Health Care Debate

Lately in the news there has been a lot of controversy about President Obama's Health Care Act or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). I'm really concerned about the rumors I've been hearing about the new law. During the last semester I've been studying a lot about the ACA in several of my classes and this semester my senior capstone is an exhaustive evaluation of it. I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I am more familiar with the new law than a lot of people that I hear talking about it and I suppose that by the end of this semester I'll have more knowledge about it and its projected impact. There are a lot of misconceptions about it and I don't have time to address them all, so I'm just going to say that a lot of the rumors that I keep hearing that are against the ACA are complete hogwash. It appears to be political posturing by the Republicans who want to make the Democrats look bad in order to gain control of the Senate and the Presidency. I'm not emotionally attached to either political party because parties are only political organizations whose goal is to get power. I do favor the Democrats right now because they are the ones who seem to be more sensitive to the needs of the people. The ACA isn't a perfect law, but it is an important step in the right direction of helping to care for the needs of people.
This is what I believe because of my religious beliefs mostly. In the Book of Mormon, Moroni recorded a prophesy that reads For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and afflicted (Mormon 8:37). I believe that this characterizes the current political climate. While there is genuine concern about jobs and markets, this is no justification for neglecting the poor and needy. The scriptures say nothing about propping up companies and I don't feel like I should support a system that doesn't serve the needs of people. I believe that there are groups in the U.S. (health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies) who have put greed above service and this is why our health care system is in such bad shape and why there is such a need for reform. These same groups have made it their goal to defeat the ACA and are eager to use any dirty tactic they can conceive to do so. I'll probably have more to say about this as time goes on.

Conservative?...Liberal?

I've grown up in a mostly "conservative" family that tends to vote Republican and I used to just kinda follow along, but in the last few years I've done some changing. I may still be registered Republican, but in this last election I didn't vote a straight Republican ticket. I'm not so certain that the GOP is all that "conservative" right now. In fact, I don't think either of the two big political parties have claim to any pure economic philosophy. Republicans aren't always fiscal conservatives and Democrats aren't always just taxing and spending. It seems that there is a lot of vitriol employed by both parties to demonize each other and it doesn't always reflect the truth. Often the truth is distorted and arguments are oversimplified in order to sway people who don't really understand public policy and economics.

Opinions are like bellybuttons...

Hi, Welcome to my blog of rants. This is my opinion blog. I always hate to get into political discussions with my friends and family because it seems inevitable that we will disagree on something and then there seems to be a barrier between us and even though I may disagree with family and friends, I still deeply care about them (and hope that they will see the light someday;). I do have another blog, but I don't want it to be tainted with opinions on issues. It's strictly for connecting to family and friends, not alienating them. This blog is mostly for me to vent and if someone wants to join in the discussion with something intelligent and well thought out (or regurgitated Glenn Beck baloney for that matter) then feel free to join in, but I just want to make sure that it's understood that what is said on this blog, stays on this blog. I want it to be respectful dialogue, but if it gets contentious, then I fully intend to still be friendly when I see you in person. Also, if you want to continue a blog discussion in person, then it better be brief, because, while my opinions are often deeply held, they aren't so important to me that I would ever desire to end up being disagreeable with any friends or family members who are dear to me. And if you are reading this, then chances are that you are a person who is dear to me personally, even if we hold opposite opinions. So I'm going to kick this thing off with a saying that I learned from a friend and former mission companion, Adam Cannon; "opinions are like bellybuttons, everyone has one and mine was made right".