The New Orleans paper brought a stunning photo today... a man at an anti-President Obama rally on healthcare, outside of the event venue where he was speaking. The man was ordinary, at least as much as we can tell from the photo... or was he!? The stunning part was what he carried!
This man, touting "freedom" carried an AR-15 (mini-assault version of the M-16A2) with 30 round magazine inserted, with an additional 30 round magazine protruding from his hip pocket, along with a Glock on his left hip! Freedom?! Really!? Sure - it may still be some antiquated law in Arizona, which somehow touts itself as a forward progressive state, to openly carry weapons in public! Some progress when a guy can come for a firefight to a rally! Wow... There is apparently no law against conspiracy, threatening or menacing others, threat to the President's safety, or intimidation in the pursuit of democratic dialogue... And while he exercises his right - what about the rights of others to enter a public forum and feel safe? How can anyone feel safe when this guy is armed with an assault weapon and automatic pistol!?
I love those touting freedom, normally extremist on the right wing, who demonstrate in such asinine means. I love freedom when it is always right to exercise "MY" freedoms and sacrifice the freedom and safety of others! How is anyone to know this guy did not intend to hurt anyone? How is anyone to know that this guy isn't teetering on the edge of reality and lose it in shear fury at those who disagree with him on what's best for the nation? There is no way to know that and his freedom threatens others.
And democracy in action? REALLY? No, let me say that louder: R-E-A-L-L-Y-!-? The right and left extremists want their way, period. Anyone who disagrees with them is villanized... What is democracy anyway? Agreeing with you in your extremist views? We laugh off left extremists as leftovers from Height Neighborhood in San Fran, but somehow the right extremists get their own news channel and promote it as "fair and objective". Yea, $(@)*(&@!&@! right. How can we have democracy - basically and commonly defined as people discussing and working to an agreed upon solution together, under the rule of law, peacefully settling disagreements, and together working for the good of all? Where is democracy when you're not allowed to respectfully disagree? Where is democracy when the other guy carries an assault weapon? How can you have a safe and open, objective dialogue?
What I've noticed in this argument over health care is that there is so much slanderous lies going on, and it is believed, swallowed "hook, line & sinker" as the saying goes! It has clearly been reported that the news being released, perverting the realities of the proposed health care argument in congress is so twisted and untree - yet no one believes it! It was also revealed how the money backing these "free speech sites crapping out these lies" are all backed by the big insurance companies! I'm dumb founded...
AND the insurance companies sit back and laugh at the very people they are bilking do their dirty work for them and they are completely clean... "We're wanting to help reform the system, voluntarily." When is the last time big business reformed voluntarily? Oh yea, the real estate and mortgage reform, that's right - the one that sent the GLOBE into economic tail spin - when was that back in history. Oh yea, LAST YEAR! How big a lemming can one be!?
Why would any US citizen want to protect and defend the present status quo? I see the lies how people are denied care in the UK and other English countries... It's lies. Having lived and participated in the health systems of both NZ & the UK, it's lies. I've seen the adds how grand mother will die under this new system. Are you kidding me! Grandmothers are dying EVERY DAY when the demon legions from hell in the insurance business deny coverage, drop coverage, end coverage because you reached your limit, because it is too expensive, etc. TENS OF THOUSANDS die! I never saw that in the NZ, Australia or the UK! I see it here daily! Again, why do you want to defend this present system?
I've heard the arguments of it being too expensive? So, how is the care you get now working? Is it 25% of your income, or 33%? What is your deductible? Your percentage even when covered? You shelling out $10K, $15K, more? What about drugs? How's that working? My mother shells out $700 per month. Killing grandma, you said?
And the uncovered... I went to pick up a Rx last week. The lady came back and told me I owed them $55. I looked at her with dumbfounded silence. She asked if we had insurance and I produced my right to have affordable coverage card - which I paid a lot more than $55 for this month alone! It was then $13. Huge difference... When we've got 24-30% of the people in the US with no coverage... what is their health care? Let's get honest - we have to have people doing the jobs few want... repairing streets, fixing the hole in the wall your spoiled brats made, doing your dry cleaning, making your Frosty, making your latte, cleaning your hotel room, servicing your pool. Yet, while we enjoy affordable affluence, you want them to do so and have no health care. Let me tell you the consequences... their kids have more teeth problems, painful problems. They die earlier because they can't afford the Rx, or the doctor's visits when something is wrong, and forget the physicals to discover something not even detected through symptoms. And when the catastrophic happens - it's simple... they die. They can't ever even dream of the care you get - costing $100-$200-$500 thousand! So, we let them die... We don't know them, if we do, we do, we pause between latte sips, tisk, frown and make a passing comment about empathy for their family, and then continue our mindless gossip chatter. SHAME ON US!
I watched a news article on a doctor in NYC - he runs a co-op for restaurant workers in the city... THOUSANDS of them! He made a shocking statement... "When you take the big insurance companies out of the way, the cost is 20% what you pay now!" IMAGINE! Your health care being 20% the cost it is now! In the UK, the health care system costs $120Billion. There are 60 million people in the UK... do the math... what is the cost per person? When I was in London and sick, I walked to the clinic and saw someone within 15 minutes and had Rx within 15 more... Done. So, while the insurance companies plow out the manure on government run health care - they rake the profits and purchase another weekend house they'll never go to, and stock away their FAT retirement and live large... WHY? Because we defend the right to get rich off of others, no, us!
I want to throw up! Why cannot people sit and seriously look at the issues? They take days off work to go protest stuff they don't even understand, defend lies, get emotional to the point of a heart attack (HAVE YOU SEEN THE SCREAMERS ON THE NEWS!?) and yet have never seriously looked at the original source. Ever wonder why your teachers told you it is imperative to go to the original source? Simple - it can be taken out of context to prop up some one else's agenda and twisted beyond recognition from it's original intent! So maybe, just maybe instead of running off to Walmart to get posters and markers, first you might read the issues and see what they are proposing?
Having had the privilege to live overseas a couple of times (& missing it quite a bit when I see idiots like the gun slinger in Phoenix - I find it hard to even identify myself with being an American... that arrogant "my rights" attitude that is so "American" is so disgusting to me!) and I had the right to choose my doctor, dentist, hospital, etc, etc, etc. My care was amazing in regards to Rx and the supplemental insurance we carried for the ability to get some non-emergency procedure NOW was almost trivial in cost! I wasn't a cow in a herd - like the ones mooing at these rallies!
And by the way, the four letter word in the US is to call some one a "Socialist". It is an automatic predetermined villanizing slur. Why? What is a socialist? One who places the best of all over the rights of the individual? Is it really best to each be groping and fighting for my rights over the rights of all?
NOW, why would I write about this in a blog aimed at the church, and those claiming to follow Jesus? Simple - just what would Jesus do? If the case of weapons right, health care, and a host of other issues came in the court of heaven - which it will by the way, just which seat would Jesus occupy? The plaintiff of "my rights" and "my money", or the defender of the poor? The defender of the best for all before your individualistic selfish self? AND how will the judge of all weigh in on this? Will He really decide for those who claim that it is their money and they don't want to help pay for care for the poor, those we exploit and enjoy the benefits of, but don't care for? Is that really the side he'll choose?
So this is highly spiritual! This is seriously center stage of faith, and the church. It is not politics - it is spiritual formation, discipleship, and center of mission - what the church is about. No, not the institution, though the institutions of church are not dismissed from this discussion. It is God's church, people, I am addressing! You want to be spiritually mature? Aren't you done arguing election and free will yet? Want to be like Jesus? He never wasted time arguing those tits and taddles (Do you even want to know what a tit and taddle is?) but He focused on people, serving, caring for, ministering to, blessing them. You want to be a mature Jesus disciple, then act like Him, be like Him in heart. Your rights and democracy is not Biblical - being a servant centered and focused on others is.
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