Friday, September 11, 2009

Civility is Alive and Well in National Politics...YOU LIE!

This just in...Joe Wilson is an asshole with no manners. But it isn't just Joe Wilson that has forgotten what his mother taught him. People are ranting and raving at townhall meetings, parents are afraid to let their children hear an innocuous speech by the President, and the punditry continues to stoke the fire.

Now, I'll cut the pundits a break here, because that's what they do-they stoke the fire, talk in histrionics, and make sweeping over-generalizations and intellectually lazy arguments that appeal to the groundling in us all. Maybe I'm giving humanity a little too much credit, but I can't bring myself to believe that the pundits truly believe the tripe they spew on the cable news networks. This is true for both the Fox News and the MSNBC crowds. It's all about the ratings, people.

But the virulent river of wasted words has begun to flood into the halls of Congress, from the mouths of our elected representatives. This is pathetic. I repeat, this is pathetic. Civility is a cornerstone of democracy. Without civility, without an ability to hear opposing points of view, we will never reach the compromises that have defined our legislative process since the Constitution was written. When the Joe Wilsons of the world interrupt a speech, they signal an inherent disrespect for the speaker that in turn signals an unwillingness to compromise and build legislation that will move our country forward.

I am of the firm belief that the legislative process should be like settling a lawsuit-the best settlements, like the best legislation, truly please no one. Everyone had to give up something in order to get something. That is a principle I think we have forgotten as a nation. You must experience some pain to bring about positive change. But instead of girding our proverbial loins, and accepting a solution that might cause a little pain in the short run, we act out like children. This is truly a pathetic state of affairs.

Joe Wilson makes a valid point, that the healthcare legislation must address how we pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants. But Joe Wilson is fooling himself if he thinks that we don't already subsidize hospital care for illegal immigrants. Our hospitals cannot turn anyone away, by law, until that person is in stable condition. If an illegal immigrant shows up in the emergency room, he must be stabilized. Assuming that person has no health insurance, it is highly unlikely that he will be able to pay the bill. The hospital, after a meaningless effort to collect the money owed it, will then in turn write off the bill on its taxes. We, the American taxpayers, have just subsidized health care for an illegal immigrant. And we have been doing it this way for years.

So why not address the problem in legislation, that will set out a proactive process for handling the issue, instead of allowing the money to seep into the system through the back door? Why not assert a little control over the situation, give the government a little more say in how it spends its money? Because Joe Wilson, and people like him, are assholes, that's why.

1 comment:

Gregg Jocoy said...

Sorry...I didn't find any way to contact you via your website.

TOM CLEMENTS FOR U.S. SENATE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2010


GREEN PARTY U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE TOM CLEMENTS PLANS A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA

The Green Party of South Carolina has a serious candidate in Tom Clements in the race against entrenched Republican Jim DeMint and Democrat Alvin Greene.

With Charleston businesswoman Linda Ketner’s decision not to place her name on the ballot as a petition candidate, Clements is encouraging her supporters to take a look at his campaign, get involved and pull the lever for him on Election Day.

“Now that Ms. Ketner has decided not to run, this gives the green light to disaffected Democrats, Republican and independents to unify behind my campaign,” says Clements. “I pledge not only to take into close consideration the concerns of Ketner supporters but also the views of voters across the political spectrum. My campaign will now laser in on Mr. DeMint and that he has failed to properly represent all South Carolinians while helping create a destructive climate in Washington that has harmed us all.”

While many are preoccupied with the controversy inside the Democratic Party, Tom Clements’ campaign is reaching out across the state with a message of change from the grassroots up and will zero in on the host of reasons why DeMint is a poor choice for South Carolina and is an incumbent who should be voted out of office.

“I’m a working person who is concerned about working folk’s needs and will best represent them in the Senate,” says Clements. “I have been a life-long activist for public interest issues, so I know how the political system works. I have been involved in politics from a research and advocacy standpoint for my entire adult life, so I am quite prepared for this job.”

“Jim DeMint is obviously more concerned about raising money off questionable radical candidates in other states than he is about listening to the people of South Carolina,” said Clements. “DeMint is AWOL and needs to come home and join in the discussion about who the people will choose to represent them.”

He has intervened in S.C. Public Service Commission rate hikes in an effort to keep utilities from raising rates in a period of economic downturn. He has also challenged the law that allows utilities to begin charging ratepayers for a nuclear power plant before it is even approved or built.

Tom has extensive foreign policy experience. In his past work with Greenpeace International and as Executive Director of the Nuclear Control Institute, he interacted regularly with official representatives of other countries, at the

United Nations in New York and Geneva, and at embassies in Washington, D.C. and abroad.

For more information, call 803-834-3084 or visit Tom’s website at Clements For Senate or his Facebook page.

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