Be Careful.

This morning, in Pittsburgh, PA - a disgruntled man shot and killed three police officers after they responded to what they thought was a domestic disturbance. The man was wearing a "bulletproof vest and armed with an AK-47, a long rifle and a pistol, Poplawski fired about 100 rounds during the standoff". Friends have been reported as saying the suspect (who is in custody) was convinced of a coming gun ban. (For the record, the only "gun ban" that has been mentioned is a ban on assault weapons sales).

Now, where would he get such an idea?

Think Progress has an excellent post this evening dealing with the right-wing hysteria and how it has resulted in an excellent sales for gun shops. The rhetoric coming out of the right has been at a fevered pitch lately. With Glenn Beck and Michelle Bachmann claiming that the world as they know it is going to end at the hands of the evil "liberals". It's no wonder that people get upset, these type of blatant lies and the campaign of misinformation has led to an entire section of the population being convinced of their truth. There are still people fighting the "Obama is not a citizen" fight, for pity's sake.

This reminds me a little bit of the militia activities after the Waco incident in the early 90s. It's always the same, "the government is coming for your guns, they are coming for your jobs and they are coming for you and your family". Then Oklahoma City happens - and it's all denials "Well, that guy was just crazy, I never meant anything like that..."

If I were to write on this blog repeatedly that I thought people who wear blue socks are bad and will be taking over the country and turning us in to a blue socks only nation* - and some lone nutjob read it and went out to kill someone wearing blue socks, I would expect some reprecussions for my rhetoric. But I fear many of the talking heads and a few Congresspeople - do not get that idea.

*This blog in no way endorses violence against blue socks, in fact I have a couple pairs. LOL

Be Careful.

The Fragility of Law

Yesterday, the Justice Department announced that it was moving to reverse the conviction of former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. The reason was the prosecutorial misconduct of those in the Bush Justice Department. Anyone that has watched much Law & Order can tell you that Jack McCoy can't withhold evidence from the defense attorneys if it is exculpatory in nature. Obviously, the officials in the Bush DOJ should have watched a bit more TV.

Really this incident is just another in a string of disturbing occurances dealing with the rule of law. We had Justice Department lawyers - justifying torture, extraordinary rendition, warrentless wiretapping, permanent detention with out trial...why has no one been disbarred?

We can not claim to be the "shining beacon on a hill" while treating Lady Justice like a cheap whore. I think it's very important that Attorney General Holder establish a new beginning in the DOJ. Annouce publicly that these programs are unacceptable and illegal and will not be used anymore. While a lot of us will never fully trust the government - it's just our tin-foil hatted nature - I want to be able to trust in the intentions of my government and this would be a good place to start.

The Fragility of Law

Healthcare Fairness Update

I've received some pretty good feed back from people regarding this idea...I hope that people are contacting their legislators - if nothing else, just to see what they'll say.

I did have one person point out that Republicans would be wise to forfeit their policies, because they have enough money to buy insurance and they would get political capital from such a maneuver.

My take on that would be, they would have to admit that they would take their ball and go home rather than share with the other kids. That type of attitude is not something we want in our elected government.

Please let me know if you have any ideas for getting the word out!

Healthcare Fairness Update

Sick Around America

This is a really good Frontline...




Please consider reading Healthcare Fairness (yesterday's post). Please take action! It's important!
Please email any responses you receive to healthcarefairness@gmail.com

Sick Around America

Healthcare Fairness

We the people of the United States of America deserve to be secure in our health and well being. As such, we have the RIGHT to low cost, high efficiency health care. Much like that which our Legislators and other elected officials enjoy.

Many of our elected officials seem to feel that we, the people, do not deserve the RIGHT to our health. As such, I respectfully request that they forfeit theirs.

Any elected official that feels that health care is not a RIGHT of all Americans, feels that our "for profit" health care system is fair, should be willing to live by the same standards as their constituents. They must forfeit their government supplied health care policies.

CALL TO ACTION:

I would like my readers that agree with this idea to meet with/write to their elected officials. Letters to the editor/blog posts, etc.. are also encouraged.
If you do not know who your Senators or Representative is please click here.

It is important to make the letter personal. Make sure to include the fact that you feel they should forfeit their policy if they do not support universal healthcare. Explain your circumstances, why this issue is important to you. Many legislators will tell you that form letters get discarded fairly quickly into the "form letter" pile.

It is important that we convey the absolute necessity of this. We must bring equality into the health care process.

I would like to keep a record of those letters sent out, if you use e-mail, please consider a BCC to healthcarefairness@gmail.com Also, please forward any responses you receive to the same address.

STATISTICS/DETAILS:

• Over 46 million U.S. citizens are uninsured. That number is growing every day with layoffs.
• The average family policy cost exceeded $12,000 this year and continues to increase. Who has $1,000/mo plus the cost of medicine?
• Low wage workers do not CHOOSE to be uninsured, it is not economically feasible.
• The United States spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries provide health insurance to all their citizens.
• Single payer healthcare would increase the competitiveness of U.S. companies on the global market.

EDIT********** Here's a sample of the letter I wrote to my Senators and Representative.

Senator Brownback,

I am writing to you to express my support for single payer health care. As our economy struggles, more and more of your constituents are joining the ranks of the uninsured.

As you can imagine, being without health insurance is a very scary thing. You wake up every day hoping that today isn't the day that something bad happens. You try every home remedy known to man - all because our healthcare system is broken. Personally, I have been forgoing medication for my chronic asthma for over six months, since losing my job.

It is very frustrating to hear members of your party talk about how health care is not a "right". We spend more money on healthcare than any other nation, yet people die because they can't afford access. There is something very wrong with that.

I have a proposal for you. If you truly believe that government provided healthcare is not the best way to answer our growing healthcare issue (not to mention global competitiveness), I ask that you publicly forfeit your taxpayer funded healthcare plan. Senators and Representatives have access to the best healthcare in the world - their constituents should too. If we can't have it, you shouldn't either.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Nicki
Wichita, KS

Healthcare Fairness

Health Care: A Call to Action

McClatchy Newspapers has released an article discussing how commercial insurers blacklist applicants based on even trivial health issues. That should be no surprise to any of us that have been or are currently uninsured.

Well this got me thinking....and it's often dangerous when I do that, so bear with me.

A good number of our elected officials seem to be against a single payer, nationalized health care - in fact, most of them are so beholden to big insurers that they refuse to even consider this "socialist" concept.

Since elected officials get to partake in a very nice insurance, tax payer paid plan, for life.
They must give it up.
Senator John McCain is a perfect example...he has been eligible for government sponsored health care for his entire life. Yet, he feels his constituents and the rest of us do not deserve that luxury? Now I realize his trophy wife could pay for whatever they needed...but that's not really the point.

IF WE CAN'T HAVE IT - THEY SHOULDN'T EITHER!

Check back tomorrow for more details.

Health Care: A Call to Action

Response/Thanks from AKMuckraker @ Mudflats

This is a new post on the Mudflats, it looks like AKMuckraker will be continuing her good fight for the state of Alaska.

Thank You, from AKMuckraker.

28 03 2009

As I sit here writing, there is a strange mixture of wind, snow and volcanic ash swirling around outside my windows. It’s tempting to yell, “The sky is falling!” and at times it has felt that way. If you had told me last week that a State Legislator would send me a threatening email telling me he was going to out me, and reveal my real identity on his official legislative newsletter, I’d have thought to myself, “Never in a million years would someone be so foolhardy.” But once again I have overestimated the common sense of Rep. Mike Doogan. And here we are.

I have to admit this has taken a bit of getting used to. I’m not one to crave the spotlight, and I generally enjoy my boring little life. So, I’m needing a little time to regroup. Thank you all for the understanding, and indulging this naturally private and introverted blogger who normally posts pretty frequently. Public figures choose a public life. Private citizens don’t necessarily choose that. The possibility is always there for a pseudonymous blogger to become public, but we’d like to think that this would be at the time and in the manner of that person’s choosing….without the unwanted help of a State Representative, who is, after all, supposed to be working for us.

In this stressful time, I have been absolutely overwhelmedby your messages of love and support. I have read every single comment on the blog, and at times I laughed, at times I was brought to tears of joy and grief, and at times I was stunned by the insight and clarity of your thinking and assessment of the situation. And I loved it all. Truly, you all gave me a soft cushion on which to ride this rocky road after being dragged out of my cave. For those of you who have sent emails, or messages on Facebook, I have not yet had the opportunity to read all of them, but I will.

I have not only appreciated the personal support for me and my family (and Brian the moose), but I appreciate that you all getthe big picture, and the most important issue, which is not me. The big picture, the thing that should outrage all of us, despite political party or affiliation, is this: an elected official in a position of power and authority utilized state resources to deliberately and with malice, knowing there would be negative consequences, impinged on the free speech and privacy rights of a private citizen.

Heartening as well, have been the emails and comments of support I have received from conservatives who love and respect the right to free speech as much as those further left on the political spectrum, and who also recognize the big picture. There have been messages of support from the conservative community that have made me hopeful for finding common ground, even with those with whom we thought it would be impossible. This is a good thing for all of us.

I am working on a new post. It was difficult to know quite where to begin. As a friend said, it’s a bit like losing your favorite instrument, and having to learn how to play a new one. But I’ve enjoyed some down time with family, and the challenge of learning to play this new and strange instrument and seeing what I can do with it. Because there’s no doubt, things are different. The next post will be one of my favorite kinds - a good story. We haven’t had one of those in a while. The ending is uncertain, but it’s one that should resonate with all of us.

Thank you, thank you again for your love and support. Even though I’m a “word person” I know I will never fully be able to express to you my deep and abiding gratitude for this community.

**************

*I’ll be putting up open threads as they are needed when the comments get clogged.

*The site will be down for a couple hours tonight, while ServerGuy outfits us with a brand new server! Thanks ServerGuy!

And yes, I’ll always be AKMuckraker.

Response/Thanks from AKMuckraker @ Mudflats