Conservative Girl In A Liberal World

When Does Civil Liberties Cross Liberty

2010-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today in the news, a steel cross was removed from a remote place in the Mojave Desert. No doubt in reaction to a Supreme Court ruling.

Erected 76 years ago by veterans, the ACLU decided it was a violation of separation of church and state, because technically, it is in a national preserve. A preserve that wasn't designated so until 1994.

In other words, for 60 years this monument stood as a honor for those who died, protecting America. It was there before it became a preserve, it should have been grandfathered in as an existing monument. The ACLU doesn't see it that way. In the end, they got what they wanted, and unfortunately the veterans who wanted to honor their fallen brothers, are left with their liberties violated.

If you go to the American Civil Liberties Union's website, their moniker states "Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself". Ironic, isn't it? The organization who claims to protect American freedoms has no problem trampling on the rights of others.

Healthcare for all?

2010-03-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well, they did it. The health care bill has passed. In a Mafia styled persuasion, Nancy Pelosi and President Obama, mustered up the necessary votes to send the bill to the desk.

On Sunday, Pelosi was quoted "We're doing this for the American people." Really? According to the latest polls, this, is not what the American people want.

What the American people want is a simple, straight forward plan. Not a bloated, 2000 page atrocity, that will cost the American people more in the end than it provides.

So what does this plan provide?

It provides access to health care, but not necessarily to primary care physicians. Just ask the good people of New Hampshire.

It provides a "low" cost alternative, but that tab will have to be paid someday.

It ensures everyone will be covered, whether they want to or not.

It makes certain that "Cadillac" plans are taxed, the ones that hard working Americans already pay for.

Here is what it doesn't provide:

That physicians will actually accept the insurance. After all, the government pays businesses less than the general public, for services provided.

It doesn't provide incentive to live a healthy lifestyle.

Tort reform.

If the democratic machine is doing this for the American people, God help us all.

2010-01-19T12:29:00.000-08:00

There has been much adieu about the last touch down drive made by the Vikings against an already defeated Dallas Cowboys team. Some have deemed it classless and unnecessary.

Although there are some lessons here to be learned about sportsmanship, this isn't one of them. The lesson that can be taken away from that game is one of quitting.

Just because you have thrown in the towel on a game, doesn't mean that your opponent has. That is exactly what happened. The Cowboys threw in the towel, around second quarter. The Vikings did not. They played their best game all the way to end, for themselves and their fans.

If you did your best and still lost, then you have nothing to be ashamed of, but if you quit, you have only yourself to blame. If there was any lesson there for us to learn, that would be it.

If you want to point to sportsmanship, you have no further to look than Brett Favre, who literally ran across the field to seek out Tony Romo and shake his hand. Instead of giving him the obligatory slap on the back of "Good Game", he spent a few moments speaking to Romo.

Although none of us on the outside will know what was said, I'm pretty sure it was something like, "We've all been there. " and that is the true meaning of being a gracious winner.

Where Do I Live?

2009-12-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

The health care bill passed. Reid managed to wheel and deal his was to sixty votes to pass the largest and most expensive piece of legislation to date, regardless of what the majority of the American people wanted.

One has to call into question what country do we live in? When did we start electing the few that are suppose to represent the many, that disregard the will of the people?

Entitled to Choice

2009-11-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

If six weeks ago, someone would have said that abortion would eclipse the public option, as the fireball that would sink the health care bill, I would have scoffed, but that is exactly what has happened.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment, the bone thrown at the Blue Dogs, has become the latest debacle for the Democrats on the biggest piece of legislation to lumber through the House and Senate.

Nothing gets Americans drawing a line in the sand than abortion. The problem is the public is confused on what constitutes a right to choose and entitlement.

Rove vs Wade ensured that women would have a right to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. It did not however, state who would be responsible for paying for the procedure.

According to the current administration, we are entitled to having access to basic health care insurance. The Health care bill is designed to provide access to that care. If abortion is a choice, or an elective, it is an elective surgery. It cannot be considered basic care.

Women are entitled to having a choice, plain and simple.

Being An American First

2009-11-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

Being an American is a unique thing. All of our ancestors came from somewhere else. Most Americans identify themselves by their heritage first, whether it is Irish, German, Italian, African, Asian or Hispanic. Our heritages become our traditions. Our traditions our identity. Very few us, when asked what our nationality is respond,"I'm an American" and leave it at that.

Muslims are no different in that aspect. They identify with being Muslim first and like the Jewish section of the United States, their faith is very much integrated in their life style.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan had requested that the military give Muslims a "way out." Muslims, like every other person who enlists in the military does so voluntarily. You enlist as a employee of the United States government. You enlist as an American, to defend American interests. No where in the paperwork does it say, "unless it interferes with your religious belief" are you allowed to refuse to fulfill your obligation. Once you sign on the dotted line, you have made a commitment to your country.

It is understandable how one might become uncomfortable being asked to identify themselves first as an American, but that is who you are. Whether you are born in this country or asked to be one of its citizens, you are an American. At that point, your heritage takes second place.

For the most part, the United States stance had been, "we'll come when asked" when it came to its involvement in world conflicts. That all changed September 11, 2001. Like in World War II, "The Giant" had been awaken when America was attacked on her own soil. Our attitudes on what it means to be an American changed. People suddenly got a sense of patriotism. Flags flew and enlistment hit an all time high. We were all just Americans that day. It is high time that we were just Americans everyday.

The Cost Of Healthcare

2009-11-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

The healthcare package has now passed the House and is on its way to the Senate. Toted as a milestone for the House, it is the largest piece of legislation to date. President Obama is also one-step closer to marking the "promised kept" box.

This is the biggest expansion of healthcare coverage since Medicare,so the question still left to be answered is what type of reform HR 3962 will really produce.

Up for grabs is the highly debated public option, the crux for the entire bill that would ensure 96 of Americans would have coverage. This guarantee of insurance coverage for the public, however, this does not ensure that medical costs will come down. For those who recently went through the "open enrollment" that happens at the majority of companies in October, they were all too aware of what the cost will be. The current estimate for premium increases will go up as high as 20%. Saddle that with increased annual deductibles, co-pays and dropped coverage on non-basic treatment, the cost of insurance in the ensuing year could conceivable reach an increase of 30%.

Coverage also does not equate to access and quality care. Just like in the earlier part of the decade when there was a nursing shortage, our country is starting to find itself in another quandary. Fewer and fewer medical graduates are choosing to go into the primary care field and are electing to go into specialty fields. Existing General Practice doctors are weighing early retirement or closing their practices altogether. It does not pay to be a primary care doctor any more, due to rising malpractice insurance rates and increased operating costs. There is also the question of accepting another government run medical insurance program.

HR 3962 has stated that it will reimburse medical offices in the same manner it does currently under the Medicare system. Medical practices refusing to accept Medicare are on the rise. On average, it takes three to six months for the issuance of checks for services rendered from the government. If the public, who the government is trying to cover and provide quality care to, cannot have access to treatment, because it does not exist, it will have done more harm than good.

Finally, nothing in life is free. There is always a cost and HR 3962, comes with a big one, a price tag of 1.2 trillion dollars. How and where the government is going to find the money to pay for that is uncertain, and it that has a lot of Americans on edge.

The question for the Democratic Party will be what if it all comes to fruition and no one is better off than they started?

Looking For Clues

2009-11-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

The incident at Fort Hood, in Kileen Texas has the press producing headlines like "looking for clues" with the death of 12 soldiers and 31 wounded personnel including Kimberly Munley, the police officer credited with stopping the shooter.

Suffice it to say, it is a sad day in America when our soldiers are more safe in a combat zone, than in their own backyards. What is even more sad, is the Army scratching their heads trying to figure out what went wrong.

Majaor Nidel Malik Hasan, the identified shooter, was not an impulsive of irrational individual, but on the contrary one that well organized. He calculated every step leading up to November 5Th. Much like another American, Timothy McVeigh, he was dissatisfied with the military and how his government was handling foreign affairs. He was not afraid to vocalize his discontent with the United States involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Like McVeigh, there were clues already in place.

Someone knew that for almost a decade, Hasan had tried to get out of the military. Someone knew he was the victim of a hate crime. Someone knew his record at Walter Reed was less than stellar. Someone knew that he had increasingly become more religious. Someone knew he was afraid to be deployed. Someone knew of his rants on blog sites. Someone knew he was conflicted. Someone knew he was on the radar. Someone should have been paying closer attention.

Although Hasan was a deeply religious individual, this was not about retaliation.

This was about one man not being able to face his demons and an organization who assisted him in a downward spiral that resulted in a manifested melt down.