to walk into a respectable gun shop and register the weapon in their name. They are going to obtain a firearm illegally so it can't be traced back to them. Less then 1% of all violent crimes involving firearms, are committed by the owners of registered guns. Let me put this in prospective for you: On average there are approximately 8 million violent crimes committed in American every year. Of those 8 million, approximately only 700,000 are committed with firearms. Of those 700,000 crimes less then 7000 of those were committed by people who legally obtained the firearm used. Only law abiding citizens would adhere to "rational gun control measures." Criminals don't care about the law; that's why they are called criminals.

There are multiple examples all over the world as to why banning firearms is a very bad idea. Let's start overseas: Both England and Australia have passed laws banning gun ownership. As a result armed robberies have increased by 44 % in Australia and according to The International Crime Victims Survey conducted by Leiden University in Holland, "England and Wales ranked second overall in violent crime among industrialized nations." (By the way, the US didn't even make the top ten) As for in the homeland: In 1976, Washington DC passed laws that made it illegal to own a handgun or have any assembled weapon in the home for personal defense. After that law was passed, murders and violent crimes skyrocketed by 200%, giving DC the highest murder rate in the country.

Thankfully for the citizens of DC, that law was just recently overturned as unconstitutional by the courts. Gun control laws do exactly the opposite of what they are supposed to. They restrict respectable citizens from being able to protect themselves, their families and society in general from violent predators.

As I mentioned earlier there is a lot of legislation concerning gun control currently making its way through congress. The one I would like to focus on is H.R. 45 the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. Before I go on let me set one thing straight, I believe that a background check should be done every time someone wishes to purchase a firearm but this bill is just ridiculous! The bill would make it illegal to own a firearm unless you are finger printed and can provide a current driver's license along with your Social Security number, these things I have no problem with but the bill would also require people to submit to a physical and mental evaluation each and every time a firearm is purchased. WHAT?!?!?!

In addition, Blair-Holt would require that guns must be locked away and inaccessible to any child under the age of 18. It would empower law enforcement officers to come into your home to inspect whether or not you are in compliance. Failure to comply includes a fine and incarceration of up to five years in prison. In a case of criminal home invasion this law renders the gun owner defenseless.

This proposed law would not only annul the Second Amendment, it will also dissolve the Fourth Amendment that says "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures" shall not be violated without a warrant.

H.R. 45 and other legislation like it are additive steps that are being taken to ultimately render the Second Amendment null and void. But apparently what the bleeding hearts aren't seeing is that if this actually occurs only the law abiding citizens will be hurt by it. Crime will rise and guns will still be around, probably more then ever, but instead of the guns being used to protect US citizens, they will be used to harm them.

If you oppose these efforts, there are a couple of different things that you can do. Contact your representatives and let them know how you feel. You can also make a donation to one of the following organizations that support gun ownership rights and lobby in Washington:

Second Amendment Foundation- http://www.saf.org/

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms- http://www.ccrkba.org/

National Rifle Association- http://home.nra.org/#/home

As Americans it is our constitutional right to bear arms and that right shall not be infringed upon by anyone. Speak up and let your voice be heard on the issues of gun rights. Those in Washington who are pushing for government control of America know that an unarmed man is a subject who is easily controlled but an armed man is a citizen who has an opinion and is not afraid to voice it!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Why Arn't We Listening to This Guy?

On the 30th of August Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal submitted a 66 page report to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. In his report he stated the need for a revised/ updated strategy and more troops in Afghanistan. My question is... what in the hell is taking so long? It has been 23 days and President Obama is just now reviewing his report. This is just silly to me... Obama, who has never served in the military by the way, is reviewing a report submitted by a man with 33 years of military service, and he(Obama) is going to tell him (McChrystal) weather or not he agrees . YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

General McChrystal has served in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has received awards such as the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and he also attended the Naval War College at Newport. He served as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command and Director, Joint Staff . Needless to say this man knows his shit! Why on God's green earth aren't we listening to him? The men and women in Afghanistan need more resources yet congress is twiddling their
thumbs at the situation. In his report McChrystal stated "Resources will not win this war, but under-resourcing could lose it."

One of the members of congress who is opposing the troop surge is Senator Carl Levin (D-MI). Levin is the chairman for the Committee on Armed Services which I find very ironic seeing as how he also has NEVER served in the military. "General McChrystal is attempting to shift our focus toward adopting a revised strategy that will increase the prospects for success of our efforts in Afghanistan. Focusing on the resource question before we accomplish the strategic shift is a mistake General McChrystal is wisely avoiding," he said. Levin seemed to ignore certain portions of the report that deal with the danger in "under-resourcing" -- but he said that challenge should be addressed by expanding the size of the Afghan army and police.

I have one question for you Mr. Levin, what are you going to do when the Afghan army and police don't receive enough volunteers because of the fear of repercussions from the Al-Qaeda. Even if these organizations do see a good number of volunteers, who do you think will be the ones to train them? The US Military needs to establish a solid presence in Afghanistan so that Afghani men can come forward and volunteer for the army or police forces without fear and it will be the men and women of the US Military that will be responsible for teaching and training these volunteers to be efficient soldiers and policemen.

Men and women of Congress, I urge you to open your eyes and realize that General McChrystal is a wise man, who probably has more military experience then a good portion of the Senate floor put together. He has been there and he has done that. If he says our men and women overseas need help... SEND THEM HELP. Gen. McChrystal has Americas best interests at heart and wants our troops to come home as soon as possible but not before the job is done!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Speak Up, Speak Out

As another week comes to a close I have come to realize that maybe I set my expectations too high for myself. I thought that finding something new and different to write about everyday would be easy... It's not. I am still going to try to post Monday- Friday but if I miss a day or two(like this past Wednesday) please forgive me. Also if you're just browsing through this blog and you like what you read, be sure to follow me and tell your friends.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Misuse: The Race Card

There is nothing that makes me more angry then when people play the the race card when trying to gain the upper hand in a discussion . Playing the race card is a phrase that refers to the act of bringing the issue of race or racism into a debate. In the past few days this phrase has been throw around A LOT and it's pissing me off!

Sen. Joe Wilson has been called a racist because of his outburst at President Obama during his address to congress earlier this month. Calling someone a liar IS NOT RACIST, I don't care if they are white, black, brown, purple or green (now if they were blue, i might have an issue ;) ).

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Are They Working for Their Voters or Themselves?

Let's play a game, it's called "Get To Know Your Senator". Under each state I will be posting the names of the respective Senators. Click on the name and you will be directed to site that lists their voting record, stances on issue and even campaign contributions. Is your state senator doing what you voted them there to do? I will also be posting a second link to the senators homepage so you can write him/her and express your concern or praise for the job that they are doing in Washington. Remember America, we voted them into office and our tax money pays their salaries... THEY WORK FOR US!!! If you want to see an end to corruption in Washington it all starts with us. Senators should have their voters interests at heart, not their own bank accounts!

Monday, September 14, 2009

What in the Hell Took so Long?!?

Today I am going to go ahead and get this one out of the way. I have been avoiding this topic because of the amount of research that has to be done to get all of my facts straight, but with a third video being released today and a fourth being released tomorrow I think its time to look into ACORN.

ACORN, or Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is a community-based organization in the U.S. that advocates for low- and moderate-income families by working on neighborhood safety, voter registration, health care, affordable housing, and other social issues. ACORN is the nation's largest grassroots community organization with over 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the country.

ACORN is an organization that has received over $53 million of our tax dollars since its creation, including $1.6 million last year. Moreover, it was eligible for another $4 billion in stimulus money.

Friday, September 11, 2009

How Am I Doing?

Well, as my first week as a blogger comes to a close I am can easily say I am pleased! I am truly enjoying this digital outlet of my stress and anger at the way our government is being handled these days.

I only have two followers currently but I am hoping that number will climb quickly. If you are just dropping by to read a post and you happen to like what you read, be sure to follow my blog so you can visit frequently. The current plan is for me to post at least once a day Monday-Friday (I don't plan on spending my weekends in front of a computer, unless its crappy outside).

If you are a follower and there is anything you would like to see me write about just let me know. It can be about anything going on in America today and it doesn't have to be about politics. I am always open for any kind of ideas.

I hope that everyone has a fun, safe weekend. Oh and don't forget to look for any 9/12 events going on in your area tomorrow(http://www.the912project.com/). If there is, be sure to go out and show your support... try to recall your mind set on September 12th, 2001. NEVER FORGET!!

9/11: God Bless America

In honor of the anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 I would like to post some photos of the events but mostly I would like to post pictures that capture the aftermath.

These pictures grasp the mood after the smoke cleared. They display the overwhelming feelings of patriotism felt by so many sad Americans.

Perhaps these photographs can help someone who has forgotten the feelings they were experiencing within the hours, days, months after the attacks.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Definition of Insanity

Now that I have given you the tools to come up with your own opinion on health care reform it is time to express my views. The best part about this is that I don't even have to write my own witty blog about how I think the Obama administration is going to screw us all over. Why not, you may ask? Because there are hundreds of thousands of people, like Andrea Tantaros at FoxNews.com, who almost literally take the words right out of my mouth!!

Andrea Tantaros - FOXNews.com - September 10, 2009

Obama Just Doesn't Get It

The president needed to give us facts on Wednesday night. He failed. He needed to compromise but instead he bucked bipartisan solutions and showcased the inflexibility of a zealot combined with the policies of ahard core liberal.

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.

Someone should have mentioned that to President Obama. He gave us nothing new during his ultra-hyped speech on health care on Wednesday night. After forty-five minutes and a TelePrompter on the verge of overheating, he blew it. The president made history by convening both Houses of Congress just to trot out the same stale speech, complete with the lines about the proposed cuts in Medicare that he refers to as"waste" to tax hikes to fund his plan.

There was one bit of news: an indisputable leftward lurch on the public option that signified not only that he is bound to their demands, but also that he is no Bill Clinton.
Unlike Clinton, Obama tied the public health option to his ankle. And much like a concrete block, he will go down with it. Forty-four moderate Democrats will not vote for the current House bill that includes the public option, enough to deny Pelosi the ability to pass it without Republican support.


To be fair, Obama's opening and closing tone was one of his best yet. But fluffy imperatives that call for us to "act," absent hard facts, will not result in a shift in approval numbers. If you had ears but no brain,you would have been moved by the speech (is that why Biden was crying?),but the public is much sharper, particularly when it comes to this issue. Here's what was missing, besides new material:
* No answer on how he can not only expand coverage but also cut costs.
* No answer on how private insurance goes down by increasing the costs of insurance
* No answer on how to cut the current deficit.
* No answer as to why he will cut waste and abuse to help pay for government run insurance option, but not to help cut the current ballooning deficit.
* No answer on how to make medicare solvent.
* No answer on why he won't cover illegals, but includes them in his 46 million uninsured count.
* No answer on what his plan is for illegals.
* No definitive, outcomes based answer on medical malpractice.
* No answer on why if this is such an urgent imperative, the plan won't kick in until after he runs for re-election.

I have to admit, the Republican response wasn't exactly a core shaker,either.

Public disapproval of President Obama's handling of health care has sky rocketed to 52 percent, according to the Associated Press-GfK poll. At a time when we're told to expect a $7 to 9 trillion dollar deficit over the next 10 years, the president is talking about adding another trillion to that number. That begs the question, why now?

Mr. President, you just don't get it. The health care debate ripped your ability to persuade through rhetoric right out of your hands. You needed to give us facts and you failed. You needed to compromise, and you bucked bipartisan solutions showcasing the inflexibility of a zealot,and the policies of a hard core liberal.

Though Obama claims "we are back from the brink" it is his presidency that is on the brink. The brink of collapse.

Andrea Tantaros is a FOXNews.com contributor and conservativecommentator. Follow Andrea on Twitter: @andreatantaros.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/09/10/tantaros-obama-speech-health-care/?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a16:g2:r2:c0.116603:b27638236:z0

Bravo Andrea for voicing what most Americans are thinking after last nights incredibly long winded, unsatisfying ramblings of President Obama.

Health Care Reform for Dummies

OK so today I am going to talk about the big health care issue that has over run our media and our congress.

A lot of Americans are confused and to be honest with you I was one of them. After President Obama's speech yesterday day I decided to dig a little deeper and try to find out exactly what hell is going on. I didn't understand most of what was being said so therefore most of this health care talk has gone in one ear and out the other. Today I will be breaking down some of the terminology that has been used when discussing health care reform. These definitions alone have made the entire health care debate and heck of a lot easier to comprehend.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Ugly Americans: The John Adams Project.

The John Adams Project is a group of terrorist sympathizers from the American Civil Liberties Union (gag!) and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (puke!) that was established to "support military counsel at Guantanamo Bay."

In August 2009 claims were made that three lawyers associated with the project had shown pictures of CIA officers to their clients, Guantanamo captives. The captives were among the "high value detainee" program who had spent years in secret CIA interrogation centers.
The Justice Department is investigating the John Adams Project because it is a violation of federal law to identify covert CIA agents. An ACLU spokesperson justified these actions by claiming that they (CIA agents)had been involved in the "torture" of Guantanamo terrorist detainees.

Torture... Come on!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Welcome

Hello and welcome. Before you read on I would like to warn some of you that you are not going to like what I have to say. I am not a fan of Obama, I did not vote for him and I am terrified by what his administration is doing to our country. All though I am not a fan I am also not an idiot. I know that our nations debt is not all his fault but he has only made it worse by trying to bail everyone out in an attempt to create a government run country.

In this blog you will read my thoughts, opinions, and observations. If you are here to curse at me or slander me and make uneducated arguments you will be ignored and possibly laughed at.


I will be talking about issues that are taking precedence in main stream media and issues that should be! I am a young women with a strong mind and even stronger opinions. America is in trouble and I, like many other Americans, am angry!