Merry Christmas

Random Smiles

I know I haven’t been stalwart in writing my feelings lately. I look around and see how everyone who is paying attention is discouraged, and (I admit) so am I. So today, I am offering a bit of humor. I received an e-mail from a friend today that made me laugh. Here’s the content:

“This just in from Washington, D.C.: The Supreme Court has ruled there will be no Nativity scene this year in the nation's capital. The ruling was not based on any religious principle, however. The problem stems from the inability of Nativity organizers to locate three wise men anywhere in the city. The search for a virgin continues.
On the bright side, there has been no problem finding enough donkeys to fill the stable.”

If that didn’t make you smile, try this article. Very, very good stuff.

Merry Christmas to all the Christians. Merry Christmas to everyone else too. If you want to wish me a Happy Hanukkah, I’d be flattered, not offended.

Keep up the good fight.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I am going to ask you to ponder how you would answer the question, “Who are you?” while I tell you a little bit about who I am.

In 1979 my mom was expecting her forth child who she hoped to call “Celeste.” My dad favored, “Amy.” It wasn’t until mom did some research on the two names that she relented. She found that Amy was a Latin name that meant Beloved. She knew that my dad’s name, David, also meant Beloved. And so I was named Amy, after my dad.

My dad changed jobs a lot when I was young because of the nature of auto-mechanics. He often had to work two jobs or my mom had to take on odd jobs to take care of their six kids. There came a point, though, where my parents were sure their prayers for a good job had been answered and my dad started a business selling large equipment to auto-shops throughout Utah. He had to travel a lot and he slept in his little car, but things went well for a while.

Within the course of a single year, though, my dad was in the hospital four times. He shattered his wrist installing a hoist and had to have pins put into his arm and later taken out. That same year he had emergency gall bladder surgery and an appendectomy. It was during those months that his largest client declared bankruptcy and he knew he would loose his business because of the money this client owed him. Still, my dad refused to declare bankruptcy himself, insisting that if it took his whole life he would pay off his debts.

Somewhere during that year my dad taught me an important lesson. Our car had broken down and we went to a parts store to buy what he needed to fix it. As my dad and I walked out of the store, he examined his receipt closely and declared we had to return. I grudgingly followed him, not finding auto parts to be all that interesting. At the counter he handed the salesman his receipt and said, “This is for my personal car, I need to pay the taxes.”

I never said anything to my dad about that experience, but I have thought about it often since. How many people would have just walked away? How many would have reasoned that they certainly pay enough taxes or that it was a small amount and not a big deal? He certainly wasn’t likely to be called to account for it. Even as a young girl this experience made me profoundly grateful to be named after my dad, a man of amazing integrity.

My parents struggled a lot when I was young, but I was never very aware of it. I think that’s the ultimate example of gratitude. My mom and dad were so engaged in service and love that they didn’t have time to complain.

President Benson explained that, “Today we are aware of great problems in our society. The most obvious are sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, drug abuse, alcoholism, vandalism, pornography, and violence. These grave problems are symptoms of failure in the home—the disregarding of principles and practices established by God in the very beginning.” I confess that I didn’t know much of these problems growing up and the credit for that belongs to my parents and the example they set.

When we think about who we are, we ought to be profoundly grateful for parents who taught us the gospel and, if they did not, they certainly deserve credit for in some way instilling in us the values that brought us here today. Parents, teachers, church leaders, and friends all deserve gratitude when we consider who we are.

My middle name is Jensen. I have always been glad my parents didn’t give me a real middle name because I didn’t want to give up my family name when I married. To me it represents all my ancestors. Naturally, I cannot carry with me the names of all the ancestors who influenced who I am, but I want to tell you about one of them. Baint Johnson was a farmer in Sweden when the missionaries came to his home. He accepted the gospel and his family was baptized. It turns out that the Swedes weren’t much more accepting of the church then the people of Illinois at that time, because his neighbors organized a mob and came to his house where he was alone with his seven-year-old son. He pushed his boy under the bed and instructed him to stay there until it was safe. The mob forced their way in and beat Baint so severely that his son would later tell people he was baptized in his father’s blood. As soon as Baint was well enough to travel he and his family took what they could carry and walked to Stockholm. There were other saints there and he thought to settle but word came from the mission presidency that he was to move again to Denmark. He moved his family again and prepared to start a life in Denmark, but was told he was supposed to take his family to America. He packed again.

On an over-crowded, rickety old boat he headed for the east coast, but was soon put way off course by a huge storm. Instead of landing where they expected, the little boat went around Florida and forced all the passengers off in New Orleans. He worked there for a time to earn money to take his family to St. Louis and from there, to Nauvoo. Once again he was told he could not stay and he began the long journey across the plains to Salt Lake City. Brigham Young then sent him to Provo where he again began to farm. This trip took over seven years. It was the beginning of the gospel in that line of my family. When we ask who we are we need to remember those that sacrificed to bring us the true gospel of Christ.

Remember your ancestors, and be grateful for them. If you are a first generation member, be grateful for missionaries and friends who helped you get to where you are. Be grateful for loving mothers that sent their children to answer the call of a living prophet. To the youth and primary children, take advantage of living grandparents. I remembered that story from speaking with my grandpa when I was very young. When I called him to ask him to refresh the details for me, I discovered my own mom didn’t know it.

Sometime before the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ a young boy was orphaned and went to live with his uncle, Thomas Hancock. The boy later grew to become the first signer of the Declaration of independence. While none of John Hancock’s children lived to maturity, his cousins passed the Hancock name down a few generations to prominent members of the church who lived in Nauvoo who carried it across the plains and eventually passed it down to Nathan Hancock who, six years ago, asked me to share it.

While Governor of Massachusetts, John Hancock declared a state holiday which he called, “A day of public Thanksgiving.” I want to share with you a bit of the article Gov. Hancock wrote as his declaration. He asked that on this holiday the people should, “devoutly and sincerely offer to Almighty GOD, the gratitude of our Hearts, for all his goodness towards us; more especially in that He has been pleased to continue to us so a great a measure of Health—to cause the Earth plentifully to yield her increase, so that we are supplied with the Necessaries, and the Comforts of Life—to prosper our Merchandise and Fishery—And above all, not only to continue to us the enjoyment of our civil Rights and Liberties; but the great and most important Blessing, the Gospel of Jesus Christ”

This, like the others I have discussed, is a legacy we all share. Not only was our country founded by men who were blessed with a profound understanding and gratitude for Jesus Christ, it was created by the Hand of God to be the place he would restore his gospel. Elder L. Tom Perry explained, “Among other things, the Constitution guarantees the religious freedom that allowed the Reformation to continue and flourish. The great religious reformers began to throw off the rituals and dogmas that had been attached to Christianity during the dark ages and sought to return to the pure and simple truths of the New Testament. “

Joseph Smith said, “The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner.”

Brigham Young said, “[The Constitution] was dictated by the invisible operations of the Almighty.”

Spencer W. Kimball added, “One of the reasons America is great today is because those men who formulated the Constitution had vision. They looked ahead to today, and all of us here are recipients of their wisdom and foresight.”

How grateful we must all be to be partakers of the blessings lavished upon those Heavenly Father brought to this promised land. I am grateful for freedom and for those that made the United States a part of who I am and those who continue to fight for it today.

My final name is one that I chose to take upon myself, but also one that came to me as the result of the divinity of all Children of God. At the age of 8, I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and on that day I covenanted to take upon me the name of my Savior. When we are considering the inconceivable blessing of being chosen to bear the name of Jesus Christ, we ought to be humbled by so great a trust and responsibility. And, in turn, we need to ask ourselves how we can live up to that name, the same way we should always be striving to live worthy of the other sacrifices people have made so we could be all that we were born to be. I think even as adults we sometimes tend to become casual in our behavior, our language and actions may be more to receive a desired reaction from the people around us then a reflection of what we believe. But even when we are less then diligent in reflecting our Savior, we still bear his name. When we stand before him someday, may we be proud of the way we represented him.

President Hinckley further explained this principle when he said, “As His followers, we cannot do a mean or shoddy or ungracious thing without tarnishing His image. Nor can we do a good and gracious and generous act without burnishing more brightly the symbol of Him whose name we have taken upon ourselves. And so our lives must become a meaningful expression, the symbol of our declaration of our testimony of the Living Christ, the Eternal Son of the Living God.”

While we are counting our blessings this year, may we also list those things that make us who we are. Ignoring all that I’ve said today, I could stop after listing Nathan’s wife and already be in great debt to my Heavenly Father. Adding the mother of Ryan and Sean kind of makes me the proverbial poster child for the unprofitable servant. But then I am also a daughter, Member of Christ’s Church and, of course of the Gurnee first ward, an American, a Child of God and the list could continue forever. I became who I am not because of anything special about me, but because of the amazing sacrifices of thousands of people who prepared the way, most long before I was born. And I will be forever grateful for that. And I pray the Lord will help me live up to it.

Why the USA has the best doctors in the world

The USA has won 85 Nobel prizes in medicine. This is, by far, more than any other country. Why do you think that is?

Happy Thanksgiving

Thank a Hero

My Grandpa, Reed Talmadge Johnson, passed away last month. His life was far from limited to the service he gave during World War II. But, today is Veteran's Day and I want to tell a story. I confess that I am embarrassed that I may not remember all the details correctly. Grandpa loved to tell stories and I loved to listen. But, as I got older, I became busier and the old stores were not always refreshed with new tellings. If you still know World War II veteran, write their stories down before they are gone forever.

My grandpa was anxious to enlist in the navy. In fact, he and a friend went in to sign up together when they were underage. They were promised that they would always be able to serve together. Well, grandpa wasn't able to get his parents to sign the release, so his buddy went into the navy without him. That friend was killed at Pearl Harbor.

When he did enlist, Grandpa served on a floating dry dock in the United States Navy. He liked to tell how he was hand picked for the position. He often described the majesty of the broken ships that came aboard to be fixed. Throughout his life his third love, after family and religion, was his country. His children were taught how to raise, lower and properly care for the flag in their front yard. Later, he kept dozens of little plastic American flags at his home and I was often given one to wave and told never to let it near the ground. I took that requirement very seriously.

I don't know how it happened that grandpa ended up on a beach somewhere during the war. I suppose he was on leave, but I can't recall where. He once told me a story of sitting on a beach with a friend who had been drinking. they were both missing their families. Grandpa had left behind a new wife to serve his country. The friend had said something along the lines of, "That's it. I don't want to do it any more. I'm going home." Then he had jumped into the ocean, intending to swim back to the United States. Grandpa had to jump in after him and pull him back to safety.

Sometimes I get so frustrated by how far we've come from the freedom loving people grandpa was fighting for. We're so concerned with our busy lives, immersed in our technology, consumed by our own problems, that many of us don't even realize what's happening. This Veteran's Day, Let's begin the long swim back to the United States. And, thank a soldier, honor a veteran, pray in gratitude for this divinely inspired nation. It is a sacred stewardship.

Stupid things people say to amuse me: Reproductive Freedom

I’m starting a new feature. It’s not going to have a regularly scheduled time. But, since I have been doing a fairly regular “words of people much smarter than me,” it’s time I balance it out with “stupid things people say to amuse me.”

Let’s welcome our first recipient! Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the Democrats’ chief deputy whip in the House of Representatives.

For those of you who didn’t follow the sneaky, underhanded tactics of Nancy Pelosi in getting the monstrosity of a “health care” bill through the House last Saturday, here’s the story. The Dems knew they didn’t have enough votes. That’s because there were moderate Democrats who could stomach enslaving children in debt for eternity, but recognized that there had to BE children to pay the debt. As written, the bill included a premium intended to pay for elective abortions. In order to get the bill passed, the politicians added Stupak’s amendment, which specifically prohibits taxpayer funds from paying for abortions. The measure passed.

Of course the legislative process is a process. There is no reason the bill that passed the House will be the one implemented into law. Liberal Democrats know this, and that’s why they allowed the amendment. In fact, our stupid quote author has promised that the amendment will be stripped from the bill before it passes the Senate.

Now, Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s quote: “It was extremely painful for me to feel compelled to vote for a bill that contained that kind of restriction on a woman's ability to make her own reproductive choices.”

Huh.

Let’s follow this to it’s logical conclusion. Not forcing the taxpayers pay for a woman’s abortion is a “restriction on a woman's ability to make her own reproductive choices.”

In that case, we live in a country where I cannot make my own food choices. You see, the government isn’t paying for my food. There is apparently a restriction on my ability to make my own choices about where I can live, because I have to pay for my own housing. This country is restricting almost every choice I thought I was making. It’s disgusting. This is clearly a fascist nation.

Well, at least no one is restricting my ability to be amused by other people’s stupidity…wait, am I paying for this internet connection? Crap.

What is Real.

There are a lot of things going on today. Perhaps I should focus on the fact that the House is going to vote on a huge mistake tomorrow. Perhaps, like most conservatives today, I should be venting outrage at President Obama’s creepy unconcern about the lives of our military. But I don’t want to.

Instead, today, I want to say one thing and one thing alone: God bless our military. I have been blessed to live near a Navy base and, now, an Army base. Many of my friends, neighbors and colleagues over the past five years have been military and their families. It is impossible to describe the sacrifice these men and women make. I get a little choked up each time that I see a bumper sticker that expresses pride in the service of a son, daughter, sister, brother, husband or wife. I am also proud of the members of my family that have served. I love to watch the videos of troops returning home. I cry each time I read about a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice.

This blog tends to get a little political. As such, I often get caught up in the big mess that is one person’s opinion pitted against another’s. Today I want to make it clear that I know that all those arguments are secondary to something much more important.

I know what matters.

The battle going on in the United States, and elsewhere, is about the love of a mother for her children. It’s about the feeling I still get, after 10 years, when I see my husband walk through the front door. It’s about Thanksgiving dinners with kids running around and football playing in the background. It’s about family. Every battle we face as members of this country, every battle our troops fight in other countries, they are all about ensuring our way of life. They are about the freedom to be happy. They are about the sacrifices our ancestors already made.

Thank God for our soldiers. They, so often, sacrifice for themselves the very thing they are fighting for the rest of us to have.

Legitimate Profiling?

My mom is a special education teacher. When I got the letter I featured in yesterday's post, I decided to call her and see if her school does the same thing. I figured it must, since this is supposed to be federal standards. My mom surprised me. She seemed bothered by the fact that I was upset about the letter. She said it wasn't a big deal and that it's something that the schools have been doing since she was a child. I suppose that makes it okay? In an attempt to explain why the letter was necessary she said, "They want to know if one particular racial group is struggling in a certain area." Well then...

I decided I probably didn't effectively explain why I was bothered by an enormous government bureaucracy gathering racial and ethnic information on kids. Apparently there is a school of thought that seems to think they should find out which races are doing better at math. After all, if Hispanics are struggling with mathematics, it must be related to their ethnic background, as opposed to other factors. Ask what color they are, not what curriculum they are studying. Ask what color they are, not what their family situation is like. Ask what color they are, not who their teacher is.

In fact, if one ethic or racial group is better at one subject than another, we should embrace these differences. We can use them to make the world more scientific and efficient. Perhaps Indians make better doctors. I would like to know when I am searching for a pediatrician. Maybe African Americans are better drivers. I think that ought to be factored into my insurance rates. It's undoubtedly true that certain races are more susceptible to certain diseases. The high risk groups should be paying more for heath care. Maybe we ought to shuffle people into careers such as engineering, teaching, and farming based on the color of their skin. After all, if people whose ancestors are from Japan are better teachers, we wouldn't have to ask questions about curriculum. We'd just have to get data on the race of the teachers!

OR...Maybe we ought to STOP gathering RACIAL data on children and start focusing on the academic programs that are effective instead.

Just a thought.

Further Proof of Equality

Earlier this year, Newsweek magazine suggested that babies are innately racist. Of course, if we're born that way, then it should be okay, right? The federal government seems to think so. A couple days ago, my son brought this paper home from school and told me I had to sign it. The paper that accompanied the form included a very strong language about how the form was "required" and parents "must" return it. Well, you know how much I enjoy being told what I must do. So, to convince parents like me, the note threatened that, as a last resort, the teachers would simply look at my child and decide for themselves what race he is. Since I got the note, my son has asked me repeatedly to please sign it. I couple of times, I have sat down with the intention of doing so, at the behest of my sweet Ryan. But, each time, the wording ticks me off again and I find myself unable to fill it out.

The people who know me understand that I am extremely difficult to offend. But seriously? The federal government wants to categorize my child by his race in order to prevent racism? It makes no sense. I suppose they're going to have to decide for themselves what color my sons are. It won't be hard. They are both the only "white non-hispanics" in their classes. Until today, I didn't think that mattered at all. I chose a predominately Hispanic school because I wanted them to learn a second language.

I will not set the precedent in teaching my children that grouping by race is ever appropriate or helpful. Until we have a truly colorblind society, we will never be one people I would think that the government would set the example by by recognizing that a student is a student no matter what color.

But do you want to know the real tragedy in this type of mindset? Ryan is a very talented young man. He's brilliant and thoughtful. He's wants to be a "mathematician and a sciencematician." He loves music and drawing. He shows a real aptitude for computer science. No one is bothering to ask "who" he is. They are concerned about who he is descended from. I am proud that my kids never describe their friends by their race and or ethnicity. If they did, they'd miss everything about them that makes them who they are.

Ha, HA! Happy Halloween!

2.2 Million a Word

Please take a look at this article. In part, it says:

"The House health care bill unveiled Thursday clocks in at 1,990 pages and about 400,000 words. With an estimated 10-year cost of $894 billion, that comes out to about $2.24 million per word."

I thought it was very creative reporting. Note that the estimated cost is only for 10 years, not beyond. I certainly doesn't include all the "tweaking" they'll be attempting to throw in over those ten years to get the support of one special interest group or another.

Consider the words of Frederic Bastiat (1848):

"The State is the great fiction through which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else...The State cannot satisfy one party without adding to the labor of the others."

I don't know how much more I can say about health care. To me, it is so blindingly obvious that this is a tyrant lying in wait to gobble up more of what the United States stands for...freedom...that I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach thinking about it. Of course, I think the fact that the American people don't want it should stand for itself.

Me, being me, however, I think I will enjoy a little chuckle at the Politico article, call my "representatives" in Washington, and hold my little ones a bit tighter tonight. For the people in Washington, its votes that are at stake today. For me, its the future of four beautiful children. My stakes couldn't be higher. I can't help feeling like that counts for something.

Obscene Profits

First of all, let me say that I don't have a problem with profits. I enjoyed economics from the time I was in high school. I remember hearing someone at my school say something about Hollywood actors or Major League sports figures. The implication was that it was ridiculous that these people, whose talents were so unimportant, could make such enormous sums of money when teachers, and even doctors, weren't even close. Even as a child who didn't really understand the trade off between services and freedom, I thought this was silly. They make more because people demand their services more. If you disagree with what an actor makes, don't see his film. If you don't approve of what they pay sports figures, don't go to, listen to, or watch sports. When enough people devalue these abilities, they will not be able to demand high salaries.

And so, I now hear that insurance companies are making windfall profits while people are dying after being denied services. That sounds really sad. Too bad it's not true. I want to share this article with you.

FACT CHECK: Health insurer profits not so fat

Basically, based on this assumption of "evil" insurance companies, the government is suggesting that it swoop in and save us. The senate is, once again, drafting legislation that includes a public option. This means that the government will start its own insurance company to compete with the ones that now operate. Except that "compete" isn't the word. After all, they government doesn't have any accountability. They don't have to answer to shareholders. They don't have to turn a profit. Rather, they can just take the money they need from us and our children.

Would this lower health care costs? Let me ask you this...when someone holds out a basket of Halloween candy that includes both full-sized candy bars and dum-dum suckers, which do you take? The person who doesn't have to pay, takes the candy bar. The insurance company says, "Now wait a minute, let's look at the facts. There's calories and cavities to consider. Which of these option is really better?" Take accountability out of health care and you will watch costs skyrocket. And it seems to me that taking accountability away is what the government does best.

The Word of People Much Smarter than Me: Religious Freedom

I shared a few quotes from this talk last week. Today, I want to share the entire thing.

Strike for Freedom

Since I am committed to bringing you the good news in the fight for America, I have to weigh in on yesterday’s little-noticed news about the free press. It’s not a secret that the White House has started a war against Fox News. The have been sending their cronies out to other news outlets to say that Fox News is not a news organization and they will not treat them as such. Twice, that I have heard of, that statement has been followed by the assertion that other news organizations should stop treating Fox as legitimate. It’s a very devious tactic, from a very vindictive White House, who attacks any one who disagrees with them as “racists,” among other things.

Two days ago, the White House did more than just tell everyone else to stop listening to Fox. They agreed to make their “pay czar” (the man responsible for limiting the pay of business executives) available to the members of the White House pool. This is a situation where the five major networks have agreed to pool their resources so that only one has responsibility for the film crew covering the White House. It is a rotating responsibility. All of the networks share the footage. I am not very familiar with the details. But the White House agreed to let these networks interview the “pay czar” as long as Fox was excluded.

The heads of these networks met together and unanimously decided that they would not allow that precedent to be set. They demanded that Fox be included. The White House, perhaps realizing the damage that could happen if this attempt at censorship became a major news story, backed down. I watch coverage of all the networks at times. I know that Fox has been critical of others and the others have been critical of Fox. But these media giants realized that the government cannot take control of the media or limit free speech. I am proud that we live in a place where the right to speak is valued above consensus. I am proud of all the major news networks today.

Bringing the Country Together

Here's Obama on the campaign:



Here he is now:



President Obama is the most divisive president ever. Consider the words of Michael Gerson,

"According to the Pew Research Center, the gap between Republican and Democratic approval ratings for Bush a few months into his first term was about 51 percentage points. For Obama, this partisan gap stands at 61 points. Obama has been a unifier, of sorts. He has united Democrats and united Republicans -- against each other."

This research is from back in April. Do you think it has gotten better? I am proud that conservatives are finally coming together in defense of freedom. I just wish it wasn't at such a cost. Unite and stand together. We can preserve freedom for our children.

Community Teeth

It's a little off subject, but it needs saying...

A few months ago my husband came home from work and told me a story. One of his coworkers had been on this blog. I guess he must have found it very interesting because, rather than any thoughts on the content, he said to Nate, “Did you know that you’re not mentioned anywhere on there?” The answer is, of course, he didn’t. Neither did he care. Nate never reads my writing. I think he’s afraid he won’t like it and have to answer when I ask him his thoughts.

Still, I found it curious that other people would notice how conspicuously absent Nate is from the things that I write. I decided it’s time to change this trend. I don’t want there to be any ambiguity about how much I appreciate and adore my husband.

This month has been rather trying. I have lost my last two grandparents, everyone in my family has been sick, and I noticed a rather unpleasant lump on my gums above a tooth which has already had a root canal, a crown and dental surgery. Through it all, there has been my wonderful husband.

The internet said the gum lump was an abscess and my husband insisted that I go to the dentist immediately. The dentist confirmed the e-diagnosis and explained that I would either have to have the tooth extracted and a bridge put in, or the dental surgery would need to be repeated. He referred me to an endodontist. What does this mean to me? A lot of money.

What was Nate’s reaction? He smiled pityingly and nodded. He had been expecting it, but he was not upset. Our financial situation is not currently ideal. I admit that a part of me wanted to feel less than blessed at this expense showing up right now. It feels like we've had one unexpected expense after another. I also admit that I was concerned about my husband’s feelings on the matter. If you know Nate, you know that he wouldn’t get angry; it’s not his style. But I was worried he would see my teeth as a source of stress, as I did. He would never say that I was causing him stress. But I knew that I would be hurt when I saw that he was upset by a problem that was uniquely mine. Only, he didn’t get upset. He took the news like he would have if I had announced that we were having chicken for dinner. I felt profoundly grateful.

I tried to explain to Nate why his casualness meant so much to me. I wasn’t any better at explaining it to him than I have been at explaining it to you. I told him, “thanks for not making me feel like a liability.” He looked confused and responded, “You’re not a liability.” It was clear that he didn’t see what I was thanking him for. I didn’t know how to better explain it.

Today, Nate came home from work wearing an almost giddy smile. He declared that he was going to be able to work a few of his days off next month. In a very excited tone, he said, “It’ll be an extra thousand dollars. That will pay for your tooth.” I can’t describe what I felt when I saw my husband obviously thrilled about the opportunity to work even more hours for the privilege of, again, flushing a lot of money into my mouth.

It was finally clear to me why he hadn’t understood my concerns. He had never seen my bad teeth as a failing from me, the way I did. Instead, he saw his lack of being able to pay for something I needed as a failing on his part. I had expected him to wonder why I was asking so much of him. Instead, he took great pleasure in finding a way to support me. He didn’t see all the things he could have bought with the money that would now be wasted-at all. Strange.

I don’t know why the world has become such a selfish place. I suspect that the attitude of “her problems” and “his problems” is the primary reason behind the skyrocketing divorce rate. I have just realized that I am in a relationship where my teeth aren’t even mine. They are ours. Perhaps community teeth are the secret to a forever marriage. One thing is for certain, most of society's ills wouldn't even exist if there were more men of integrity around- more men like Nate.

So, today I am addressing the fact that I have not previously talked about my husband. I am posting here, for anyone in the world with internet access to read, that I am madly in love with the man I married 10 years ago. I will be forever grateful that he is mine.

Brilliant and Powerful

I know this blog is becoming a little video-centric, but this may be the most amazing one yet. I couldn't resist. I know none of you has time to sit and watch this. Here's the deal. Wait until it's time to fold laundry. Turn it on. You'll be amazed by this man.

The Word of People Much Smarter than Me: Freedom and Christianity

From a talk by Dallin H. Oaks:

It was the Christian principles of human worth and dignity that made possible the formation of the United States Constitution over 200 years ago, and only those principles in the hearts of a majority of our diverse population can sustain that constitution today. Our constitution’s revolutionary concepts of sovereignty in the people and significant guarantees of personal rights were, as John A. Howard has written,

"generated by a people for whom Christianity had been for a century and a half the compelling feature of their lives. It was Jesus who first stated that all men are created equal [and] that every person . . . is valued and loved by God."

Professor Dinesh D’Souza reminds us:

"The attempt to ground respect for equality on a purely secular basis ignores the vital contribution by Christianity to its spread. It is folly to believe that it could survive without the continuing aid of religious belief."

Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms. I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our “First Freedom,” the free exercise of religion.

80 Years Later

This is a long video, but very interesting. As a disclaimer, I should note that I have found economics interesting since high school. If you have the time, check it out.

Check out my book!

This has the best the best book ever written. You know you want to read it. Everyone's doing it.

The Words of People Much Smarter than Me: Agency

The following is from a speech given by Marion G. Romney.

"Free agency means the freedom and power to choose and act. Next to life itself, it is man’s most precious inheritance.

"Free agency was operative in the spirit world. The gospel plan, as there proposed and adopted, provided that men should enjoy agency in mortality. Satan, with a third of the hosts of heaven, fought it there and lost, but they did not give up their opposition to the principle.

"In the Garden of Eden, God endowed Adam and his posterity with free agency. Satan and his followers have, from then until now, sought directly and in every conceivable indirect manner to substitute the principle of force for the principle of free agency.

"In the book of First Samuel, we have an instructive example of the results of making wrong decisions. In the first chapter we are told that Israel objected to being governed by judges. They wanted a king. The prophet told them that a king would make them servants. But they hearkened not, and persisted in demanding a king. This grieved Samuel, and the Lord said to him, 'Hearken unto the voice of the people … for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me.' (1 Sam. 8:7.)

"Israel thus surrendered the form of free government God had given them. They got their king all right, and a few decades later they were taken captive into slavery. Slavery entered into by one’s own choice is no less slavery than that imposed upon him by external force."

Perhaps Obama can pay for his own date night now?

So, I have heard that a lot of people are shocked about this morning's announcement that President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons." Some people are even expressing anger that the apparently political move. I just want you to know that I am not angry. I cried when I heard the news. In fact, I am at a complete loss to explain how I feel right now. So, I'm going to let the quadruplets do it for me.



Have a wonderful day! Who knows, tomorrow you could be the recipient of a 1.2 million dollar prize for nothing. I'm voting for you.

Sick, Sad & Wrong

Okay, check out this video. So sad, and so funny. Here's the real sick thing. This was aired by CNN, not as a joke, but as an example of the great things this school is doing. Anyone else wonder what the Math scores are like at this school?

Are there other options?

The question is whether Americans really want healthcare reform. I don't know. We are continually told that we do. What the polls have documented, very well, is that we don't want the plans that are currently being debated in congress. I stumbled upon this video discussing some alternatives yesterday. I suppose the point is that it is possible to be in favor of reform and not in favor of increasing the size and spending of the federal government.

New Perspectives on Universal Healthcare

I admit that I have been avoiding sharing my thoughts on healthcare because it is such a divisive issue. But, yesterday, I sat in a dentist’s office waiting room for an hour, reading Newsweek. I have never been exposed to such a load of slanted, untrue nonsense. I wondered whether this was a perspective my dentist espoused or whether he just stuck the magazines in his office without being concerned about what they said. Throughout my life, this would have made me very uneasy about speaking my mind. It’s much easier to preach to those who agree with you. I found myself, however, being very candid in small talk with the dentist, even when it became civilly political. In fact, I still do not know what his position is. But I have realized that I am growing out of being afraid to be who I am.

If I can be straight forward in person, I can certainly be unafraid on the internet. I am extremely secure in my beliefs.

Today, I want to share one more reason why the government plans being put forward will not fulfill the promise of lowering healthcare costs. Do you want to know who usually ends up in my husband’s ER? It’s not poor people without insurance who have neglected their healthcare to the point that they have no choice but emergent care, as the proponents of universal coverage would have you believe.

It’s people on Medicaid.

A very frequent conversation goes something like this:

Doctor: The symptoms are indicative of a viral infection. You will need to stay hydrated and I can give you something to help with the symptoms. But resting and waiting it out are the best treatment options now.

Patient: I was really thinking I need a chest x-ray.

Doctor: It wouldn’t help at all in your situation. If you start suffering from new symptoms, please see your regular doctor, but I am sure a little time will allow your body to heal.

Patient: Just do the x-ray to be sure.

Doctor: Listen, I’m trying to keep your bill down. If I thought an x-ray would show anything, I would order one, but…

Patient: I don’t get a bill. I’m on Medicaid.

You think I’m kidding? My husband hears this ALL the time. I know people who would indiscriminately take their children to the emergency room for ear infections because they did not like the family practice doctors who would take them. There is a reason that ER visits increased in Massachusetts when universal coverage was implemented. I’ll be sharing additional perspectives as they arise.

White Coats and Paid Bills

I don’t pretend to be an uninterested bystander in the health care debate. I admit that, being married to a doctor, this is something that will fundamentally affect everything that happens to my family over the course of our lives. But, I am honest in saying that my opinion in this matter is focused much more directly on what I feel is right, rather than what I want from the situation. I suppose that is why I disagree with all of the propaganda my husband and I have been getting from doctor’s organizations. If you didn’t catch my commentary on the AMA’s position, find it here.

This week we got something from another organization: The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). My husband is a member of this organization. Like the AMA, he was signed up for his affiliation by the residency program he is in. He did not review their policies or endorse their agenda. He hasn’t paid them a dime. But, since he is a member, we get front row seats to the propaganda battle being wages in the United States. Last week, ACEP decided it was time to dispel the myths being dispersed by the proponents of Obama Care. Here are some of the observations they made:

Myth: Emergency medical care is expensive and inefficient. Reducing emergency care will “bend the cost curve” on our nation’s rising health care costs.

The Facts:
• The 120 million annual visits made to emergency departments account for only 3% of all health care spending.
• Emergency departments are equipped with state-of- the-art diagnostic equipment and highly trained physicians who can draw on many hospital resources quickly, providing coordinated, efficient patient care.
• The fixed costs of being open 24/7 are high, but the variable costs for seeing patients in the emergency department are the same as anywhere else care is provided.

Myth: Emergency departments are crowded with patients seeking non-urgent care.

The Facts:
• Only 12.1% of emergency patients have non-urgent conditions that could wait 2 to 24 hours for medical care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Crowded conditions and longer wait times are primarily caused by patients being “boarded,” or forced to stay in the emergency department – often on gurneys lining the hallways - long after they have been seen and admitted to the hospital.

Myth: Your local emergency department will always be there when you need it.

The Facts:
• Hundreds of emergency departments have closed nationwide because of an overburdened emergency care system.
• The nation’s emergency departments must accommodate an average increase of 3 million more patient visits each year.
• Every 60 seconds emergency care is delayed when an ambulance is diverted to a distant hospital because a nearer one is unable to accept more patients.
• Seventy-five percent (75%) of emergency department directors report significant problems getting needed on-call specialists, such as neurosurgeons and orthopedists, to provide vital on-call services to emergency patients.

Myth: The need for emergency care will decrease when health care reform is enacted.

The Facts:
• With a growing and aging population, our role in providing care to the sick and injured any time day or night, and our front line responsibility in responding to natural and man-made disasters, will be in even greater demand.
• Since enacting its universal health care legislation, Massachusetts has experienced an increase in emergency department patients. • Emergency medicine is an essential community service that is vitally important to our nation’s health care system.

WAIT A MINUTE! The whole pitch being made to the American public is based on the idea that poor people without insurance are showing up in the Nation’s Emergency Rooms and costing us tons of money. You mean that’s simply NOT TRUE? You want to know another fact? It is a fact that studies have shown there is no discernible difference in the health of the insured vs. the uninsured.

Here’s the disturbing part. Following these facts, ACEP says that they support a government option. Why? It will cost us more, take away from physician autonomy and not help in the things everyone keeps promising, according to your own facts. Well. I suppose that if everyone had insurance, more Emergency bills would be paid (at least theoretically).

Huh.

So are the physician proponents of Government Healthcare the ones who care? Or are they part of big business and propaganda like those grassroots physicians assembled at the White House yesterday?

Hilarious!!

This is hilarious. I mean, it's sad that they are painting it as bad that the president hasn't done more of his socialist agenda. I, personally, think he has done MORE than enough. It's funny, though. And I LOVE funny. Have a wonderful day and remember that there is always good news to accompany the bad.

Wait a minute...Did I hear you right?

Keep reading...Keep questioning

Not being all that interested in who will host the 2016 Olympic games, the title that caught my attention this morning was, "H1N1 Kills Moms-to-Be." I clicked on it and read the headline, "CDC: Nearly 1 in 3 Pregnant Women who contracted H1N1 Have Died in U.S."

I was shocked! This strain has a lower mortality rate than the regular flu. Why in the world would it kill one third of pregnant women who contracted it? Perhaps there is a reason to freak out about this after all? But, I wondered, what in the world would make it so much more deadly to pregnant women when it's not dangerous to the elderly? I read on...

“'Since the virus was first recognized in late April, early May, 100 pregnant women across the country have been hospitalized due to the novel H1N1 flu and 28 have died,' Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention told FOXNews.com."

Oh no!

Wait a minute...It said this was among women "hospitalized" with the disease. How many women didn't bother to get treatment for their mild flu? How many were treated and released? How many were hospitalized with the flu, but were not given the expensive and often superfluous tests to determine exactly which strain they were suffering from. Could it be that the headline was a bold faced lie? There is a huge difference between the number contracting the disease and the number hospitalized with it. And, let's face it, these morbid conclusions come from a pretty small sample size.

Huh.

I guess you really shouldn't trust anyone. I should note that I went back to the website later and found that the wording had been amended. But, the point of this post is that you should always check for yourself facts that seem unbelievable. There's a good chance they're simply not true.

Against Isolationism

What happens when too many people decide to mind their own business? Let's be a community again. Let's depend on people to care about people instead of trying outsource it all to the government.

 

What???

Okay, listen, in any argument about being safe and taken care of or being free, I will side with freedom every time. I believe that you should not silence people, and in a free marketplace of ideas, the best in people will inevitably come out. But I was shocked to learn that today the Empire State Building will be lit up red in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Communist take over in China. Seriously? Is this a joke? Now, I absolutely believe that it is the right of the building's managers to honor whatever the heck they want. I do not think the government should tell them they are not allowed to honor the communists.But, as I have said before, freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. Every freedom-loving American ought to be furiously speaking out against this idiocy. We're allowed to because we don't live in China. Since when did politically correct tolerance of tyranny trump common sense?

To Quote from a Fox News Article, "During one five-year period alone, the Great Famine of 1958-1962, 36 million Chinese are believed to have starved as a result of Mao's Great Leap Forward, a government policy meant to industrialize the nation.

"During those years of ruin, peasants ate bark, maggots, bird droppings, human flesh — anything to survive — as government storehouses stood full with grain and other cereals, neither the first nor last in China's troubled line of violations of human rights."

It's very ironic that the people in this country are using their free speech to celebrate a place where people don't have any.

God Bless America--But it is up to us to preserve her.

Cash for Nothing

I don't have much time to write today, but I just heard a few interesting statistics I heard on the Dave Ramsey program.

-Most people who bought new cars are paying for them by paying less on their credit card bills.

-Among "cash for clunkers" buyers, buyer's remorse is double what it is among regular car buyers.(Likely because many buyers couldn't afford to buy even with the rebate.)

-Cash for clunkers has INCREASED gas usage. The study shows that people tend to drive newer cars more, meaning the saving of gas mileage didn't matter.

This doesn't take into account other observations dealing with the economy. This ignores the current sales slump that may last for years because everyone who would have bought in the future won't be buying anymore. This also ignores the fact that so many good used cars will now be unavailable for the market because they're squished up. This doesn't consider the ballooning deficit indentured servitude of our children for generations to come because of idiotic government spending.

huh

Allow me to quote Dave, "Quit trying to fix things and leave us alone."

Why??

I have been reading reports that the swine flu vaccine is going to be rationed closely. There are five groups that will be allowed to get the flu shot and the rest will have to wait until it is determined that there is enough for the general population. Those having priority are:

-- Pregnant women
-- Health care workers and emergency medical responders
-- People caring for infants under 6 months of age
-- Children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years
-- People aged 25 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes)

I can’t be the only one wondering why college kids are getting this shot before the elderly. Please understand that everyone in my family fits into the high priority group (except me). I am not even sure I want to give my children the vaccine, after what happened the last time. I will have to do more research on it before I decide. Every year 36,000 people die from the flu and most of them are the elderly. I wondered if it was a safety issue. But, certainly if this shot is safe for a fetus, it’s been properly tested. There are some news outlets indicating that the elderly simply aren’t at risk from this disease. Indeed, the government explained its decision this way:

“Based on what we know now about the novel H1N1 virus and the most vulnerable groups that are being affected most by this virus and those most likely to encounter it —younger people, pregnant women, healthcare personnel, and people who have underlying health conditions—it is necessary to revise and refine our vaccine prioritization guidance based on real world events.”

By this, we are supposed to conclude that a 65 year old with heart disease is LESS likely to suffer complications from the swine flu than a 64 year old with heart disease. You see, seniors with underlying medical conditions are excluded from the flu shot, unlike those in their 20s-50s with the same conditions.

Are we devaluing human life? Are we rationing health care by prudency? I hope not.

You see, today something else happened that intrigued me. The local radio station was inviting people who “go overboard with their pets” to call in and tell their stories. There were tales of doggy day care with snacks and naptime. There were doggy birthday parties with cakes and doggy neighbors (and, no doubt, doggy friends from doggy day care), There were tales of owners requiring doggy hospitals to provide the dogs with television sets and iced drinks. Meanwhile, Newsweek Magazine’s cover this week featured an article called, “The Case for Killing Granny.” Huh.

The words of people much smarter than me: relationships

What are we missing in this world? What has changed since the days when my grandmother was growing up? Don't get me wrong. I am forever grateful to live in a world with technology, which provides access to information and education like never before. I believe that truth is light and learning is the key to both. I love being able to answer any question my children have, because I can look it up in seconds. People cannot be kept ignorant in a world where anyone can be a researcher. More importantly, I am grateful to live in a world with the advanced medical knowledge we have. The illnesses which may have taken my children's lives a few decades ago, barely keep them home from school today. We have so much, so many tools to fight the slavery that ignorance brings. But it seems to me that some of the most fundamental truths have been forgotten in our push to be smarter, faster, better. Why are so many of us unhappy in this miraculous world? We don't have to be. When you leave behind the slavery of ignorance of the academic, do not embrace the slavery of ignorance of how to be happy.

Who is this guy?

A leading university estimated the attendance at last Saturday's march on Washington at 1.7 million. Yesterday, Jimmy Carter said that those people, and indeed anyone who opposes the president's policies, are racist. It's very discouraging and somewhat infuriating. But, as always, I have uplifting news.

Today, I discovered Michael Williams. He's the Texas Railroad Commissioner and he's running for United States Senate. He has a blog in connection with his campaign. You can find his website here. Yesterday he posted this:

"I have immense respect for President Carter, but I fundamentally disagree with the notion that opponents of President Obama’s immense spending proposals are motivated by race. As a black man from the South, I take exception to the notion that my opposition – or the opposition of millions of Americans to the president’s healthcare proposal – is rooted in racial politics. It is a sad day when genuine disagreement is smeared by such an incendiary characterization. I oppose the president’s plan because it will explode the deficit, allow further government intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship, and continue to insulate healthcare consumers from the true cost of their care.

“America has come a long way on the issue of race, so much so that we elected the first black president in the history of our country. The president’s supporters seem to want to denigrate the motives of the opposition so they don’t have to actually engage in a debate about reforms that will forever change the direction of this country.

“It is no coincidence as the liberals continue to lose public support for a budget-busting healthcare plan that they have begun a seemingly orchestrated effort to change the subject from the content of the reforms to the character of their opposition. From the former president of the United States, to the opinion pages of the New York Times, a new ugliness has permeated our discourse. I say to them that I can disagree with my president based on the politics of ideas rather than the politics of identity.

“Americans who have honest concerns about increasing government control of healthcare, and the overall direction of this nation, deserve answers instead of scorn, respect instead of reviling accusations of racism. If this president is going to change the tone in Washington, he better first change the tactics of his supporters.”


Thanks, Commissioner Williams. We needed to hear that kind of a message. I will be finding out more about this candidate. Based on his take on the issues as he states them on his website, I'm optimistic.

The Power of an Example

I had today’s post all planned out. Today there is a march on Washington and smaller protests being held all around the country. It represents something I am passionate about and would certainly enjoy giving my opinion on. But, this morning I received a phone call that completely changed what I was feeling. I realized how little it matters in the long run.

Last night, my paternal grandmother passed away. This isn’t a shock. She was a widow in her mid-nineties. I remember the heartbreak when my other grandma died suddenly several years ago. I remember bawling in my car when I realized that my grandpa was terminally ill a few years after that. I felt strongly the presence of these guardian angels when I mourned alone for my father-in-law last year. (My husband had flown to Utah to see his dad for the last time in this life.) Today, there is a bitter-sweet peace at the loss of my last grandma.

Two years ago, she indicated to me that she was ready to go home. I think I know what she meant by that. Grandma wasn’t rich or famous. She didn’t have an important career. She won’t be spoken of by politicians or civic leaders. Her old things won’t sell at auction for millions of dollars and there won’t be shrines set up to her by complete strangers. But she was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Her funeral will be filled with people who have been touched by her service and love. And, on a day like today, when everyone is looking to change the world, she is the greatest possible example of how to really accomplish that.

You see, Grandma worked hard for her family. She dedicated herself to that which was most important. She fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and visited the sick. She always thought of others before herself. She lived within her means and even supported those around her who needed help, despite the fact that she never had the things most people today think they can’t live without.

When I was young, I didn’t even think of her as a normal person. She was constantly serving everyone around her, so it was difficult, as a child, for me to consider that she had desires and dreams of her own. She always wanted to talk and hear about me. She came to every school event I had and always brought me a dollar. It seemed like her purpose was to make other people happy.

As I grew older, I started asking her more questions about who this woman was. She told me about how she met my grandpa and it wasn’t that different from the things I was going through as a young woman. I started to wonder how she could be so selfless when attention and praise meant so much to me. I was perplexed by the story of a young bride sending her husband on a mission. I began to wonder about the heartbreak that must have accompanied loosing her baby daughter. I was amazed that her focus was service and not bitterness; she had been through so much. The more I learned about my grandma, the more I longed to be the kind of person she was.

So what did she mean when she said she was ready to go home? She meant that she had no regrets. She meant that she had accomplished in her life a kind of success that eludes most of us. She had raised a beautiful family and taught her children the principles of charity through example. She was ready to be welcomed back into the arms of her husband and she was ready to stand before her Savior. I hope that someday I will be the kind of person who anticipates going home because I know I have lived the kind of life my grandma exemplified. If there were more people like her…well, I am not a good enough writer to begin to describe how the world would be improved.

I love you, Grandma. I am certain you are continuing your work, but this world is a little darker without you.

Remember...and look to the Future

This morning several different radio stations were playing a montage of audio from September 11th, 2001. I had to turn it off. I certainly understand the reasons we need to remember and stay wary. But I don't think it's productive to bask in the agony and let it overwhelm us.

So, today, I am going to share with you the words of Gordon B. Hinckley:

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we accentuate the positive. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silenced. Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentance. Wise is the man who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his course. What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: 'Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve.'"

There is MUCH more good in the world than bad. There are far more wonderful people than evil. I cannot minimize the suffering that came from the terrorist attacks. But, I hope you will watch this video that shows how good can come from evil.

Medical Translation

We’re going to have some fun today. Yesterday, I got a treat. The mail man knocked on my door to deliver a certified letter. The postage on this thing was almost 4 bucks and I had to sign that I had received it. SOUNDS COOL, HUH!

Perhaps you need a little background. You see, my husband was doing a trauma rotation in Phoenix when the AMA announced its decision to endorse Obamacare. I was visiting my family in Utah. Usually, when Nate and I spoke, I got the impression that long work hours and being separated from his family were really weighing on him. He sounded exhausted. But, on this particular day, he had a spark of passion in his voice when he told me, “Guess what I did today…I called the AMA and told them to take my name off their rolls.”

That was the end of it, right? I admit I was surprised when I received membership renewal papers in the mail a couple weeks later, but I just tossed them. Then, yesterday, the certified letter arrived. How fun!

They have not removed my husband from their rolls, instead, the letter informed me, they were writing to “clarify the AMA’s work and address his points before he follows through on the change to his membership status.”

Let the clarifying begin!

The questions and answers I list are direct from the information the AMA so expensively sent to our home. The highlights are added and the alternate colors are translations (added by me) for those of us who aren’t doctors.

Why is the AMA supporting H.R. 3200?

H.R. 3200 contains many elements that reflect AMA priorities for health system reform. These include: expanding the availability of affordable health care coverage to the uninsured, increased support for prevention and wellness services, investments in the physician workforce, increased Medicare payments for primary care services without cutting payments for other services and, importantly, it represents medicine’s best hope for eliminating the current sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for updating Medicare physician payments. The AMA will continue to work with members of the House of Representatives to improve the bill. Favorable action on a House bill is necessary to move the process toward the end game negotiations that will determine the specifics of a final bill.

(We want to help people and blah, blah, blah…but the real issue is that the SGR, which currently determines the amount of medicare reimbursement, sucks. We are endorcing this to get it thrown out so YOU will have more of the taxpayer dollars with which to pay your skyrocketing taxes. Sweet, eh? Oh, and, BTW, this bill is FAR from settled. So, we thought we’d endorse them now so they can get the votes to get it through the house. That way we can fight with them later about what we really want done. It’s kind of like giving your third grader money to buy school supplies and then sending him to the store alone. He might get school stuff, right?)

Why did AMA react so quickly?

The AMA has been reviewing and submitting detailed comments on draft proposals for several months, as well as engaging in substantive discussions with Congressional leaders and staff. There were a limited number of changes made in a draft of the bill that was released on June 19. So, we were able to complete an analysis of the 1,000+ page bill relatively quickly. Two of the three House committees completed their mark-up of the legislation on July 17 so it was important to voice our views prior to votes in committee.

(You may recall the politicians saying that if we endorsed the bill, we would be allowed a say in future negotiations…What can you do when they’re holding all the cards?)

Does the AMA support all provisions of H.R. 3200?

As is typical with very large bills, H.R. 3200 contains many provisions that we wholeheartedly support, others that concern us, and still other provisions that we want to see changed. We plan to continue our efforts to refine those elements that are inconsistent with our policy as the legislative process progresses. For example, during committee consideration we supported amendments to provide federal support to states that implement liability reforms and to preserve patient access to physician-owned hospitals. This is the beginning of a very lengthy process and we believe our support helps put us in a very favorable position to advocate for important changes when a House and Senate conference committee is appointed to craft a single bill for final passage.

(Yes…No…Maybe…Wait? What was the question again? Right…Well, we figured since it’s going to be a long process, we’d just give our stamp of approval right away. Nobody remembers the ninth person to sign the Declaration of Independence, do they? We felt it was important to get our John Hancock on there right away. We’re pretty sure the founding father’s wished their documents were still works in progress when they signed them.)

Does the AMA support the public plan provisions included in H.R. 3200?

The AMA expressed concerns regarding the public plan provisions outlined in a House draft bill that was circulated on June 19. The public plan provisions in H.R. 3200 represented an improvement over previous draft proposals. Additional changes were made in the public plan provisions during the Energy and Commerce Committee markup that concluded on July 31. These included reaffirmation that physician participation would be voluntary and that physician payments would be negotiated based on private insurance rates rather than be limited to 5% above Medicare fee schedule rates. The Senate is developing different approaches to a public plan. H.R. 3200 would require a public plan to be self-sustaining and independent of the federal treasury. It also does not affect the ability of physicians to engage in private contracting arrangements with patients. We believe that, as the legislative process continues, alternatives and modifications to the public option will be considered and the final product will be considerably different than the provisions contained in the original version of H.R. 3200.

(Of course not! But it was better than the drafts, which were better than my second-grader’s English assignment.)

By supporting health reform legislation that includes a public plan, isn’t the AMA really endorsing socialized medicine?

It truly is regrettable that so many of the important goals we hope to achieve through health system reform have been overshadowed by a headline- grabbing debate over the prospects of creating a coverage option bearing the label “public plan,” without regard to the variety of forms such an option could take. The AMA continues to oppose nationalized health insurance, and we continue to express opposition to elements of public plan proposals that we believe could lead us down the road to a single payer system or “socialized medicine.” However, we remain open to proposals that are consistent with our principles of pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of physicianpractice, and universal access.

(Socialized medicine? That’s a nasty little phrase. We prefer to endorse programs that “Federalize Medicine.” In other words, like President Obama, we recognize that a single-payer system is still years down the road. We need to plant the seeds of something that hopes to one day grow up to be socialized medicine if it works hard and gets into a good college.)

I have heard that as many as 120 million people will be enrolled in the new public option health plan. Is that true?

No. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill will ensure that 97% of the legal, non-elderly population will have health insurance. At most, 12 million people would be enrolled in the public plan, representing only about 4% of the entire population. Overall, 37 million uninsured Americans will have health insurance coverage who do not have it now.

(No! At least not until those little “take a number” machines at the DMV can be altered significantly…Now serving number 119,958,752, please have your ticket ready. Oh, and please don’t google nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. We don’t want you to notice that they said we couldn’t afford to implement this program.)

Won't employers simply drop coverage?

Again, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that from 2010 until 2019, the number of Americans with employer provided coverage will increase from 150 million to 162 million people. Additionally, for those Americans who purchase coverage through the Health Insurance Exchange, two-thirds (or 20 million people) will choose private plans. This means a significant increase in the number of American's insured by private insurance plans.

(Private, of course, meaning that they are a part of the uber-regulated government system.)

Does H.R. 3200 make private insurance illegal?

There have been some misleading press reports on this issue. The legislation does not make private insurance illegal. Rather, it regulates health insurance coverage and, except for some “grandfathered” existing policies, individual coverage could only be offered through the Health Insurance Exchange established by the bill. (The Health Insurance Exchange is a regulated market place for people to purchase private coverage that meets minimum criteria.) In fact, the legislation would make great strides in regulating insurers so that they treat patients and providers more fairly.

(See…we’re not getting rid of private insurance. We’re simply redefining private to mean public. It’s akin to redefining grassroots to mean: “sponsored by political interest groups and funded with tax payer money.” )

What about liability reform?

The AMA worked closely with Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) to authorize state pilot programs for medical liability reforms. The House Energy and Commerce Committee adopted an amendment that authorizes pilot programs for “early offer” and certificate of merit initiatives.

(What about it?)

Does the bill expand scope of practice of nurse practitioners?

Nothing in the bill would allow nurse practitioners to provide care that is beyond their state license. However, the bill would establish a medical home pilot program under Medicare that would allow a nurse practitioner to lead a medical home “so long as…the nurse practitioner is acting consistently with State law.” While the AMA recognizes nurses as valuable members of the health care team, we do not support nurse practitioners practicing independently, without at least regular consultation with a physician. It is the AMA’s policy that a multidisciplinary health care team should be led by a physician who is in the best position to provide coordination of disciplines to assure delivery of high quality patient care.

(Yup…but we don’t like that part.)

Would H.R. 3200 authorize the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to set physician payment rates for all health plans?

No. The Secretary would be required to establish payment rates only under the public health insurance option. Payment rates for the public plan would be set through a negotiation process with the Medicare fee schedule as a starting point and average plan rates in the Health Insurance Exchange as the upper limit.

(He wouldn’t set them. He would negotiate them.)

Would H.R. 3200 eliminate health savings accounts?

H.R. 3200, as introduced, could be interpreted to eliminate this option. However, an amendment was adopted during the House Education and Labor Committee markup that would allow consumer-directed health plans and arrangements, including a highdeductible health plan, to be considered as acceptable coverage under a current group health plan for the first 5 years after the Act is operational.

(Maybe…depends on who’s reading it.)

Would H.R. 3200 allow government bureaucrats to tell physicians how to practice medicine and determine what treatment patients will receive?

H.R. 3200 would not provide the government with the authority to decide what medical treatment patients will receive. It allows patients to select the insurance plan that best suits their needs. H.R. 3200 also includes support for developing information that can be used by patients and physicians to make the best treatment decisions based on the patient’s needs. The bill would not ration care; it would expand access to health care coverage and increase the information needed to support strong clinical decision-making.

(Bureaucrats is another nasty word. We prefer “happy helpers.” The government would “help” you make decisions about your patients. )

Does H.R. 3200 require advance care planning?

The bill would create a new Medicare benefit that allows physicians to bill for the time they spend on advance care planning consultations with Medicare patients. It would not mandate that patients take advantage of this benefit. The new Medicare benefit would allow doctors to be compensated for such consultations every five years, and more frequently if a patient has a life-limiting illness or health status changes. The AMA supports Medicare reimbursement for physician advance care consultations with a patient, and encourages physicians to engage in these discussions with their patients.

(Why are you still asking questions? Aren't you listening? We’re giving you something else to bill for! Why are you complaining about this? Aren’t doctor’s all money-grubbing businesspeople?)

Would H.R. 3200 prohibit patients from privately contracting with physicians, and prohibit physicians from “balance billing” patients?

The bill would not affect the ability of physicians to engage in private contracting arrangements with patients in the context of the public health insurance option or private plans offered within or outside the Health Insurance Exchange. Neither would the bill modify existing Medicare private contracting provisions. The bill allows balance billing under the public health insurance option, with limits mirroring those in Medicare. It also allows out-of-network physicians to privately contract with patients enrolled in the public plan, although those patients would receive no plan reimbursement under these circumstances. The AMA has expressed support for modifying this provision to ensure that public plan patients have a true out-of-network option that better reflects common practices in the private insurance market.

(We’re still working on this one. For now, rest assured that we are promising you at least a 200 percent increase in paperwork.)

Would the provision in H.R. 3200 that replaces the SGR be dropped from the bill
because of Pay-Go rules?

Key House and Senate leaders as well as senior White House officials remain committed to enacting legislation this year that would erase the existing SGR debt and establish a new, more favorable payment structure for Medicare physician payments. It sometimes is confusing when policymakers discuss Congressional Budget Office scoring rules and legislative procedures. Using past scoring approaches, the “budget score” for changing the SGR policy would be $239 billion. This year, we gained the support of House, Senate, and White House policymakers to erase the SGR debt and establish a new payment formula without having to identify budgetary offsets. The term of art is called a “pay-go waiver.”

Recent comments by Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag about “removing the Medicare physician payment fix” were not about jettisoning a change in the SGR policy from health system reform legislation. Rather, he was referring to jettisoning budget scoring estimates, and key policymakers in the House, Senate, and White House continue to support replacing the SGR through a pay-go waiver.

(Um…We hope not, because that’s what we keep repeating as our reason for endorsing the bill in the first place.)

And! My favorite !

Many analyses of H.R. 3200 have been circulating by email that provide detailed and very troubling descriptions of the bill’s provisions and its implications for government control of medicine, rationing care for the elderly, outlawing private health insurance plans, and more. How valid are these criticisms?

Trusted sources such as physician specialty societies have varying views of the legislation based on their organizations’ policies and priorities. However, many of the descriptions being broadly circulated by email make extreme claims based on cursory readings of the legislation supplemented by conjecture and misinterpretations that do not reflect an understanding of current law, medical practice, or insurance regulation. For example, one widely circulated message that includes page-by-page interpretations of the bill’s provisions states in alarming language that the government will mandate a National Health Service Corps. The National Health Service Corps is an existing federal program that most physician organizations agree should be expanded to encourage more residents to choose primary care specialties and to provide care in underserved areas. As is true with all email spam, messages that are repeatedly forwarded from an unknown original source should not be trusted. Physicians are encouraged to consult with the AMA, their state societies, and specialty societies about the accuracy of any legislative interpretations that cause them concern.

(Look, would you stop getting information from other sources? Come to us directly for indoctrination...er…I mean…information.)

So, that’s it. I was perplexed. Did they really think this would change his mind? Perhaps they were just informing him, and trying to hide it, that they did not remove him from their rolls, as requested.