Health Care: Choosing death?

Just a warning: this might be kind of long haha. A lot has been happening this week and I'm gonna try to hit all the big points. I may end up splitting this up, but I'm not sure yet.

First, obviously, health care. I've kind of pounded this subject into the ground, but it really is the key issue right now. The latest word from the capital is that a public plan may be gone, in favor of a co-op. The Senate Finance Committee finally released their bill, which did not include a public option. Democrats need to stand up and demand the public plan. It seems that the Republicans are winning this battle with a minority, just by pushing the Dems around. Liberal Democrats really need to get a spine and push back, and stop worrying about hurting the feelings of the Republicans.
But that's not my big issue with health care. The other big story this week is the idea that the government is going to force senior citizens to choose how they want to die. This is the most ridiculous thing I think I have heard yet concerning the health care bill. Let's not forget, the whole point of this bill is to get people health care so that they can live longer. It seems the main point here is a line in the bill that will divert funding to an ad campaign that encourages people to get living wills. First of all, the government has been doing this for twenty years. Second, what is wrong with a living will? I didn't realize that it was a bad thing. In fact, it seems getting a living will is a very good idea, for your children's sakes. But some conservative whack-job somewhere has started telling senior citizens that this means the government is going to force them to choose a death, so that they can be offed to make room for younger people. Usually, this kind of fear-mongering wouldn't be worrisome (in fact, we have kind of come to expect it from the Limbaugh-Beck-Coutler types.) The problem is, some Republican Congressmen and -women have taken up this ridiculous idea. Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said on the House floor, "Seniors will be put to death by their government." Also on the House floor, Rep. Paul Brown (R-GA) called the health care bill a "secret plan to kill people." An in interviews, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) likened it to "assisted suicide," while Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) said, "It will absolutely kill people," and it will "put them on a list and force them to die early." And finally, during President Obama's town hall meeting Tuesday, a women called in saying that she heard a rumor that the government was going to send officials door-to-door asking people how they would like to die. The President dismissed this, calling it "kind of morbid," and explained the line encouraging living wills. This kind of fear-mongering by conservatives is disgraceful, and clearly shows that Republicans really have no other points that they can legitimately argue, considering the NBC poll released today showing that 94% (no that's not a typo) of the population wants health care reform of some type. 56% support a public plan. If this country is based in majority rules, then why aren't we seeing a public plan happening. Last I checked, 56% is a majority (almost as much as President Obama won the last election by!) My point is, the Republicans really have no options left. Many of them are happy with the status quo, and will do and say anything to make sure it happens.

Another big story this week has been the recent surge in Obama birther stories. If this isn't the most ridiculous story out there, I don't know what is. It seems that conservatives have this crazy idea that President Obama was born in Mombasa, Kenya, and his mother inexplicably put the birth announcement in two Hawaii newspapers, and also forged a Hawaii birth certificate. You know, on the off chance that her son might run for President 46 years later. The possibility of this story being anywhere near true is zero, which makes it all the more appealing for the Limbaugh crowd. But it's not just fringe-element conservatives following this line of thought. Apparently, some Republican Congressmen don't have the backbone or courage to stand up to people like Ann Coulter and say that Obama is an American citizen, and anyone who says otherwise is insane. They are more concerned with keeping the hard-line base happy, more so than standing up for the truth. Listen, you can disagree with Obama on everything in the world. But there is no doubt he is an American citizen. There are hospital records, a birth certificate, a certificate of live birth, and newspaper announcements that prove he was born in Honolulu on August 4th, 1961. This shouldn't even be an argument. Once again (I'm sensing a pattern here,) it seems that Republicans don't have many things of substance to argue, so they must grasp at air with ideas like this.
Just as a closing note for this story: 2008 Republican Presidential nominee John McCain was actually not born in the United States. He was born in Panama on a U.S. base. Many Constitutional scholars still debate whether or not this would qualify McCain to be president. So chew on that.

The last major story is the Henry Louis Gates arrest. This is the perfect story to spark a national debate on the continued role of racism in America. There is no doubt in my mind that race played a role in this arrest. Despite what some want you to think, racism is still very much alive in America. I personally see it almost daily, living adjacent to a predominately poor, black neighborhood to the south, and a predominantly white, very rich neighborhood to the north. There is also a large Hispanic population in this area. The racism displayed by many has shocked me in the short amount of time I have lived here in downtown Oklahoma City. It just shows me how sheltered I was in terms of race living in Benton, KS for most of my life.
And now, Glenn Beck has decided to drop his two cents on this subject. On the Fox New Channel, he called President Obama a "racist" who "hates white people," and wants to put them at a disadvantage. Now before I comment on this, lets get one thing cleared up: I absolutely hate racism of any form. Nothing in this world angers me more than seeing or hearing someone discriminate against another because of the color of their skin. This is absolutely the most asinine thing I have ever seen. Racism is one thing that drove me away from the Republican party: I couldn't stand listening to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Glenn Beck say blatantly racist things on the radio daily, and never hearing any Republicans denounce them. So hearing Mr. Beck's latest comments almost don't even surprise me. I just don't understand why people hate others because of what color skin they have, or what country they are from. We are all people. Everyone has the same rights, whether their skin is black or white, whether they speak English or French, whether they are communist or capitalist, or whether they worship Jesus or Mohammad. I really long for a day when all these things can be accepted by others. But we aren't there. Many extreme conservatives can't seem to accept that a black man is president. These are the same people who attacked John Kerry is 2004 for "looking French." Who cares what he looks like? Why is that even a conversation? I think the basis of the racial argument is this: some white people can't stand the idea that they might not have a monopoly on power anymore. I think some Republicans are in this same boat. The idea of a black or Hispanic majority frightens them because they might not be able to make all the choices anymore. So the base of the Republican party has become the party that stands up for the abused white man. The thing is, in a few years, white people will no longer be the majority. So if Republicans want to continue to alienate minorities, they will soon learn that they can no longer win elections. Racism needs to come to an end, not for political reasons, but for moral ones. And anyone who thinks this argument is arcane, and racism is dead, just come spend a few days with me. I think I can open your eyes.