Not covered is not acceptable.

The summer recess for Congress is nearing its end and it will be time for those we elected to do what needs doing on health care, or respond to hysteria driven by industry and right wing rumors.

Chemotherapy? Denied.

I found a story on CNN that illustrates the need for reform very clearly. The video describes the efforts of Dr. Nick Spirtos, who opened a chemotherapy clinic in his office after the county hospital equivalent closed due to budget cuts. Spirtos provides chemotherapy treatment free to those in need through a combination of pro-bono work by him and his partners and financial donations.

What is my job as a citizen?

I’m struggling.

I want to toss some thoughts out because I’m not sure what a citizen’s role really is in the US anymore. I’m curious what people here think.

Until recently, I thought that my primary role in the running of our country was to communicate and understand what my elected officials were doing. Those who communicated effectively with me and who made decisions I either agreed with (or at least understood the logic behind) were to be rewarded with my vote. Those who were less effective in those tasks I’d vote to replace. That’s what I understood in my civics class back at Oxon Hill High School.

Maybe high school civics from the 70’s doesn’t really apply anymore.

A few years back, I resolved never to speak again on two things – faith and politics. It seemed to me that there was no longer the convention that folks could talk about these things, disagree, and move on as if they’d spoken about nothing of more consequence than the weather.

All the same, I slip up on that resolution sometimes.

What's the point? We're not changing each others minds

It has come to the point that when people discuss those topics, the goal is very often to bring the other person to the opposite side, or berate them as a fool, or worse.

Sotomayor disguised as Limbaugh???

From Politico:

And how did Sotomayor spend seven hours at the White House on Thursday with no one noticing?”We snuck her in here disguised as Rush Limbaugh,” Axelrod joked, adding: “We can’t tell you guys all of our tricks.”