I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I think it is worth re-posting.
_______________________________________________________
I hate to admit it, but I voted for Bush in 2000. Then immediately regretted my vote when the whole Florida debacle went down. I felt it was a sign of things to come, and, IMO, I was right.
I don't vote on a single issue. I consider myself to be slightly left of middle of the road. Some would say I'm conservative because I believe individuals have the right to bear arms and that we should have a death penalty. But I do so with caveats. While we have the right to bear arms, I have no problem with extensive background checks to prevent the criminal class from purchasing them and when applying the death penalty, make sure you've got DNA evidence because killing an innocent person is wrong.
On the other side of the coin, I think we have an obligation as society to educate our children, to take care of the elderly and truly disabled, and to provide health care for all of our citizens. While I could never have one myself, I think that abortion should be a legal option for a woman who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant.
I also happen to think that every person in our country should have the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation and that the laws governing those rights should have no correlation with any religious belief. Maybe gay rights are the tipping point that makes me a Democrat. But to me, gay rights are just civil rights, and civil rights are rights that we all have. So, maybe civil rights are what actually make me a Democrat.
That's my two cents worth.
Showing posts with label Civil Rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Civil Rights. Show all posts
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Monday, November 01, 2010
Open Enrollment and the Plight of the Domestic Partner
Well, the federal government has done it again. This year for benefits enrollment, I'm basically left with only one choice. Oh, don't get me wrong, my employer is offering two options for health coverage, but there is really only one option that is viable for us.
The two options, in a nutshell: First, what is called a high deductible plan with an attached health savings account. It sounds really good. The premium is half the cost of the other plan, but the deductible is much higher. The good part of this plan is the health savings account. You contribute to the account with tax free dollars just like a flexible spending plan, only if you don't use it all at the end of the year, you can roll it over into next year. You use the money in the account to cover medical expenses until you meet your deductible. The other plan has a very low deductible, $1,200 compared to $6,000 in the other plan. But there is no savings plan and the premiums are twice as much.
Which plan to take was a no brainer. I'd go with the high deductible plan with the savings account. Then I would deposit the difference between premiums into the savings account to pay for all those out of pocket costs. But then the light bulb went off. It wouldn't work for us. See, if you're covering a domestic partner on your health plan, the premiums for them are after tax. The health savings plan is before tax. The IRS doesn't let you use the money in the health savings plan for medical expenses incurred by your partner. So, if something were to happen to my partner, we wouldn't be able to use the money we had been putting aside. So now, I have only one choice - the high premium, low deductible plan.
When will the law of the land finally catch up with the new landscape that is the American family? Will I ever go into health enrollment and not have to consider the tax consequences of every decision I make? Will there be a time when I can look at my options without asking, "Does this apply to me"? I should be able to cover my family the same way that everyone else does. Where are you, President Obama? Where are the promises you made? I'm tired - and I'm not the only one.
The two options, in a nutshell: First, what is called a high deductible plan with an attached health savings account. It sounds really good. The premium is half the cost of the other plan, but the deductible is much higher. The good part of this plan is the health savings account. You contribute to the account with tax free dollars just like a flexible spending plan, only if you don't use it all at the end of the year, you can roll it over into next year. You use the money in the account to cover medical expenses until you meet your deductible. The other plan has a very low deductible, $1,200 compared to $6,000 in the other plan. But there is no savings plan and the premiums are twice as much.
Which plan to take was a no brainer. I'd go with the high deductible plan with the savings account. Then I would deposit the difference between premiums into the savings account to pay for all those out of pocket costs. But then the light bulb went off. It wouldn't work for us. See, if you're covering a domestic partner on your health plan, the premiums for them are after tax. The health savings plan is before tax. The IRS doesn't let you use the money in the health savings plan for medical expenses incurred by your partner. So, if something were to happen to my partner, we wouldn't be able to use the money we had been putting aside. So now, I have only one choice - the high premium, low deductible plan.
When will the law of the land finally catch up with the new landscape that is the American family? Will I ever go into health enrollment and not have to consider the tax consequences of every decision I make? Will there be a time when I can look at my options without asking, "Does this apply to me"? I should be able to cover my family the same way that everyone else does. Where are you, President Obama? Where are the promises you made? I'm tired - and I'm not the only one.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Waiting on the World to Change
I've often wondered why the current generation seems so complacent when faced with social issues. Why is there no marching in the streets? Why do we not hear more outrage over injustices in today's world? In the 60's so many young people were emboldened and were not afraid to voice their displeasure with the status quo and with the direction that our government was taking the country. College students were vocally opposed the Viet Nam war and they fought against the injustice of segregation. The music of the time even carried the message of outrage and the push for change. Songs like Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind, John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance, the Youngblood's Get Together, or Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth all mirrored the times and helped to focus the angst of the country in a direction of change.
Today's college student seems more interested in how he will make his fortune after college and he doesn't see the injustice of the world around him. Indeed, young people often have limited knowledge of the world around them. And when they do see injustice, many think there is nothing they can do to make a change. What is different in today's culture when compared to that of the 60's? Perhaps rather than being a mirror of the times, the music of the 60's was actually a conduit for change. People heard the music and took it to heart. They actually listened to the words and believed that they could effect change. And they did. Today, instead of protest songs to push us to change, we have songs that tell us to sit back and wait. . . . wait for the world to change.
Today's college student seems more interested in how he will make his fortune after college and he doesn't see the injustice of the world around him. Indeed, young people often have limited knowledge of the world around them. And when they do see injustice, many think there is nothing they can do to make a change. What is different in today's culture when compared to that of the 60's? Perhaps rather than being a mirror of the times, the music of the 60's was actually a conduit for change. People heard the music and took it to heart. They actually listened to the words and believed that they could effect change. And they did. Today, instead of protest songs to push us to change, we have songs that tell us to sit back and wait. . . . wait for the world to change.
Waiting On The World To Change
lyrics by John Mayer
Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
Theres' no way we ever could
Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it
So we keep waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
Friday, April 03, 2009
We Are Not Guantanamo
"They laughed. 'We are not Guantanamo.' That's what they said," Park said.
Two young women reporters for the news channel Current have disappeared while working on stories in North Korea. Both women, Laura Ling and Euna Lee are American citizens. However, there have been no statement forthcoming from our government asking for their release or demanding to know what charges they are being held on. And when asked by Han S. Park, a University of Georgia professor and member of a private delegation traveling in Korea, if the the Americans were receiving harsh treatment, the Koreans responded by laughing and saying, "We are not Guantanamo."
During the years of the Bush presidency when the prison at Guantanamo was founded and populated by suspected foreign terrorists, many Americans couldn't understand why some of us would think this was not a good thing. Now they have their answer. If the U.S. doesn't hold itself to a higher standard than the rest of the world, then they will hold us to their standards. We can no longer take the high road and demand that our citizens be treated as human beings, that if they are held they must be charged with a crime, or that if they are held and charged, then they cannot be tortured. See, the U.S. has spent the last seven years holding prisoners with charging them. We have tortured them with things such as waterboarding. We have suspended treating prisoners as humans by withholding holy books from them and by subjecting them to humiliation.
The image of the U.S. has been tarnished in the rest of the world. As a result, the available options for obtaining freedom for these two young ladies who are American citizens have been severely reduced. It will take years to repair the damage done by the establishment of Guantanamo. In the future, America has an obligation to its own citizens to treat all citizens of the world with the same respect that we treat our own.
Two young women reporters for the news channel Current have disappeared while working on stories in North Korea. Both women, Laura Ling and Euna Lee are American citizens. However, there have been no statement forthcoming from our government asking for their release or demanding to know what charges they are being held on. And when asked by Han S. Park, a University of Georgia professor and member of a private delegation traveling in Korea, if the the Americans were receiving harsh treatment, the Koreans responded by laughing and saying, "We are not Guantanamo."
During the years of the Bush presidency when the prison at Guantanamo was founded and populated by suspected foreign terrorists, many Americans couldn't understand why some of us would think this was not a good thing. Now they have their answer. If the U.S. doesn't hold itself to a higher standard than the rest of the world, then they will hold us to their standards. We can no longer take the high road and demand that our citizens be treated as human beings, that if they are held they must be charged with a crime, or that if they are held and charged, then they cannot be tortured. See, the U.S. has spent the last seven years holding prisoners with charging them. We have tortured them with things such as waterboarding. We have suspended treating prisoners as humans by withholding holy books from them and by subjecting them to humiliation.
The image of the U.S. has been tarnished in the rest of the world. As a result, the available options for obtaining freedom for these two young ladies who are American citizens have been severely reduced. It will take years to repair the damage done by the establishment of Guantanamo. In the future, America has an obligation to its own citizens to treat all citizens of the world with the same respect that we treat our own.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Silencing the Christians
The American Family Association is at it again. They have produced an hour long info-mercial. An NBC affiliate in Michigan was to have aired the production prior to Obama's press conference. However, after being approached by the HRC and receiving numerous letters revealing the controversy surrounding this fim, the station decided not to air it.
It's hard to watch, but I did. I felt that I need to know what those with an opposing view are saying. While I respect the rights of people to believe that homosexuality is wrong, I don't respect their attempts to force those beliefs on all of society. But more importantly, it is necessary to make sure that any untruths and/or distortions be met head on and corrected. The only way we can do that is to know what is being said. The video can be seen at the Silencing Christians website.
It's hard to watch, but I did. I felt that I need to know what those with an opposing view are saying. While I respect the rights of people to believe that homosexuality is wrong, I don't respect their attempts to force those beliefs on all of society. But more importantly, it is necessary to make sure that any untruths and/or distortions be met head on and corrected. The only way we can do that is to know what is being said. The video can be seen at the Silencing Christians website.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Civil Rights Commentary
Not wanting to post my own commentary today. Just wanted to point you to another blogger with a very "to the point" post today.
It Doesn't Make Sense
And even though it is from a different perspective, another blogger I follow also addressed teaching her children about civil rights today.
How Do We Explain To Our Children?
It Doesn't Make Sense
And even though it is from a different perspective, another blogger I follow also addressed teaching her children about civil rights today.
How Do We Explain To Our Children?
Monday, November 17, 2008
Wanda Sykes is Pissed
On Saturday in Las Vegas, Wanda Sykes addressed the Prop 8 protesters. Wanda is proud to be a woman, she is proud to be black, and she is proud to be gay. And she is pissed!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Equal - for Six Months
The New York Times got it right today. In an op-ed piece entitled What It Felt Like to Be Equal, Judith Warner talks about the passing of Prop 8 from the perspective of a straight person. She saw the passing of Prop 8 and the other bans passed in Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas, as oh well, too bad. Not realizing that a right had been recognized, and almost as quickly taken away. Then she started getting emails from people and had her eye's opened. As one of the emails stated,
“I don’t feel equal anymore. It was a great feeling, while it lasted.”
“I don’t feel equal anymore. It was a great feeling, while it lasted.”
Sunday, October 19, 2008
From the Dred Scott Case to Barack Obama
This is what I see when I look at the pictures. . .
In the background, the Old Capital Building, where the Dred Scott case was heard . . .
In the foreground, the first, serious, black contender for President of the United States. . .
And in between, 100,000 people who represent how far we have come and the change that has already taken place in the years in between.
And it brings me to tears.
In the background, the Old Capital Building, where the Dred Scott case was heard . . .
In the foreground, the first, serious, black contender for President of the United States. . .
And in between, 100,000 people who represent how far we have come and the change that has already taken place in the years in between.
And it brings me to tears.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Why Am I a Democrat?
I hate to admit it, but I voted for Bush in 2000. Then immediately regretted my vote when the whole Florida debacle went down. I felt it was a sign of things to come, and, IMO, I was right.
I don't vote on a single issue. I consider myself to be slightly left of middle of the road. Some would say I'm conservative because I believe individuals have the right to bear arms and that we should have a death penalty. But I do so with caveats. While we have the right to bear arms, I have no problem with extensive background checks to prevent the criminal class from purchasing them and when applying the death penalty, make sure you've got DNA evidence because killing an innocent person is wrong.
On the other side of the coin, I think we have an obligation as society to educate our children, to take care of the elderly and truly disabled, and to provide health care for all of our citizens. While I could never have one myself, I think that abortion should be a legal option for a woman who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant.
I also happen to think that every person in our country should have the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation and that the laws governing those rights should have no correlation with any religious belief. Maybe gay rights are the tipping point that makes me a Democrat. But to me, gay rights are just civil rights, and civil rights are rights that we all have. So, maybe civil rights are what actually make me a Democrat.
That's my two cents worth.
I don't vote on a single issue. I consider myself to be slightly left of middle of the road. Some would say I'm conservative because I believe individuals have the right to bear arms and that we should have a death penalty. But I do so with caveats. While we have the right to bear arms, I have no problem with extensive background checks to prevent the criminal class from purchasing them and when applying the death penalty, make sure you've got DNA evidence because killing an innocent person is wrong.
On the other side of the coin, I think we have an obligation as society to educate our children, to take care of the elderly and truly disabled, and to provide health care for all of our citizens. While I could never have one myself, I think that abortion should be a legal option for a woman who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant.
I also happen to think that every person in our country should have the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation and that the laws governing those rights should have no correlation with any religious belief. Maybe gay rights are the tipping point that makes me a Democrat. But to me, gay rights are just civil rights, and civil rights are rights that we all have. So, maybe civil rights are what actually make me a Democrat.
That's my two cents worth.
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