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.

Work hard...Because of who you are

So much has been going on lately that I have thought about commenting on. There has been the Van Jones controversy, the education speech and, most importantly, heath care. But, I have had a few extra responsibilities at home, and these necessarily trump my love of hearing myself type. I laughed at my husband when he lamented not being able to attend the 9/12 march on Washington because, “he had to work.” I explained to him that he couldn’t go because he recognized that some people in this country had to take care of their families and finances, regardless of what the government was doing. We recognize that the future depends on parents who live within their means and make children a priority. We will do it, even when the government does not. But we will be involved by voicing our feelings and TEACHING OUR CHILDREN. I appreciate those people who do not have to choose between protesting and taking care of family obligations. I appreciate those who will be a voice for my children on Saturday.

On the President’s speech to students: It was self-ingratiating for the president. I rolled my eyes at his props to himself. But, I let my kids hear it. They said it was “boring.” (They’re only 5 & 6) I explained to them what was missing from the speech: they had an obligation to do their best in school, not for their country and president, but because they are children of God and cannot waste the precious talents they have been blessed with. Why do we insist on replacing obligation to self, family and Heavenly Father, with obligation to other things? The country? The Earth? President Obama? Is it a desperate plea for meaning from a group of people who have tried so hard to remove inherent value from a human soul? I want my children to know who they are. I hope other parents will take the time to add to the president's speech what it was missing. I am saddened by the number of children who don't seem to know why they ought to live up to their potential.

The thing that entertained me the most was those people who treated the critics like idiots for caring what the students heard. “The first George Bush did the same thing” was their battle cry.

Take a look at this article…Very amusing…

Protect Our Most Precious Resource

Before all else, I am a mother. I have been blessed with four children who continue to amaze and challenge me everyday. Anyone who reads my writing will see the parenting theme laced through everything I say. That is not just because it is the most important thing I am doing. It is because I believe the way to insure that our country is successful is to teach the next generation. I am not talking about pushing more money into education or putting your kids into preschool at two. I am talking about making them a priority and helping them to understand that the values they learn at home will bring more success than the lessons taught at school.

A friend of mine sent me a link to an article about a piece of clear liberal propaganda which was shown to an entire school of elementary students in Utah. The sad thing is that these pieces are meant to be mostly benign. They talk about service and self sacrifice, lacing the poison deep within the sweet truths. But, it’s hard to deny the implications. The last sentence of this video is a celebrity saying, “I pledge to be a servant to President Obama and all mankind.” You can watch it at the end of this blog.

I was disgusted to hear that the White House is using the National Endowment for the Arts to encourage artists to create propaganda for President Obama’s policies. I am wary of the president being broadcast into every elementary school in the nation on Tuesday and the NEA’s proposed lesson plans that encourage children to write letters saying how they would help the president. I will reserve judgment on that until I hear what he says.

But every parent ought to be cautious. As always, YOU should be the dominant force in educating your child. It all reminds me of a quote I read in high school (I can’t remember the source) that said, “Hitler knew just how to indoctrinate. He went straight to the children in their schools. Fascism was taught and children began to turn in their parents for disloyal statements.”

Am I saying this is happening now? No. I am reserving judgment. I am just pointing out that it is our responsibility to teach our children and that history has proven the dangers of slacking off on our most important job.