Weighing out the Affordable Care Act

Who would have thought theAffordable Care Act would have turned into this huge of an ordeal?  With the Government Shutdown, political parties at odds, and all of the website shenanigans, it has all gotten out of hand.

I feel the same way you do in a lot of ways, when it comes to, “to each his own.” I over all think that the idea of Obamacare is a good thing, especially for those who rack up ridiculous healthcare bills every year and because of certain circumstances they are not able to have health insurance. With Obamacare these people can hopefully afford to get health insurance since the cost is at a much more affordable rate, allowing them to not be paying an arm and leg for doctor and hospital bills. Just from talking to a few people I have known over the years that have not had health insurance, I am always in shock at how much it cost them to just go in for simple checkup not to mention if they needed to purchase something as simple as an antibiotic, the cost is outrageous.  On the flip side though, for those that are healthy and almost never go to the doctor it is hard to see the point of dishing out an extra $200 a month, give or take, for something that they more than likely will not be using.

Looking at the bigger picture I think that the Affordable Care Act should be put in place, but I also believe that it should not be mandatory. Of course it has it’s pros and cons, but I do think that Obama does have the right idea in mind when offering this program, but if he would have just given people the option, not making it mandatory in the first place I don’t think it would have turned into such a big deal to argue over. As a firm believer is less government, I believe this is just another way that the government is trying to control our lives, which is a whole other topic in its self.  

All of that to say, I absolutely agree with you, it should be case by case because ultimately if your health does fail and you don’t have insurance it is on YOU!

Who does't want a "I Voted" sticker?

     In the 2012 election, Mitt Romney vs. Barack Obama, there was a 57% voter turnout at the polls from the voting age population. That percentage is amazing! We live in the United States, a democracy! There are a couple different ways that I believe can bring a better turnout on a national voting day.

     First thing we need to look at is instilling the "want to vote" in kids. Incorporating the excitement and the thought of being able to share your opinion into school classrooms. Kids are easily influenced, so encouraging them to get pumped up to vote at 18 is a easy way to increase the turnout. With the encouragement to vote there also must be a knowledge about government and important issues which is something that schools lack and should put a bigger focus on.

     Secondly, make voting day a national holiday. If the government wants us to think voting is a big deal and to push it so hard than why don't they act likes it is a big deal. The presidential elections happen once every 4 years, I am pretty positive that employers can handle that.

     Lastly, I believe initiating compulsory voting in the US would give people a push to take 2 hours out of their day and go vote. Compulsory voting is implementing a a fine or service that the person would have to follow through with if he or she did not vote. Belgium uses this method and when you look at there voting turnout it is typically in the 90% range. I wonder how different the votes would turn out in the US if there were the case

     When we look at the voter turnout ratio to other countries the US is at the bottom of the list with our 50% average. The list goes on of things that i believe the US could begin doing to help our voter turnout, but I have just listed a few. Voting is important and not voting does not just effect us it can potentially effect younger generations and history for that matter.

Is Obama impeachment worthy?

       Is Obama impeachment worthy? I think that may be a little harsh. The facts are there that Obama has NOT been the best president we have ever had, that is certain. He should not have been elected a second term in the first place, but the people spoke! But, to say that Obama needs to be impeached for "America to stay Alive" is a pretty blunt statement. It is a little strong to say that one man can tear America apart in just 5 years. I do agree that he needs to be out of office but impeachment requires a crime, which he has not done.

Abortion: There is always another option.

     The topic of abortion has been such a gray area in National Government for quite some time. The first major debate for legalizing abortion started in the early 1970’s, in the case of Roe v. Wade.  Before that abortion was banned and considered murder, the only time that it was allowed before the 70’s was when the reason for pregnancy was rape. Abortion has never stopped being a subject in National Government, every argument from should states have the right to ban abortion or is it legal to consume an abortion pill? My argument today is that National Government should put a complete ban on abortion nationwide.

     Why did the subject of legalizing abortion even become an argument?  There is study after study that proves right after conception the fetus has become a human being. We have made this argument about so many other things such as women’s rights and rape victims, which I am not dismissing, but when we look at the bottom line of the subject matter murder is murder. I read this quote in an article by TFP student action and could not have said it better myself, “To declare a beginning of life at any point after the fusing of a woman’s egg and a man’s contribution is irrational and an exercise in sophistical chicanery. Only machines such as clocks and cars come into existence part by part. Living beings come into existence all at once and gradually unfold their world of innate potential.”

     In the last 40 years 54 million unborn children have been aborted or for lack of a better word killed, in the US alone. Not only do we need to look at the disheartening statistics of the number of abortions, but we also have to look at the aftermath and the statistics of depression and physiological harm women have after having an abortion. Studies show that 80% of women will experience at least some phase of self-loathing, such as drug and alcohol abuse and contemplation of suicide after the procedure. It does not just end at abortion the side effects abortion has on the women afterwards follow some women the rest of their lives. In a survey the LA Times reported that 56% of women had guilt and regret after having an abortion.

     There are many experiences that I have seen and walked through personally that has lead me to have such a black and white outlook on this topic while also understanding that everyone makes mistakes and we all make decisions out of fear. But when we look at the bigger picture abortion is willingly killing a human being, how can we get passed that fact?  I know that there are many circumstances that life brings our way that would make it extremely difficult to bring a child into this world, but there are also many other solutions other than death.

Is it cheaper to buy on Amazon?

I found myself reading another commentary by Professor Reynolds this one titled "Technology could save us from Obamacare: Column."  Scrolling through his blog I came across this entry and in the back of my mind thinking, here we go again more Obamacare. I found myself amused by the actual content of the blog, which had a very different outlook then I had suspected.

He begins by looking at our journey over the years with medical technology. Stating that today you can literally buy life saving tools on Amazon, such as defibrillators and epipens. Over the years many have said that we would come to a place were machines could give us an accurate diagnosis which could save our lives with the right tools readily available. At one point this seemed so far off, but this idea is becoming much more at reach.

When I first started reading this entry I was wondering where was he was going with all of this but as I read on, his conclusion is quite interesting. He concludes that tools such as defibrillators and epipens will become so convenient and completely capable of saving a life, that people will just take the tax penalty each year from not having health insurance. Basically saying that it will be cheaper to invest in some of these life saving tools that paying for insurance so that you could go to the doctor and get the same diagnosis.

Reynolds states,"Can technology save us from our health care crises?", I personally feel like this conclusion is pretty far off and quite an interesting opinion on the matter. But, for his audience this maybe something that is logical for the future. You can clearly see that his directed audience on this topic is going the be a very conservative and anti-Obamacare group. As a professor of Law at the University of Tennessee with a very credible background this is not a subject that can just be swept under the rug, he may have a point to all of this!

Gumdrops and Lollipops

     Professor Reynolds writes, “While scientists are innovating and creating, politicians aren't doing much of anything”.  Glen Harlan Reynolds a professor of law at the University of Tennessee, who recently wrote an article titled “Washington isn't working: Column”.  The article begins by splitting America into two types of people the “people” and the “politicians". Stating that in the “other America”, we the people are working hard in the world, creating and inventing, and on the other side of the spectrum, Washington is sitting around twirling their thumbs with no penalty while the government is shut down.

     Reynolds makes some interesting implications, comparing America to The Hunger Games. He implies that our government is Capital City where everything is gumdrops and lollipops and they are watching the “poor”, the American people, suffer while doing nothing about it. I find that implication to be a bit harsh and over the top, but he is making an overall statement that while the parties of the government are sitting trying to make decisions and agreements the world is still turning. We as Americans still have to provide for our families, go to work, and for lack of better words “get ‘er done”.

     His audience in this article is pretty broad but at the same time pinpointing “we the people”. Through the article you see him make some pretty hefty comparisons about what everyone else is getting done and what the government is not getting done. His evidence is very one sided, he writes about the advances of space and the Internet, but only being able to state what the government is doing from what is happening in the news which looks to be nothing.

     His conclusion mentions that we need to think long and hard about what resources we are letting the government have control over. While that may be true, we are a democracy and we were the ones that voted these individuals to make our decisions, fair or unfair. At the end of the day we shouldn't be looking at the resources themselves, but the people we have put in place to take care of them. Although, there is much of his argument that I do agree with, “we the people” really have no idea what is going on, on the other side of the curtain. Ultimately the world has to keep turning and life as we know it has to go on, decisions need to be made and politicians need to come to an agreement. 

Military Victims

     Skimming through many different news articles on CNN.com, I came across an article titled "Veteran confronts rape, suicide: 'I am angry that others are going through this'". I was intrigued by the title and was wondering what in the world were the words rape and veteran doing in the same sentence. As I began reading I was blown away by this story of an 18 year old that joined the navy and was raped by his assistant drill sergeant.

      Long story short, this newly enlisted young man by the name of Jack William was lying in his bunk, in the year 1966, surrounded by 100 other bunks filled with men where he was awoken in the dead of night. After being woke up, the assistant sergeant then orders Jack to meet him in the upstairs office immediately. When he reaches the office and shuts the door the sergeant begins to strangle and rape him. After that night it occurs a couple more times but he never says anything with fear of what others would say. He eventually leaves the army because of health issues and now some 47 years later is speaking out about the incident.

      The article reports from a survey taken that 26,000 service men and women were raped while serving in 2012. Reading through the article I am disgusted and saddened by how common this tragedy has become and the effect that it has on its victims. I highly recommend reading this article to be informed, if nothing else. Hopefully this article will inform men and women that they have a voice and there is always someone that will listen. Silence will never allow change to happen.