Does the current health care system work in the US? In a manner of speaking - yes and no. It is true that you CAN get medical care if you really need it - doctors cannot legally turn a person away from a life-threatening situation just because they don't have insurance. I won't say this is certain, but I believe this is part of the oath that they take. It is also true that IF an individual wanted coverage (without factoring in the costs at this moment), most people could get covered by the many options available: private health care, Medicare/Medicaid, state low-cost alternatives and VA. For those that cannot get covered, it typically is linked to at least one of two factors: money and/or a pre-existing condition.

On the other hand, those two factors have made it hard for a group of individuals to get affordable health care. (Keep in mind though - "affordable" is in the eyes of the beholder) Those with pre-existing conditions often get shunned by private insurance; they may turn to public insurance, only to find out that the public insurance also has limitations on what they will pay. Access to treatment is another issue - how many doctors make house calls anymore? Finally, the known abuses of the current system overbear all involved with excessive costs - from the maximums that the insurance will pay to the malpractice insurance that doctors have to pay to be protected from sometimes "frivolous" lawsuits.

So now we talk about "nationalized" health care. What do we mean by that? There are different versions - one is simply guaranteeing coverage for all, by expanding current social programs only enough to fill the current gap; another is having the government be the sole policy maker, while allowing private insurers to effect the policy. The one that gets the most attention currently is "single-payer universal health care," because this gives people what they think they want - health coverage from cradle to grave.

I would like to kindly affirm why I am against the last option listed above. First, allow me to clarify something - such an option will STILL have limitations. Now why would that be? Simply put, no amount of revenue could cover a system that would allow its citizens to be covered for every option that they feel they are entitled to. I have two case studies to offer to support this. The first is an in-law that lives in a country with this health care. The individual was diagnosed with Stage 4 NSCLC, which gave him an estimated life expectancy of 6 months. It is true that they covered his benefits in full for some time, but something happened that is rather miraculous - it has been almost 5 years, and he's still here. However, after the first year the bills started coming out of his pocket. The cancer medicine that he needs every day? Even with this "national" health care now costs him over $250 per pill - and he takes it at least twice a day! X-rays and CAT scans? At least $300 per visit, which is about every other week.

But.. that shouldn't happen, right? Why can't the government support him more? The answer is simply this - they estimated the amount that they could support and that was it. The rest is now on him - fortunately, he was fiscally responsible and can handle things for himself AND his family.

The other case study is the one I kindly link below for your viewing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/health/03nice.html

So I pose this question: Do you want the government to tell you how much you are worth spending to save? If you support this and the cost of saving YOUR life is more than this, what will YOU do?

Capitalism has its benefits when used properly; in other cases, it can lead to abuses that hurt not just those directly involved but the general economy as well. Let’s take government entitlements, such as Medicare, Medicaid and Education assistance for consideration. How many people have seen the scooter or diabetic commercials that state something similar to “We’ll bill your insurance and Medicare/Medicaid for you?” Or how about the college ads that say you can get a degree and make more money? These are prime examples of how “for-profit” companies have abused the system.

At face value, these programs appear to be ones that truly care and support the individual. But for those working there, it is a legal grey area that is exploited – help the people that want help, but get as much out of it as possible for the company. If you doubt this, then ask yourself this question: if the company was truly interested in the benefits of the individual, why don’t they drop the cost to an affordable amount that would still allow a good amount of profit. For the sake of this argument, we will believe that 10% profit - meaning after all the costs are factored in, 10% remains – should be a more than satisfactory profit margin. Then why should the company charge more? Simply put, they do it because they can. They tell you how “it’s government money, so it’s free money…” and hope that you’ll buy it.
In other cases, capitalism has helped the government become more efficient at health care. Take for example TRICARE, which is the health care plan provided to most DoD personnel. Contrary to popular belief, there are two versions of TRICARE: TRICARE Prime, which is essentially an HMO plan that utilizes DoD medical personnel as its “in-network” medical staff.

However, another version of TRICARE is available that is more like a PPO – DoD personnel can have a certain amount withdrawn from their paycheck and can see a doctor of their choice that is accepted by the local TRICARE office. In cases where a military installation may not be nearby, a local health insurance provider may run this in place of DoD personnel. What was the benefit? Costs went down, the accessibility to care went up and the general satisfaction of active duty, reserve and retirees has greatly increased in comparison to the previous plan called CHAMPUS. So for those that champion this coverage as a true single-payer health care… you may want to take a deeper look.

http://www.tricare.mil

Leading to this point, the discussion has mainly been directed to the patient’s point of view. However, there are other people in the system that make it work, no matter who pays the bills. But what about hospital staff? And how about doctors? Do they not make a lot of money? Why should they not take a pay cut?

In reality, the doctors that are seen on TV as those who really make the money are often practicing medicine in a field that is not typically covered by insurance or charge more than an health care company will desire to pay. This often gives a misleading opinion that all doctors – even the family practitioners – are making good money. As others have mentioned in this discussion, the aforementioned salaries do not take into consideration the costs of practicing medicine. It also does not take into consideration those doctors and family practitioners that agree to lower costs in order to do what they love – help people live healthy (and hopefully happy) lives.

Those that want single payer often believe that health care should be more affordable. But the only way to reduce costs “across the board” is to limit the most that a doctor or medical professional can charge for a given service. This is what is done in several countries that have such health care; yet it is not always enough to cover the overall cost of covering its citizens. Such an example of this was the article linked here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31210877/

One thing that causes tension in our country is the infringement of government on our personal rights. Such a control of a person’s earnings, whether it is a medical professional or an executive, would push this infringement to a level unseen in this country. The strongest impacts would likely be to both medical research and professionals in specialized care, leaving a gap that would likely be filled by those who are willing to work for less. In turn, these individuals may or may not be as qualified as those they were replacing. (To say one way or another is unrealistic, it truly depends on the individual.)

Finally I would recognize the costs as a taxpayer. Whether a VAT is added, health care benefits taxed or another stream of revenue is created to the federal government, the money still has to come from somewhere – us. This would be reasonable if the average wage of those working were sufficient enough to support such an increase; however, the likely scenarios indicate that this may not guarantee sufficient revenue to cover the costs.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/13/news/economy/health_care_reform/index.htm?postversion=2009061513

In such a case, where will the money come from? Inflation will not stay stagnant or negative, which means that unless wages go up, people would have to live on less to stay the same. Regrettably, it appears that this will not improve anytime soon; in fact, solutions such as a VAT could harm this even more. However, the discussion of wages is a much larger debate in the US Economy – perhaps this could be in a later thread.

I do not claim to know all of the answers – I’m not the smartest person, I don’t always get things right nor do I believe I am infallible. I am, just like all of us, human… furthermore, I am an American. I do believe that most people are inherently good, but I’m not blind to the fact that there are those who rather cause pain and suffering for the many reasons that one may have. Any solution that tries to lay the entire burden on a single concerned party will fail, and this is why I believe we have to work together. It may sound selfish – but if we can put so much into charities around the world, why are we NOT putting that money to use here in the US? We cannot go back to a protectionist or an isolationist policy – simply put, we are burying ourselves with the costs of borrowing money from other countries and ourselves. The only way to start fixing this is to eliminate (not just break even) the national debt. Americans spent over 1 BILLION dollars to elect Mr. Obama – imagine what that could have done if focused towards all Americans.

Simply put, we have to take responsibility for ourselves. Our forefathers knew that when they challenged the British; when they declared independence; and even through the hardest times of our nation’s founding, they knew this when creating a government that is truly unique in this world. If we want to really make sure everyone is covered, then it’s up to us. Live within your means; help those truly in need when you can. Let’s show the world that we can pick ourselves up as a nation – once we get there, we can offer a great deal more to the world.

Thank you all for your time.

After some deep thought and reflection, I thought I would come back and post another blog.

It's been a little over 2 years and while I have seen things come and go, I still believe in our nation.  We have much to do, and while I may not agree with the current Republican platform on many things, I do have a blog here.  More importantly, I have a voice here that I would like to utilize.  There are other blog sites, to be sure... but after some posts on local paper sites, I think it's time I share some of this with a larger audience.  To be fair... I will include it here and other places where a civilized discussion is welcome.

So I hope that you will read and discuss - that's all I can ask.  Thank you!

I guess they are going to allow portions of the movie to be displayed after all.  I just saw this and had to pass the news on:

 Good afternoon!  I can say it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post here on Townhall, and I have missed being part of the discussion.  But today, I would like to share a letter that I sent to Hugh Hewitt and the two talk show hosts at AM 560, WIND, for the chance to see "The Nativity Story".  If you're not sure why this even came about, read this article first and then read this update.

Before I add my sent comments, let me just say this: had it not been for the weather, I would have placed a large bet on the fact that theater would have been packed.  But 6-12 inches of snow within 12 hours will do things like that.  If you have not seen this movie, or you don't have it on your watch list - maybe this will make you reconsider.  If you have EVER considered the ideas presented behind the reason for Christmas or wanted to see another view, it is worth the viewing of this movie.

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Anyone keeping tabs on any major city's newspapers would hear about this.  BackyardConservative gives her take on it...

You know?  Maybe when Rezko's was first connected to the governor, that could have passed away into the wind... Then Obama has a deal with him, as noticed by the Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune??

I don't know at what point that someone will realize that this requires a little more scrutiny.  At the least, this puts three Democrats in a negative light - wonder how many more connections are possible?  And if anyone wants to try and put up the fight that I don't think about the other side, guess what?  Criminals are not always connected to one party affiliation or the other.

Good afternoon everyone!  Now that I have a few moments, it's time to put up some of what I've been spending time on!  As time allows, I hope to bring several posts up to the blog on things. For some time, I have been posting in threads that Stars & Stripes, the main newspaper distributed to our military, has some great articles that are worth reading.

This column is one of the examples I would like to offer.  By far one of the solemn and quite debated pieces I have seen them publish

This is another one that I really liked.

This last column also may help you see some of the points of view in the area.

But don't take my word for it, the "Letters" section on their site can show you more.  Some are really good, some of them are bad.  But seeing these articles is another way we can get more information on The War on Terror.

Okay, I should clarify the title.  I have been posting today and in my blog below that the best thing to do after an election is to write your elected representatives and remind them of the fact that they are representing YOU as well.  So I did exactly that.  I have sent this e-mail once here through Townhall, and if I don't see anything within the next 48 hours, I will try again through direct e-mail.  But here it is, I hope you may look at it and get you thinking that you too should introduce yourself to your elected representatives.

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Good afternoon, sir/ma'am.  I would like to take a moment to introduce myself.  My name is USABeliever (Name changed), and I am a member of an area that you represent.  Once elected, I believe an elected representative has an obligation to put aside the party lines in order to effectively represent those in their area.  In light of the upcoming session of Congress, I would like to take this opportunity to find out more about my representatives in government.

1) Elected representatives should be acceptable of the opinions of those they represent, whether they agree or disagree.  Are you willing to listen to the opinions of all that you represent, whether they will be similar to your
interests or opinions?

2) If an individual that you represent differs in your opinion, are you willing to work to explain why you may disagree and possibly find a compromise?

2) Elected representatives should be accessible by those they represent.  Do you make an active effort to try and reach out to all of your constituents?  If someone needed to reach you or wanted to express their opinion, what would be their best avenue?

3) Elected representatives should cite any personal opinion regarding political issues.  This is important to ensure that it is not the personal opinion of the representative being expressed, but rather the opinion of those being represented.  Do you keep on file a exhaustive list of opinions that you hold on political issues?  This list should address your opinion on topics such as these, as well as others you feel important:

-The war in Iraq and national defense
-Economics, taxes and government spending
-Ecology
-Illegal immigration
-Campaign reform
-Health care and Social Security
-Foreign policy
-Accountability in government
-Equal rights
-Abortion
-Values

If your opinions are on file somewhere, is there a place they may be accessed by those you represent?  If they are not currently on file or not available to the public, are you willing to make those available to those you represent?

I am an American first and foremost, before any political affiliation; I hope that you consider yourself in the same manner.  I write this letter with the hope that regardless of who you may represent, you will do your best to reflect those you represent in Congress.  Our government only works if we have faith in those elected to do what is in the best interests of this country.  The best way to continue to strengthen that trust and faith is through communication.  As the new session of Congress approaches, I hope that you will take a moment to respond to this letter and share your thoughts.  Lastly if you are reading this, it is a beginning indicator that you are truly concerned about those you represent.  I would like to thank you for your attention and your time.

Sincerely,
USABeliever
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Now, if you do this through Townhall, it will automatically add your contact information if you have added it.  Again, since this is my test to send through here, I will try again if necessary this week.  But the point is this:  If those that represent you are not willing or otherwise unable to respond to you, or the response is negative - what does that say about your elected official?  I for one hope that they will write back.  Oversight for your Congressman or Congresswoman should not be done by the government - the responsibility is ours.  And information combined with our voice is how we uphold our responsibilities.

Have a great day everyone!

Good morning!  On this election day, I got a comment from B that asked where I stand on issues.  So, you know what?  I'm sure this may or may not stir some people, but here it is:

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Abortion - I do believe in the idea of adoption versus abortion.  Even in the extreme cases where someone may want an abortion, I would have to encourage adoption over abortion.  I don't want to seem heartless - but whatever has been done to you, that baby hasn't done anything.  If you don't want the responsibility - there are THOUSANDS of families looking to adopt.  My uncle and aunt were fortunate to adopt a girl, and she is just like anyone else in the family.

Stem Cell Research - To my understanding, the funding for embryonic stem cells is allowed, just not from federal funds.  In addition, there have been many issues where doctors have said that embryonic stem cell research is turning out to be unstable, causing tumors.  I personally would not want to have the government fund embryonic stem cell research until a breakthrough is found that will alleviate the current problems.  Adult stem cell research, to my understanding, is already being funded.  I do support funding for adult stem cells, as they have already found uses without the dangerous repercussions that have been seen in embryonic stem cells.

Economy/Fiscal Responsibility - To be honest, this is one thing I need to study more about.  I know having government spending out of control is not good.  That being said, logic and reason would tell me that federal funds should be focused on national issues and not so much on state.  States should be responsible for their own issues.  But in my personal finance, I don't believe that the cheapest bottom dollar is always the best bet.  Again, I know this is an area I need to study more about, which I started by reading the defense appropriations for 2007 last week.

The War - I will have to say emphasize again that I'm both a military brat (child of a military member) and a veteran.  I do believe that we need to work on our national defense.  Sometimes offensive actions are needed, and I do believe that before we went into Iraq that the diplomatic measures had been exhausted.  If Iraq had continued for the past 3 years to build up, there's no telling what would have happened not only in the reigon but around the world.  Diplomacy should always be used first and military action as a last resort.  I think that while not every decision has been made correctly, I and many others that I served with agree that we are doing the right thing there.  The best solution, as depressing as it may sound in the short term, would be to see Iraq through until their government is stable and we are told that the job is done by the Iraqi government.

On the same lines - when the United States wanted independence and in the first 50 years thereafter, we had several threats against our country.  Had we not been assisted by other countries financially and militarily, we would not be the country we are today.  If a neighbor helps me, it is my responsibility as a human to assist those in need - paying it forward.  I hope that when the job is done in Iraq, they also pay it forward and show that the process can work.  It's not the exact democracy as the US - but each government should not be 100% the same.

Ecology - This is a difficult topic to discuss, because both sides are very apparent.  On the one hand, it may be cheaper but worse for the economy with a lot that we are doing both in the US and world today.  On the other, we need to preserve the earth to pass onto our children.  If it meant a higher cost of living to preserve the earth, and income would match that higher cost of living, I would be okay with it.  But it's a very tight line on either side, where at a point it puts humans in general versus nature and ecology.  I can only hope we continue to find new ways to make it a win-win for both.

Accountability in government - Government should be held accountable, but does that mean the government should watch itself, or should it leave that to the people of the United States to do keep watch on those representing them?  Perhaps a little of both.  I understand the need for some government oversight, but to say that the government needs to do it to me belittles us, the average American.  Like the checks and balances in the government, so must the people act as the checks and balances as well.  In that thinking, not only does politics and issues only affect those in Washington - it should be on the mind of every man and woman as well.

Defense of our nation - #1 prority, by far!  I have spent both time living in the military environment and as a civilian, and the biggest thing I see by many Americans is that we take for granted that we have our freedoms and our country.  I'm glad that we have an all-volunteer military, and that the numbers are there to support that - it shows a tremendous amount of support for this country.  I think everyone should be exposed to the dangers that are out there and realize that not everyone in the world can go about their lives the way that we do.  Defense goes not only to the military, but if we face a threat that endangered the existence of our way of life, this too should be on the mind of everyone.

(Side note: I know that by saying these things should be on the mind of everyone, this makes some people depressed.  But having at least a knowledge and being informed it vital to understanding the world that we live in today)

Immigration - Ideally, logic tells me this should not be an issue at all.  Reason being, immigrants should have to follow the law, period.  I have had to go through the immigration process for someone lately, and we have to continue it.  I have asked this person what they thought, and they said it's unfair that they will do the process and then other people try to cheat the system.  The system's been broke for too long, and needs to get fixed.

So then the necessary solution needs to encompass both the illegal immigrants in this country now and those who would try to come here illegally in the future.  Because of the mixed emotions in the country about this issue, simply putting everyone on a bus or plane is not only unreal, but potentially dangerous to incite riots.  A good compromise is needed, something to the idea of "OK, we know you're here illegally.  We will give you 6 months to start the process or leave.  While you are here, you will not be eligible for benefits, such as welfare or medicaid." (Why I say this is because even legal immigrants may not be entitled to these for up to 10 years after they come to the US!)  Those that have worked hard and shown that they would be a contribution to our country, such as stable employment, learning English, etc. should be eligible to apply to immigrate here in the same method that everyone else does.  Like legal immigrants, those that fail the criminal background check should not be allowed to be given citizen status.  Those with outstanding warrants should be extradited immediately for prosecution. We hire more staffing for DHS to accomodate the influx of applications, and exceptions would be handled on a case-by-case basis.  (Heck, since we're willing to go so far diplomatically to solve the situation, tell them up front that the decision made is final.)

ABC's "Ugly Betty" show has been bringing this topic to homes with the father.  As of last week, he had said that he came into the country illegally and had murdered someone that was beating his wife. (At that time, her husband was someone else.)  The fact that this is the example that is being used by pop culture to gain sympathy for illegal immigration does not talk about the influx of gangs, illegal drugs and many other negatives.

The second part is an immediate lockdown on any new illegal immigrants.  You try to come into the US illegaly, you're getting kicked right back out.  Better yet, don't let them in at all!  I don't know how other people feel about this, but in my mind illegal immigration is a national defense issue.  Here's the reasoning - if we can't even keep our physical borders closed to those coming illegally to the US, what message does that send about our national defense to terrorists and other people that would like to see the US destroyed?

(In a pessimistic point of view, it is possible that any action against illegal immigration will be gummed up in legal action for years to come.  It is sad that people will try to use our own legal system against Americans for those that are not Americans.)

Taxes - I can't speak for everyone, but I know the tax cuts by the Bush administration have affected me - and I'm lower middle class!  For anyone to say they have not gotten anything out of the tax break should be shown a side-by-side comparison of taxes in what we would have paid versus what we pay now.

So what about medicare and social security?  As I said earlier, the cheapest bottom dollar is not always the best option.  We have to make a choice as a nation, and soon.  Either we can increase withholdings from our income for SS and Medicare to compensate, or we can go to individual savings. (Which for me is fine, but at a national level somewhat scares me - too many people live life for granted and then when get to retirement - whoops!)  The last option would be to raise taxes to compensate.  Even then, I'm personally not sure that's not just a band-aid for the problem.  Maybe someone out there has a better solution, and we haven't heard it yet.  But each birthday, I have to start thinking - how ready am I to retire and live my life?

Candidates - I'll admit, I didn't do a good job this year of keeping up with who I would need to vote for nor their support.  In 2004, I did a much better job in voting for Bush.  I followed the process as I have said in my blog.  A truly informed voter should do exactly that - tear apart their candidates to see who they really are, not what is being put in TV.  After today, I realized I need to find out more about what bills were sponsored and their contributions.  I need to find where to get the information beyond a media source.  Only armed with as much information that I can gather can I ask the tough questions to the candidates and find out where they stand.
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I hope this gives everyone a better idea of where I stand on things.  Of course, I don't expect everyone to agree or disagree with this; this is simply my opinion.  Now it's your turn to make up your mind, and if this helps give some ideas for you to think about, then reflect on them and see where your reasoning takes you.

Lastly - and I know you probably knew this was coming - GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY!  And have a great day too!

Hi everyone!  I've been doing some thinking and reading the blogs and comments, and I think the best thing that could be done is to help get others' views out for a good debate.  So with that in mind, I would like to see:

1) How many of our opposing opinions out there (Snap, Kimberly, JohnCitizen, etc) would like a chance to bring your side out and talk about it?  Or maybe you've seen a post of mine out there and you would like to share you opinion?  If interested, comment here - I'm considering setting up a new e-mail for discussion and debate on topics.

2) Have you served in the military before?  Are you serving now?  Share your experiences!  Those that protect our country and our way of life deserve to be heard!  Again, comment here so I know if there's enough people out there that would want to do this or not.

Well, I heard a plug from a radio station mentioning Townhall, specifically that Cisco checks it out regularly.  If you are in the Chicago area, make sure you're tuning into this station for these guys (and other shows like Prager, Medved & Hewitt as well!)

John and Cisco in the Mornings!

Briefly, they talked about the Republicans (and conservatives) that are thinking of voting Dem. or not voting at all to get the point across that they are tired of the way things have been going.  A caller mentioned that they should think about the concessions that have had to be made in order to get something passed in both sides of Congress.  Hmm... so giving more seats for a party that you do not believe in - simply because you are more upset at the party that you share more in common with for not doing everything that they set out to do - will somehow make the leadership in Congress better?

My opinion (and I know there are plenty of them out there) - I personally will stick with what I believe in.  Sure, it may not be the perfect candidate - but chances are they are still closer to what you hold to be true than those you may vote for in their place.  I'd choose the one that is closer to my values anyday, because I have a better chance of making change with them than I would anyone else.

 For anyone thinking I may have forgotten to post, I had an invitation from B and and other users to comment on their posts around Townhall.  In addition, an article caught my eye, which I want to research further:

2001 Iraqi Document: Saddam Approved the Re-Use of Nuclear Equipments (Important Translation).
http://gabriellecusumano.townhall.com/

Here's some other sites that others may find interesting:  I am always on the lookout for information.

http://baghdadblog.msnbc.com/  - Talks about spouses cheating on the soldiers while they are gone.  I know a good handful of people that would agree with what this blogger had to say.  (Article "Jody" only)

http://www.estripes.com or
http://www.estripes.osd.mil/ - This is the military newspaper Stars & Stripes.  I still try to check to see what is going on.  It's sad to say that even this newspaper doesn't cover all of the stories.  Each person has their own story, and I could only hope to hear a new one each day.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,225864,00.html - An address by Bush about Iran doubling its nukes.  Transcript is not on White House list yet, but when it does, I'd like to see the whole thing.

Have a great weekend everyone!

    Hello to all of you reading Townhall, and particularly my blog today!  I had not heard of anyone coming to read my first blog, but if you did, I give you my sincere thanks.   I mentioned in that one that I wanted to give a more personal introduction, and I would like to do so now.

    I would like to introduce myself an individual in my mid-twenties.  Most of the time, I really have to question my age, because in my experience not many people in this age bracket are concerned about the issues that are constantly running in my mind.  Other than worrying about the basics for my family, I also spend my time constantly reading and gathering information.  But I think it's very important to explain what first got me thinking about politics, the spin on media sources, and everything in-between.

    In my last year of high school, I was surprised to meet the Secretary of Education at the time, as well as one of the local representatives.  They had come to tout the school, which had just been built.  This was also during the 1996 election campaign, where I remember according to the local media that Dole was campaigning on the idea of possibly eliminating the Department of Education.  Well, to be quite honest, as a high school senior I was more worried about college and how I was going to pay for it.  So I asked a question that seemed quite natural to me - what would happen with student loans if the department was eliminated?  Needless to say, what seemed to be an innocent question got turned around by a local newspaper as the secretary "..defending the very existence of his department..."   And of course, I was happy to hear that I had made it in the paper, but I was not happy about the context that they (the media) had posed the question.  I must honestly say that was probably the biggest push to get me reading about these things.

    I also must admit that I am a military brat and have also served time in the military.  (Which I would like to take a moment and salute those who are currently serving or have served in protecting our beloved United States!)  Do I think that this had an effect on my way of thinking?  Not really, because long before I ever was in the military, I could see something didn't add up right.  I have been raised with the idea to question to a certain degree what is fact, and to prove logically if it is or not.   And it really bothered me to see in cities where most people are liberal, (especially my generation, as they are the ones I observed the most) people really thought they couldn't do anything with their lives.  It was almost that they felt they were locked into the "caste" that life had provided them with.  It was always great to see the few that truly believed in themselves and really tried to make a positive life.  For anyone that has not served in the military, or is not connected into what the military does beyond defense, I would say you are sorely missing out on the largest aid efforts that the US launches.  Take the tsunami relief effort in 2004.  I was at one of the locations where in less than 24 hours all the crews that could load things onto planes left their families and homes to support others in need.  Within a week, the base had almost emptied out of support staff in order to assist with the efforts in southeast Asia.  I was reading the papers, and I guarantee you I did not see even a fraction of the coverage that this deserved - rather the media focused on the "gloom and doom" that they are well known for.

    I still wade through news reports on a daily basis, and then go beyond the news reports and the opinions that come with it.  I respect when people present information and declare their opinion, but I cannot respect when the media says they are reporting fact... and forget to mention that they are not mentioning the whole story.  I also find it challenging to have discussions on politics and issues I feel are a real concern, because too many people are worried about their own lives to think about something larger.  Instead, I am happy to bring on a civilized debate with people that may have a different opinion, where we share our points and then confirm or debunk ourselves through research of the topic.  I hope that others in the "Gen X" and "Gen Y" categories start to see this before it's too late.  Until then, I will simply do my part to help people see that the USA is a great place to be - and if we take it for granted, regardless of the agreements and disagreements with government policy - we will end up losing it.

Thank you all for your time.

    While this is actually my first blogging, and I am somewhat nervous by doing this, I will leave the introductions for later.  The issue that I would like to mention today deserves far more attention than a personal introduction.

    In my constant craving for knowledge and information, I stumbled across last week the articles that have been discussing Republicans either voting for the other side or choosing not to vote at all.  This severely disturbs me, and to be quite honest, it has bothered me for the last 10 years, when I was 16 and I started to really get a good glimpse of what some of the things are that we lump into "politics".  I remember hearing now for 10 years very similar remarks, not only from Republicans, but Democrats as well.  The reason - it's the same reason that is being pushed again this year that it has been before.  Some of the best examples are the following: "Well, I don't like both candidates, so I'm not going to vote."; "The government really doesn't think about me, so why should I vote for them?"; "Well, my vote will not count anyways, so there is no need."

    For many years, long before I was of the age to exercise my PRIVELIGE to vote, I started to think about the issues that are poised to our government.  Sometimes, I think we as a country have started to forget what the real issues are; instead, we are focused on so many small issues that we allow those to consume us.  Abortions, equal opportunity, rights for minorities... these and many, many other issues that we as individuals may think about are given the chance because of one major issue.  And that is that we are Americans, and we fight every day to keep these privileges alive.

    Now I do want to emphasize that, that the things we take for granted on a daily basis are truly privileges.  They have been treated as rights because we as a country voted to make them a right.  But if one really thinks about it - without the privilege of being an American, and the things that as an American you stand for (the basic being freedom) - one would not have the other privileges that come with that.  And what is the cost of being an American?  If you think you were given that by your birth, as so many people try to say, think again.  That cost someone's life, whether to create this beautiful nation in the past or those that put themselves in harm's way every day, so that you can be an American.  I will say that at one point, living in a mainly liberal area for a period of time in my life, I too started to think that this was a right to me, and that I didn't need to earn it.  I was wrong.

    We all have our ways to commit ourselves to being a true American.  The first way, which I had chosen, was to serve in the forces that protect our way of life.  While I did not serve the 20 years that my father did, I am very proud for the time that I did give to my country.  Some of us in our United States cannot join the military.  That doesn't mean that they could not serve our country in various other ways.  And one of that ways is voting, and being a truly informed voter.

    So why do I say that being a truly informed voter is serving the country?  Well, that's very simple.  It means really determining your morals, and being thankful for the privileges that you have every day.  Not everyone has those, and that is definitely something to be thankful of.  You can also walk around in the assuredness that for the most part, nothing bad will happen to you while going about and living your life every day.  For those that do not even think about this, and say this should be a given, I would say shame on you.  It was not just given.  If you see a US soldier, thank them for giving their time to support your country.  It doesn't matter if you agree with the policy or not, but I say thank them because when push comes to shove, it's these brave men and women who put their necks out to protect us.

    Secondly, gather information.  This does not mean just gathering information from the news sources such as television and newspapers.  If you hear about something, really try to break it down and recreate what was fact, not what you are being told in the newspapers.  Then take that information that you have gathered and prioritize it, logically (not emotionally).  Obviously national security should take precedent; it's sad to see that many people don't think about it in the same manner.   Once you have this, I hope you have been able to really see what you think about as being important.

    Lastly, choose YOUR government representatives.  This is where I want to stress that voting makes a difference.  You may not find someone who agrees with you 100%; that's part of every human being different.  However, I do suggest you align yourself with the one that you can share the most.  Don't just look at the issues by themselves, but see which candidate prioritizes things the closest that you do.  Realistically, if you want to have your voice heard in government, they are your best choice.  And then do the final step.  Go out to that polling station, and make your voice heard!  Choose that candidate that best represents you, and be proud that after all of this hard work you know you made the right choice.

    After you have voted, the job's not over.  I would send a letter or email to that chosen representative, whether it is your candidate or not.  Get involved in what is going on, and continue to have your voice heard!  And what is wrong with thinking ahead for the next election?  Work with your elected officials to get done what you can.  Now, for those that say they didn't choose their representative - I've got news for you.  That's the time you REALLY need to contact your elected official and let them know, "OK, you won that election, but it's time to represent those that share your views - and those that do not.  I hope you keep that in mind while you serve your time in office."  And if that falls on deaf ears, don't just switch to the other party in defiance.  Chances are that if you start looking early enough, and enough people feel the same way, another candidate will be found and will start making their way to the next primaries.

    Being active in your government is every American's responsibility.  After all, through all the compromises and fighting, it is still YOUR government.  Work with the system instead of trying to circumvent it - and you'll see that the founding fathers of our country really did a great job when they sat down and thought about what our country would need for not only their present, but our present and future as well.

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My thanks in advance to all who vote - don't just sit at home and let it pass by.   And my thanks to all those that I know and do not know who are in uniform protecting me while writing this blog, as well as all other Americans while we live our lives.  And I hope that this will bring a good dialogue for those that read it.  This is simply an opinion, so if you want to share your opinion, that's fine, but please do it in good taste.  Thank you.