JP’s Mind

I’m angry. I’m very angry.

In recent weeks there has been vigorous debate over the Health Care plans working their way through Congress, and much of this debate is being seen in protests during ‘town hall’ meetings and the like.

It seems though that the DNC, the democratic leadership in D.C., and even the White House has chosen to spew lies and filth about those American citizens who are exercising their right to free speech – simply because the feelings and ideas they are expressing do not conform to the ideas and plans of the DNC and its automatons (the White House).

The White House has called the uproar at recent town halls on health care “manufactured outrage.” Senator Harry Reid calls the concerned citizens speaking their minds “loud, shrill voices.”  Nancy Pelosi called protesters Nazis, who are “carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on health care.” There is no evidence on this whatsoever.

But the polling discredits their charges. According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, on Obama’s effort to overhaul of the health-care system, 52 percent disapprove of his handling of the issue while 39 percent approve. Disapproval jumped 10 points in the last month alone, and 60 percent of Independents – a key voting block – disapprove of the plan. Bottom line: the outrage is real.

Despite the legitimacy of the public’s concern, demonizing democracy has become pretty common these days for the left. They wrote off the tea parties as fabricated and claimed they were funded by FOX News . Most of the mainstream media took their cue from them and refused to report on the gatherings. Congressional Democrats sought to reimpose the “fairness doctrine” on broadcasters in order to shut down the one conservative-leaning communications medium, talk radio. And the administration has already tried to label anyone who speaks up as a “radical right wing extremist.”

By dismissing the anger of conservatives, moderates, libertarians, conservative democrats  and independents the administration looks out of touch and appallingly arrogant. In fact, it will hurt them even more because Obama promised to listen to the concerns of the citizens, not operate with a tin ear.

Some Dem’s have gone so far as to actually compare protestors with Nazis and claim all protests are fabricated:

Replacing a town hall meeting for a conference call in his district, Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., on Thursday compared his constituents’ behavior to Nazi-era adherents.

“What we’re seeing right now is close to Brown Shirt tactics,” Baird told a local newspaper. “I mean that very seriously.”

In an interview Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the protesters, “I think they are astroturf, you be the judge,” using an expression that refers to orchestrated grassroots.

Now then, let me say this:  I am a registered Republican and I have yet to have anyone call me or email me and encourage me to go to a meeting, write a letter, make a call, or ANYTHING to express disapproval with the Democrat’s attempts to forge and force through a faulty health care plan.  It just HAS NOT HAPPENED.

So then, I write here in my blog about those things I agree with or disagree with, and I write what I think and feel, not what I am told to write.  Apparently though, I’m now being told that if I do express disagreement with the DNC and its plans for the country that I am either a Nazi or a puppet expressing the thoughts of someone else, and that if I stand up and say that these are my thoughts and feelings then I am apparently a liar too.

Ya know… I think need to change the opening of this post; I’m not angry – I’m disgusted. I work hard to make my life, the lives of my family, and the lives of those in my community better, because I am an American and that is what we do.  I am a disabled Veteran, I served my country and am disabled because of that service; and because of my sacrifice I feel I deserve a little more respect than to be spit upon by those who are supposed to be serving me.

Congress and the organizations that work with them are not there to dictate my life and cast aspersions upon me and the citizens of this country – they are there to serve the country.  Maybe they should re-read the constitution and re-think their reasons for being in office.

Health care reform is the hot-button topic of discussion on all news channels and pretty much throughout the county as well.  The problem I have is that there is so much being said, with nothing of substance actually being said, that it is hard to fathom what is happening and what isn’t.

What shape will this reform take?  No one knows although many cry havoc at what they think might happen.

Will it cost too much and provide too little?  Who knows?  Many say it will and many say it won’t.

Some on the side of the left continually claim that those on the side of the right don’t want reform in this area, that they want to stay with the status quo – personally I find this claim to be ridiculous and merely an attempt to sling mud to discredit those who would provide thoughtful and wise warning about moving too fast into areas that have not been explored sufficiently.

One problem we face is the might of the Corporations who have vested interests in controlling how this country does or does not reform our health care system.  In recognizing this problem, our President promised repeatedly to hold open discussions/negotiations (on C-Span even). Sadly this is a promise that Mr. Obama has broken…  Actually he smashed it to pieces and walked away from the rubble.

What we need are specifics, we need factual data that supports, or does not support, the specific elements of any and all proposed plans.  We, the American public, need to know what is being discussed, how it will affect us, can we afford it, and will it do what needs to be done.  We, the American people, will be living (or dying) with whatever health care reform the government implements, we will be paying for it, we will be subjected to it, and we will either be served by it or harmed by it, and since it is we who will bear the brunt of whatever happens, it is we who must be fully informed during every step of the process  – with honest and factually accurate information.

What we do not need is the current state of affairs; we do NOT need closed door discussion by politicians and lobbyists, we do NOT need misinformation, inaccurate information,  and outright fabricated information. We do NOT need some form of crap legislation rammed through Congress and thrust upon the American people which will, in all likelihood, not serve our best interests, grow the government exponentially and bankrupt many, if not all, of us.

We need a balanced, open, well-thought, well-crafted, form of health care that will benefit us (the American people – and not just the government and the special interests who at this point have done very few of us any good at all.

Mr. Obama; step up and do what you said you would do. Use your power as President to bend actions of the Congress to a point where they will do what is right for the citizens of this country. At this point I see no aspect of the government – legislative, judicial, or executive – demonstrating an overriding concern to do what is best for we the people rather than themselves.

Re: The fiscal responsibility summit

Mr. President, I watched the news conference yesterday following the summit and must say I was impressed. I voted for you outside of my party affiliation because I felt you were the right person to get the government to work together for the good of the nation.

It is my opinion that now is the time for you to push the mantel of leadership and press the legislators to do what is right. The summit is the first step, what is needed now is your influence, and the power of your office to be the impetus for change in how our Congress acts. It is imperative now that you, as the leader of our nation, push the Congressional leaders to lay aside partisanship and include all players in the work to come.

The ‘task forces’, committees, work groups, what-have-you, that are developed to work on the problems discussed during the summit absolutely have to be bi-partisan, inclusive of dem’s and repub’s, AND business/public entities.  All participants must be given full voice and encouraged to set aside ideologies in order to find solutions.

It is your role, in my opinion and the opinion of many citizens like me, to set the ground rules for this collaboration. Do NOT allow the congressional leaders to set up committees and such based on the normal way of doing things. Make inclusion and cooperation mandatory for the work to come.

In my business when I establish a work group to design and implement a project I select members from a broad range of talents and skills and give them a short period of time to demonstrate the ability to work together to get the job done, if things seem to stall, I intervene to help correct the group dynamics, if things don’t improve soon after, I make the choice to either disband the group and rebuild, or replace members who do not seem to want to participate with the ultimate goal in mind.

As the Executive, I see this as your role.

Please, do not allow the legislators to drag their feet and perpetuate the age-old ideological stalemates. Push them to work together, do not accept lack of progress, and give them the understanding that no solution will satisfy all parties, but truly must come from knowing that all sides will have good ideas and that ALL sides must compromise.

Our national problems are not political chess pieces, they are real and effect the lives of millions.

Don’t let the American people down, and don’t let the political hacks serving in office forsake the American people in order to serve the political parties and special interests.

Thank you.