Only one thing worse than a childish friend or co-worker to annoy you:
WHEN YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT NEEDS TO GROW THE HELL UP
Let me start off with this statement, while the incidents may be real, the tone of this blog is all opinion and therefore neither liable or slander (the person that is there for is the subject of the blog and needs to reread the definitions of those two words).
I have a relative, not going to name this relative, who is a ROYAL PAIN IN THE A**. Everything in the world is everyone else’s fault, this relative can accept no responsibility for their actions. This relative is female, I say this because it will make typing easier. Let's start with history, from what I have learned over the years she has never really liked her younger brother because when he was born she was no longer the baby in the family. Yes, as the baby of the family he was spoiled, but then, as the only girl in the family so was she. He wasn't the one given a car when he went to college, the first car that was truly his that he got from his parents he bought from them. But let's not go there, yet.
Let's talk about careers first, this relative blames the fact that she does not like her career on her mother and her older brother. Her older brother's part was that he told their father that she would never be able to cut it as a lawyer, and because of this she feels that he is always putting down women and talking down to anyone who is not a lawyer. Not true, he was just looking at her past history and evaluating the situation, accurately too. And her mother forced her to go into nursing, again not true. Here is how the story goes from and outsider’s point of view, in High School she spent some time during the summer working at a camp for handicapped kids, and she loved it. So she decided she wanted to be a physical therapist. She goes to college for PT and to make a long story short, flunks out. (from here I am a little fuzzy because I was involved with my own life) But as I understand it from my parents, She decided to go to nursing school, got in, decided she didn't want to do it, quit and got a job. After about a year, decided to go back to nursing school, got in, completed it and became a nurse, she loved doing it for many years, until the last few when she had to work with jerks. Becomes burned out, and blames the fact she became a nurse on her mother, saying she wanted to be a lawyer in the first place. So we are looking at college and then two stints at nursing school. Which is everyone else’s fault that she had to go this route. Her spoiled brother who by her standards has been allowed to get away with everything, did one year at college, 1 semester at community college, and then was told to join the military or get a job, their mother didn't care which, but that he had 90 days before he had to move out of her house. That date got extended to his day he had to leave for the military. Yes, he has had to borrow money from his parents over the years cause he is a screw-up, no one’s perfect. But at least he is able to live mostly on his own with his family, and he seems to have his money troubles finally under control. His sister on the other hand, after having her apartment robbed - they didn't get much, they couldn't find the good stuff in the mess, had to move back home since she was too scared to live on her own (her words).
She is a charmer in many other ways as well, she would sit at her father’s house bad mouthing and criticizing her brother and his wife in front of his kids, and then when she gets called on it states “your daughter must have been eavesdropping”. Hard not to since they were in the same room and she is speaking in her normal loud voice. She also told the younger niece she was getting fat, in front of her older sister, the younger daughter came home in tears, the older one told what happened. When confronted she denied ever saying it, which to me is calling the girls liars. If they were lying then why was the younger girl in hysterics? Tell me that, she hadn’t gotten into trouble for anything. (And trust me, any girl who plays soccer all year long and plays on not one, but three soccer teams, is not fat.) She is also quick to criticize her brothers weight, “under the guise of concern”, mainly to take shots at him. Of course that is the pot calling the kettle fat anyway. But at least her brother is doing the necessary things to lose weight, unlike his sister who diets, hires a personal trainer, exercises, and then drinks two to three beers, or several glasses of wine a day (and this is the minimum from what I have seen). I have never seen her on a social occasion where she did not have a least either two or more beers or two or more glasses of wine. Not good for weight loss now is it. Now I won't say that this person is an alcoholic, I only know that all the symptoms of being a functional alcoholic are there, seen them many times over the years when in the military, and before that with my mother, whom while I love her/her memory dearly; I will go to my grave believing she was a functional alcoholic.
This has lead to some estrangement in the family, oh well, at least now I have peace and quiet. Until she is forced to live on her own, nothing will change. When that happens then maybe, just maybe she will GROW THE HELL UP!
Until, Peace and Long Life.......
Friday, September 3, 2010
Meaning of Labor Day
Did you ever really think about what Labor Day was really about, I didn’t until my kids asked me why we celebrate the holiday. To me it was always that final bar-b-q weekend of the summer season. After a little research I found out it was more than that (and also found reasons why Bar-B-Q’s are probably the most appropriate way to celebrate).
Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Labor Day Legislation
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
A Nationwide Holiday
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Taken from the Department of Labor Websites: http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Labor Day Legislation
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
A Nationwide Holiday
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Taken from the Department of Labor Websites: http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
Meaning Of Veterans Day
Every year in November we celebrate Veterans Day.
Many people, my children included, who understand the meaning of Memorial Day wonder why we celebrate Veterans Day. To put it simply, we celebrate Memorial Day to honor the gallant men and women who have sacrificed their very lives for this country, Veterans day on the other hand, is to honor the gallant men and women who served in the military protecting this great nation, whether they died or not.
The following is from Wikipedia (it’s very hard to find complete information anywhere these days).
Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. A federal holiday, it is observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)
HISTORY
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said:
"To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism
of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the
thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her
sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."
The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."
In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Alfred King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.
Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.
Although originally scheduled for celebration on November 11 of every year, starting in 1971 in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October.
In 1978 it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11.
Many people, my children included, who understand the meaning of Memorial Day wonder why we celebrate Veterans Day. To put it simply, we celebrate Memorial Day to honor the gallant men and women who have sacrificed their very lives for this country, Veterans day on the other hand, is to honor the gallant men and women who served in the military protecting this great nation, whether they died or not.
The following is from Wikipedia (it’s very hard to find complete information anywhere these days).
Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. A federal holiday, it is observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)
HISTORY
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said:
"To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism
of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the
thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her
sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."
The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."
In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Alfred King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.
Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.
Although originally scheduled for celebration on November 11 of every year, starting in 1971 in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October.
In 1978 it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11.
Meaning of Memorial Day
I spent many years in the military (Air Force) and every year I saw Memorial Day come and all the people did was treat it like a big party. I would ask them about it and they would say, "It's a day to remember", "Remember what?" I would ask. Most didn't know (or really care) or would say that it was something to do with a war. A truly sad state of affairs when no one really understands such an important holiday
Amazingly enough there is no one website that gives a concise explanation of Memorial Day, how it came to be, what it means, etc. So I am using the information from Wikipedia to give some of the basics on Memorial Day.
BASICS
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 31 in 2010). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War – it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.
HISTORY
By 1865 the practice of decorating soldiers' graves had become widespread in the North. The first known observance was in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who helped bring attention to the event nationwide, was likely a factor in the holiday's growth. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic – the organization for Northern Civil War veterans – Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle.
There were events in 183 cemeteries in 27 states in 1868, and 336 in 1869. The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890 every northern state followed suit. The ceremonies were sponsored by the Women's Relief Corps, which had 100,000 members. By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been buried in 73 national cemeteries, located mostly in the South, near the battlefields. The most famous are Gettysburg National Cemetery in Pennsylvania and Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington.
The Memorial Day speech became an occasion for veterans, politicians and ministers to commemorate the war – and at first to rehash the atrocities of the enemy. They mixed religion and celebratory nationalism and provided a means for the people to make sense of their history in terms of sacrifice for a better nation, one closer to God. People of all religious beliefs joined together, and the point was often made that the German and Irish soldiers had become true Americans in the "baptism of blood" on the battlefield. By the end of the 1870s the rancor was gone and the speeches praised the brave soldiers both Blue and Gray. By the 1950s, the theme was American exceptionalism and duty to uphold freedom in the world.
Ironton, Ohio lays claim to the nation's oldest continuously running Memorial Day parade, it has been a tradition since 1868. The first parade was held May 5, 1868.
In the South
In Charleston, South Carolina in 1865, freedmen (freed slaves) celebrated at the Washington Race Course, today the location of Hampton Park. The site had been used as a temporary Confederate prison camp for captured Union soldiers in 1865, as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died there. Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, freedmen exhumed the bodies from the mass grave and reinterred them in individual graves. They built a fence around the graveyard with an entry arch and declared it a Union graveyard. On May 1, 1865, a crowd of up to ten thousand, mainly black residents, including 2800 children, proceeded to the location for events that included sermons, singing, and a picnic on the grounds, thereby creating the first Decoration Day-type celebration.
Beginning in 1866 the Southern states had their own Memorial Days, ranging from April 26 to mid June. The birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, June 3, became a state holiday in 10 states by 1916. Across the South associations were founded after the war to establish and care for permanent cemeteries for Confederate soldiers, organize commemorative ceremonies, and sponsor impressive monuments as a permanent way of remembering the Confederate tradition. Women provided the leadership in these associations, paving the way to establish themselves as capable of public leadership.
The earliest Confederate Memorial Day celebrations were simple, sober occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. Around 1890, there was a shift from this consolatory emphasis on honoring specific soldiers to public commemoration of the Confederate "Lost Cause". Changes in the ceremony's hymns and speeches reflect an evolution of the ritual into a symbol of cultural renewal and conservatism in the South. By 1913, however, the theme of American nationalism shared equal time with the Lost Cause.
In Columbus, Mississippi at its Decoration Day on April 25, 1866, commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.
At Gettysburg
The ceremonies and Memorial Day address at Gettysburg National Park were nationally famous, starting in 1868. In July 1913, veterans of the United States and Confederate armies gathered in Gettysburg to commemorate the fifty-year anniversary of the Civil War's bloodiest and most famous battle. The four-day "Blue-Gray Reunion" featured parades, reenactments, and speeches from a host of dignitaries, including President Woodrow Wilson, the first Southerner in the White House since the War. Congressman James Heflin of Alabama was given the honor of the main address. Heflin was a noted orator; two of his best-known speeches were an endorsement of the Lincoln Memorial and his call to make Mother's Day a holiday, but his choice as Memorial Day speaker was met with criticism. He was opposed for his racism, but his speech was moderate, stressing national unity and goodwill, and the newspapers, including those who opposed his invitation to speak, praised him.
NAME AND DATE
The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington's Birthday, Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocate returning to the original date, although the significance of the date is tenuous.
The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address:
Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day. ~ David Mechant (April 28, 2007). "Memorial Day History".
Since 1987, Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional date.
After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress's change of date within a few years. Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the unofficial beginning of summer. This role is filled in neighboring Canada by Victoria Day, which occurs either on May 24 or the last Monday before that date, placing it exactly one week before Memorial Day.
TRADITIONAL OBSERVANCE
Many people observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time 6. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries.
One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, an auto race which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. The Coca-Cola 600 has been held later the same day since 1961.
The National Memorial Day Concert takes place on the west lawn of the United States Capitol. The concert is broadcast on PBS and NPR. Music is performed, and respect is paid to the men and women who gave their lives for their country.
INTERPRETATIONS
Sociologists, following the lead of Robert Bellah, often make the argument that America has a secular "civil religion" – one with no association with any religious denomination or viewpoint – that has incorporated Memorial Day as a sacred event. The obligation both collective and individual to carry out God's will on earth is a theme that lies deep in the American tradition. With the Civil War, a new theme of death, sacrifice and rebirth enters the civil religion. Memorial Day gave ritual expression to these themes, integrating the local community into a sense of nationalism. The American civil religion in contrast to that of France was never anticlerical or militantly secular; in contrast to Britain it was not tied to a specific denomination like the Church of England. Instead the Americans borrowed selectively from different religious traditions in such a way that the average American saw no conflict between the two, thus mobilizing deep levels of personal motivation for the attainment of national goals.
SUMMARY FROM ME
This is some of the information about memorial, the history, observances, and interpretations. The thing that is important for you to get from all this is that Memorial Day is a holiday where we remember the Military and Civilian Personnel that have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. So that all men and women can remain free to believe what they want, say what they want and live how they want (within the law).
Amazingly enough there is no one website that gives a concise explanation of Memorial Day, how it came to be, what it means, etc. So I am using the information from Wikipedia to give some of the basics on Memorial Day.
BASICS
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 31 in 2010). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War – it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.
HISTORY
By 1865 the practice of decorating soldiers' graves had become widespread in the North. The first known observance was in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who helped bring attention to the event nationwide, was likely a factor in the holiday's growth. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic – the organization for Northern Civil War veterans – Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle.
There were events in 183 cemeteries in 27 states in 1868, and 336 in 1869. The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890 every northern state followed suit. The ceremonies were sponsored by the Women's Relief Corps, which had 100,000 members. By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been buried in 73 national cemeteries, located mostly in the South, near the battlefields. The most famous are Gettysburg National Cemetery in Pennsylvania and Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington.
The Memorial Day speech became an occasion for veterans, politicians and ministers to commemorate the war – and at first to rehash the atrocities of the enemy. They mixed religion and celebratory nationalism and provided a means for the people to make sense of their history in terms of sacrifice for a better nation, one closer to God. People of all religious beliefs joined together, and the point was often made that the German and Irish soldiers had become true Americans in the "baptism of blood" on the battlefield. By the end of the 1870s the rancor was gone and the speeches praised the brave soldiers both Blue and Gray. By the 1950s, the theme was American exceptionalism and duty to uphold freedom in the world.
Ironton, Ohio lays claim to the nation's oldest continuously running Memorial Day parade, it has been a tradition since 1868. The first parade was held May 5, 1868.
In the South
In Charleston, South Carolina in 1865, freedmen (freed slaves) celebrated at the Washington Race Course, today the location of Hampton Park. The site had been used as a temporary Confederate prison camp for captured Union soldiers in 1865, as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died there. Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, freedmen exhumed the bodies from the mass grave and reinterred them in individual graves. They built a fence around the graveyard with an entry arch and declared it a Union graveyard. On May 1, 1865, a crowd of up to ten thousand, mainly black residents, including 2800 children, proceeded to the location for events that included sermons, singing, and a picnic on the grounds, thereby creating the first Decoration Day-type celebration.
Beginning in 1866 the Southern states had their own Memorial Days, ranging from April 26 to mid June. The birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, June 3, became a state holiday in 10 states by 1916. Across the South associations were founded after the war to establish and care for permanent cemeteries for Confederate soldiers, organize commemorative ceremonies, and sponsor impressive monuments as a permanent way of remembering the Confederate tradition. Women provided the leadership in these associations, paving the way to establish themselves as capable of public leadership.
The earliest Confederate Memorial Day celebrations were simple, sober occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. Around 1890, there was a shift from this consolatory emphasis on honoring specific soldiers to public commemoration of the Confederate "Lost Cause". Changes in the ceremony's hymns and speeches reflect an evolution of the ritual into a symbol of cultural renewal and conservatism in the South. By 1913, however, the theme of American nationalism shared equal time with the Lost Cause.
In Columbus, Mississippi at its Decoration Day on April 25, 1866, commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.
At Gettysburg
The ceremonies and Memorial Day address at Gettysburg National Park were nationally famous, starting in 1868. In July 1913, veterans of the United States and Confederate armies gathered in Gettysburg to commemorate the fifty-year anniversary of the Civil War's bloodiest and most famous battle. The four-day "Blue-Gray Reunion" featured parades, reenactments, and speeches from a host of dignitaries, including President Woodrow Wilson, the first Southerner in the White House since the War. Congressman James Heflin of Alabama was given the honor of the main address. Heflin was a noted orator; two of his best-known speeches were an endorsement of the Lincoln Memorial and his call to make Mother's Day a holiday, but his choice as Memorial Day speaker was met with criticism. He was opposed for his racism, but his speech was moderate, stressing national unity and goodwill, and the newspapers, including those who opposed his invitation to speak, praised him.
NAME AND DATE
The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington's Birthday, Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocate returning to the original date, although the significance of the date is tenuous.
The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address:
Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day. ~ David Mechant (April 28, 2007). "Memorial Day History".
Since 1987, Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional date.
After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress's change of date within a few years. Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the unofficial beginning of summer. This role is filled in neighboring Canada by Victoria Day, which occurs either on May 24 or the last Monday before that date, placing it exactly one week before Memorial Day.
TRADITIONAL OBSERVANCE
Many people observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time 6. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries.
One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, an auto race which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. The Coca-Cola 600 has been held later the same day since 1961.
The National Memorial Day Concert takes place on the west lawn of the United States Capitol. The concert is broadcast on PBS and NPR. Music is performed, and respect is paid to the men and women who gave their lives for their country.
INTERPRETATIONS
Sociologists, following the lead of Robert Bellah, often make the argument that America has a secular "civil religion" – one with no association with any religious denomination or viewpoint – that has incorporated Memorial Day as a sacred event. The obligation both collective and individual to carry out God's will on earth is a theme that lies deep in the American tradition. With the Civil War, a new theme of death, sacrifice and rebirth enters the civil religion. Memorial Day gave ritual expression to these themes, integrating the local community into a sense of nationalism. The American civil religion in contrast to that of France was never anticlerical or militantly secular; in contrast to Britain it was not tied to a specific denomination like the Church of England. Instead the Americans borrowed selectively from different religious traditions in such a way that the average American saw no conflict between the two, thus mobilizing deep levels of personal motivation for the attainment of national goals.
SUMMARY FROM ME
This is some of the information about memorial, the history, observances, and interpretations. The thing that is important for you to get from all this is that Memorial Day is a holiday where we remember the Military and Civilian Personnel that have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. So that all men and women can remain free to believe what they want, say what they want and live how they want (within the law).
GOD IS BUSY RIGHT NOW
If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks!!!!!!
A United States Marine was taking some college courses between assignments. He had completed 20 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan . One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist, and a member of the ACLU.
One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform... I'll give you exactly 15 min." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am GOD, I'm still waiting."
It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.
The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What in the world is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"
The Marine calmly replied, "GOD was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So He sent me."
The classroom erupted in cheers!
God Bless the USMC. Semper Fi
A United States Marine was taking some college courses between assignments. He had completed 20 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan . One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist, and a member of the ACLU.
One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform... I'll give you exactly 15 min." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am GOD, I'm still waiting."
It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.
The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What in the world is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"
The Marine calmly replied, "GOD was too busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So He sent me."
The classroom erupted in cheers!
God Bless the USMC. Semper Fi
Thursday, April 29, 2010
American Idol
Last night the only contestant I liked this year was voted off. Big Deal. We are left with what Fox Broadcasting thinks they will be able to sell as the next “Idol”. Yes, I believe the show is rigged, and no, they never really do a good job picking their winner.
This year’s winner is Crystal Bowersox, surprised? I’m not, the judges have been pimping her since day one. The worst part about it is that they do such a bad job pimping her. Young? Upbeat? My butt she is, she always sounds the same and she always sounds like a Janis Joplin knockoff, week after week. Lady, come out of your comfort zone and sing something different. Then and only then will you have a chance of convincing me you can sing.
And do something about the style issue too. The dreadlocks and clothes need work. The dreads make her look like she needs a good shower and scrubbing. They may be a style comment but to me they make her look filthy. And quit dressing like a trailer park diva. I know, she may actually be one, but there is no reason to advertise it. If I hear one more sob story about these people, I swear, I will puke. Now if Crystal really wants to win my vote (and I would vote hundreds of times for any contestant that did this) she will punch that gay little weasel Ryan Seacrest in his face (I would pay money to see that).
Stay tuned for my next blog, gonna make fun of “Twilight”
BWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA
This year’s winner is Crystal Bowersox, surprised? I’m not, the judges have been pimping her since day one. The worst part about it is that they do such a bad job pimping her. Young? Upbeat? My butt she is, she always sounds the same and she always sounds like a Janis Joplin knockoff, week after week. Lady, come out of your comfort zone and sing something different. Then and only then will you have a chance of convincing me you can sing.
And do something about the style issue too. The dreadlocks and clothes need work. The dreads make her look like she needs a good shower and scrubbing. They may be a style comment but to me they make her look filthy. And quit dressing like a trailer park diva. I know, she may actually be one, but there is no reason to advertise it. If I hear one more sob story about these people, I swear, I will puke. Now if Crystal really wants to win my vote (and I would vote hundreds of times for any contestant that did this) she will punch that gay little weasel Ryan Seacrest in his face (I would pay money to see that).
Stay tuned for my next blog, gonna make fun of “Twilight”
BWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Now let’s irritate the HOMOPHOBES….
I read the following article online, it came from ABC Channel 7 News out of Denver and the stupidity (my personal opinion of course) of the people involved called out to me to blog on it. First read the article below and then I will continue.
Boys In Drag At School Riles Some Parents - Parent,
Blogger Call Lesson Part Of 'Gay Agenda'
GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated Press Writer
POSTED: 1:51 pm MDT April 14, 2010
UPDATED: 8:41 am MDT April 15, 2010
MAPLE SHADE, N.J. -- A teacher's explanation to parents of a women's history project planned for her third-graders contained these words: "If your child is a young man, he does not have to wear a dress or skirt."
That didn't stop a parent and a blogger from complaining that little boys were being asked to cross-dress as part of the "gay agenda." From there, the Maude Wilkins School's project about the evolution of women's clothing quickly took on a life of its own -- and now it's been called off completely.
"In hindsight," Superintendent Michael Livengood said Wednesday, "maybe a different activity could have been chosen that was a little bit more relevant to history."
It's the second time in six months that a New Jersey school program has attracted wide attention for something officials say was planned innocently. About 70 protesters visited a Burlington County school in October, upset about a song in which students praised President Barack Obama.
In both cases, administrators say, the ensuing uproar was due to blogs that spread the word but got the intent wrong.
The latest saga began this month when teacher Tonya Uibel sent a letter home with her pupils announcing that all third-graders at Maude Wilkins were required to participate in a Women's History Month project examining how women's fashion has changed over time.
The letter said, in part: "If your child is a young man, he does not have to wear a dress or skirt, as there are many time periods where women wore jeans, pants and trousers. However, each child must be able to express what time period their outfit is from. Most of all, your child should have fun creating their outfit and learning about how women's clothing has changed!"
Janine Giandomenico, a mother of a boy in the class and a frequent user of online social networks, posted a complaint on Facebook. By Monday, her concerns had worked their way to Warner Todd Huston, an opinion writer and editor of the Publius' Forum site. He skewered the school and suggested that the timing of the event, scheduled for Friday, was designed to coincide with a national "Day of Silence" to protest harassment of gays.
"Pushing the gay agenda while feminizing our young boys through a cross-dressing day? This isn't your parent's grade school celebration, for sure," he wrote.
On Monday, as the Web traffic swelled and national media outlets picked up on the story, principal Beth Norcia decided to cancel the fashion show. She wrote in a new letter to parents that instead, students would draw how women's fashion had evolved.
One third-grader, Elizabeth Heisler, said as school let out Wednesday that none of her classmates had seemed confused about whether boys were supposed to wear dresses. The cancellation of the fashion show means she doesn't get to wear her red and black "can-can" dress to school on Friday.
The episode confounded her mother, Andrea Heisler. "I would never think my son was going to come to school in an 1800s dress and petticoat," she said.
Livengood, who leads the Maple Shade Township school district, acknowledged that the initial letter could be misunderstood.
But he said the school wasn't trying to make anyone uncomfortable -- and wasn't even aware of the gay rights protests scheduled the same day.
"It's unbelievable to me that the wording of a letter to a group of third-graders has caused this," he said. "Do they really think that our little group of third-grade teachers has conspired to try to get boys to cross-dress?"
The district hasn't heard complaints from any parents besides Giandomenico, Livengood said.
She told The Associated Press via Facebook message that she would be available for an interview, but has not responded to subsequent requests. On her Twitter account, she had this to say: "WE WON-CANCELLED! THANKS 4 YR SUPPORT!"
Still, Livengood said, he's learned a lesson -- to make sure communications from teachers to parents are reviewed before they go out.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/education/23151571/detail.html
Interesting article isn’t it. Still trying to figure out how it was “Pushing the gay agenda”, since the letter specifically said boys did not have to wear dresses or skirts, now if the letter says they don’t have to wear dresses or skirts, then how is it promoting cross dressing? This is the quote from the letter (from the article above).
The letter said, in part: "If your child is a young man, he does not have to wear a dress or skirt, as there are many time periods where women wore jeans, pants and trousers. However, each child must be able to express what time period their outfit is from. Most of all, your child should have fun creating their outfit and learning about how women's clothing has changed!"
Sounds to me like the parent (and I use the singular because there was one, yes I said one, complaint) involved did not take the time to read the letter closely. Or maybe the parent had an axe to grind, who knows, all I know is that after reading the article, unless the letter contained information that was not said, I would not be able to look this parent in the eye without laughing at them for making a fool of themselves. Because if you pay attention to the wording “does not have to wear a dress or skirt” then you realize she made much ado about nothing. All she had to do was put the kids in blue jeans and say it was from the 1800’s, but no, we have to attack the school for “Pushing the gay agenda”. And then when it’s done she posts on Twitter; "WE WON-CANCELLED! THANKS 4 YR SUPPORT!". What did you win? You took away a project that the kids probably would have enjoyed because of your homophobia (and yes, that is what it is), cause ladies and gentlemen, whether you believe people are born homosexual, or that it’s a choice, it doesn’t matter, the school has your children 8 hours a day, you have them the rest of the time. And if you are active in your children’s lives then their beliefs will reflect in some way shape or form, your beliefs.
I also find another comment in the article interesting: “She told The Associated Press via Facebook message that she would be available for an interview, but has not responded to subsequent requests.” (guess they didn’t offer her enough money for an interview yet).
As for the blogger who helped, either he is a dupe, a homophobe or just looking for 15 minutes of fame. Don’t know which, don’t really care, have my opinion of him and the tone of the blog should make that clear.
*Historical Note: Men did not always wear pants, pants as we currently know it are a historically recent inventions, the last couple hundred years. Before that seeing a man in a skirt (Kilt for the educated out there) was not unusual. – But you tell them that and they will probably call you a liar or say your “Pushing the gay agenda”
And one last note on this, I bet, now that I have posted this blog, if they ever read about it, I will be accused of “Pushing the gay agenda” because I disagree with them. You see, people like this believe in free speech, as long as that free speech agrees with them, but if you don’t then you are obviously trying to help the other side, or are stupid, criminal, whatever. You are not allowed to disagree, see, the limited mind cannot handle that, there is only right and wrong, and they are obviously right and if you disagree, you are obviously wrong.
Don’t be a sheep, Think, before you speak, before you act, and especially before you vote. Don’t make decisions based on pretty words or how someone looks. Find out the truth and act accordingly. Because even if the truth for you is different than the truth for me (and yes, that is possible), at least your decision will be informed.
Spread the word, make your speech, actions and decisions informed.
Have a wonderful day.
"God created two kinds of people, those that are Irish, and those that want to be."
Boys In Drag At School Riles Some Parents - Parent,
Blogger Call Lesson Part Of 'Gay Agenda'
GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated Press Writer
POSTED: 1:51 pm MDT April 14, 2010
UPDATED: 8:41 am MDT April 15, 2010
MAPLE SHADE, N.J. -- A teacher's explanation to parents of a women's history project planned for her third-graders contained these words: "If your child is a young man, he does not have to wear a dress or skirt."
That didn't stop a parent and a blogger from complaining that little boys were being asked to cross-dress as part of the "gay agenda." From there, the Maude Wilkins School's project about the evolution of women's clothing quickly took on a life of its own -- and now it's been called off completely.
"In hindsight," Superintendent Michael Livengood said Wednesday, "maybe a different activity could have been chosen that was a little bit more relevant to history."
It's the second time in six months that a New Jersey school program has attracted wide attention for something officials say was planned innocently. About 70 protesters visited a Burlington County school in October, upset about a song in which students praised President Barack Obama.
In both cases, administrators say, the ensuing uproar was due to blogs that spread the word but got the intent wrong.
The latest saga began this month when teacher Tonya Uibel sent a letter home with her pupils announcing that all third-graders at Maude Wilkins were required to participate in a Women's History Month project examining how women's fashion has changed over time.
The letter said, in part: "If your child is a young man, he does not have to wear a dress or skirt, as there are many time periods where women wore jeans, pants and trousers. However, each child must be able to express what time period their outfit is from. Most of all, your child should have fun creating their outfit and learning about how women's clothing has changed!"
Janine Giandomenico, a mother of a boy in the class and a frequent user of online social networks, posted a complaint on Facebook. By Monday, her concerns had worked their way to Warner Todd Huston, an opinion writer and editor of the Publius' Forum site. He skewered the school and suggested that the timing of the event, scheduled for Friday, was designed to coincide with a national "Day of Silence" to protest harassment of gays.
"Pushing the gay agenda while feminizing our young boys through a cross-dressing day? This isn't your parent's grade school celebration, for sure," he wrote.
On Monday, as the Web traffic swelled and national media outlets picked up on the story, principal Beth Norcia decided to cancel the fashion show. She wrote in a new letter to parents that instead, students would draw how women's fashion had evolved.
One third-grader, Elizabeth Heisler, said as school let out Wednesday that none of her classmates had seemed confused about whether boys were supposed to wear dresses. The cancellation of the fashion show means she doesn't get to wear her red and black "can-can" dress to school on Friday.
The episode confounded her mother, Andrea Heisler. "I would never think my son was going to come to school in an 1800s dress and petticoat," she said.
Livengood, who leads the Maple Shade Township school district, acknowledged that the initial letter could be misunderstood.
But he said the school wasn't trying to make anyone uncomfortable -- and wasn't even aware of the gay rights protests scheduled the same day.
"It's unbelievable to me that the wording of a letter to a group of third-graders has caused this," he said. "Do they really think that our little group of third-grade teachers has conspired to try to get boys to cross-dress?"
The district hasn't heard complaints from any parents besides Giandomenico, Livengood said.
She told The Associated Press via Facebook message that she would be available for an interview, but has not responded to subsequent requests. On her Twitter account, she had this to say: "WE WON-CANCELLED! THANKS 4 YR SUPPORT!"
Still, Livengood said, he's learned a lesson -- to make sure communications from teachers to parents are reviewed before they go out.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/education/23151571/detail.html
Interesting article isn’t it. Still trying to figure out how it was “Pushing the gay agenda”, since the letter specifically said boys did not have to wear dresses or skirts, now if the letter says they don’t have to wear dresses or skirts, then how is it promoting cross dressing? This is the quote from the letter (from the article above).
The letter said, in part: "If your child is a young man, he does not have to wear a dress or skirt, as there are many time periods where women wore jeans, pants and trousers. However, each child must be able to express what time period their outfit is from. Most of all, your child should have fun creating their outfit and learning about how women's clothing has changed!"
Sounds to me like the parent (and I use the singular because there was one, yes I said one, complaint) involved did not take the time to read the letter closely. Or maybe the parent had an axe to grind, who knows, all I know is that after reading the article, unless the letter contained information that was not said, I would not be able to look this parent in the eye without laughing at them for making a fool of themselves. Because if you pay attention to the wording “does not have to wear a dress or skirt” then you realize she made much ado about nothing. All she had to do was put the kids in blue jeans and say it was from the 1800’s, but no, we have to attack the school for “Pushing the gay agenda”. And then when it’s done she posts on Twitter; "WE WON-CANCELLED! THANKS 4 YR SUPPORT!". What did you win? You took away a project that the kids probably would have enjoyed because of your homophobia (and yes, that is what it is), cause ladies and gentlemen, whether you believe people are born homosexual, or that it’s a choice, it doesn’t matter, the school has your children 8 hours a day, you have them the rest of the time. And if you are active in your children’s lives then their beliefs will reflect in some way shape or form, your beliefs.
I also find another comment in the article interesting: “She told The Associated Press via Facebook message that she would be available for an interview, but has not responded to subsequent requests.” (guess they didn’t offer her enough money for an interview yet).
As for the blogger who helped, either he is a dupe, a homophobe or just looking for 15 minutes of fame. Don’t know which, don’t really care, have my opinion of him and the tone of the blog should make that clear.
*Historical Note: Men did not always wear pants, pants as we currently know it are a historically recent inventions, the last couple hundred years. Before that seeing a man in a skirt (Kilt for the educated out there) was not unusual. – But you tell them that and they will probably call you a liar or say your “Pushing the gay agenda”
And one last note on this, I bet, now that I have posted this blog, if they ever read about it, I will be accused of “Pushing the gay agenda” because I disagree with them. You see, people like this believe in free speech, as long as that free speech agrees with them, but if you don’t then you are obviously trying to help the other side, or are stupid, criminal, whatever. You are not allowed to disagree, see, the limited mind cannot handle that, there is only right and wrong, and they are obviously right and if you disagree, you are obviously wrong.
Don’t be a sheep, Think, before you speak, before you act, and especially before you vote. Don’t make decisions based on pretty words or how someone looks. Find out the truth and act accordingly. Because even if the truth for you is different than the truth for me (and yes, that is possible), at least your decision will be informed.
Spread the word, make your speech, actions and decisions informed.
Have a wonderful day.
"God created two kinds of people, those that are Irish, and those that want to be."
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Current State of Political Affairs--Health Care:
Where to begin, the current party in charge had forced universal health care down our throats. What will this mean to everyone? Some people (the rabid followers of the current King and his jesters) would have you believe that this will lead to a Utopian society as far as health care is concerned, with everyone getting all the health care that they need.. Now let us journey back to a place I like to call reality. What will most likely happen will be something quite different.
First of all, let’s start with some of the problems with this plan. This plan covers everyone. On the surface that is good, but some of the problems I see are the abuses. Now the coverage for people who can’t afford health care but are working, that’s great, these are hard working people who need help. And for the people who can’t work for some reason and can’t afford coverage, again great. My problem comes from the people who chose to abuse the welfare systems. And don’t even try to tell me they don’t exist, I saw enough of them when I was out of work and on welfare programs like health care and food stamps. Yes, I said health care, Illinois has had health care for welfare recipients for years. I saw these women who continued to have babies so they could get more money from the system without having to work. They came in all races so don’t even think of calling me a racist. If you want the truth, the majority of the ones in the Belleville we white and from places with names like Freeburg, Smithton, etc. They were the ones I likes to call the “Trailer Park Diva’s”. My question is this, why should they have health care coverage if they don’t even want to try to get any kind of work. Right now, they know all they have to do is keep having babies and the government will support they, and now we are providing free health care. Don’t tell me this doesn’t happen, I see it all the time. If they want health care, get a job, even if it’s slinging burgers. Then I say they government should provide health care, because at least they are then trying to earn an honest living. Otherwise they should be SOL. (If you don’t know the acronym, ask someone with a brain.) The other group of people that will have coverage are the people working in this country illegally. Now why the heck are we providing them with health care, or any rights for that matter. People, illegal aliens are criminals, nothing else. So ship their butts out of here. Now I am not talking aliens/immigrants in general, I am talking about the ones that are sneaking across the border, not paying taxes, sending the money out of the country to relatives in other countries. The ones who don’t want to become American citizens. You want benefits and rights in this country, come in legally, start working to be a citizen, learn the language. Otherwise, as far as I am concerned, to bad if you get sick, should have played by the rules like the rest of us. That is problem one.
Which leads us to problem two. All these extra people that we shouldn’t be covering are going to cause taxes to go up, how else are they going to pay for it. Either taxes go up or it gets passed on to businesses, which raises costs, then the cost of products go up. Either way we are screwed. They keep telling us that it won’t cost us more, I still haven’t figured out how the government can take care of all these people and pay the doctors, nurses, etc; pay for the medicine, pay for facilities, and not have it cost the tax payers. Anybody understand the math involved? I sure don’t.
Now let’s look at what the outcome of the “Universal Coverage” will be, and before you argue that I am not dealing with reality, let’s put this in perspective. Several countries around the world have some form or other of universal health care and the results have always been the same, so this is our future whether you want to believe it or not. First thing that will happen is the cost of private medical insurance will slowly climb so that within 5-10 years the upper and middle middle-class will be on the government health insurance. That doesn’t sound to bad now does it. Except…..the government health insurance will be very basic, so forget a lot of the specialized tests and screenings that could save your life before the cancer spreads, or your son//daughter loses their hearing, etc. And the therapist your ADHD son see’s for his emotional problems, that is now probably going to be a intern who has no clue what they are doing. (REMINDER: This has happened in other countries and if you don’t think it will happen here. YOU ARE DREAMING) Oh, and that doctor that you have been seeing for years who knows your family history, forget about him, if your are on the government plan, clinic for you. And the clinic doctors, well let’s just put it this way. Someone had to graduate at the bottom of the class, the good docs are in practices that only take private insurance so that they can make money. That is our future. Just like Britain and Canada.
Prime example: Last month in Britain, a woman had been claiming stomach pains and cramps and went to the emergency room where the doctors told her she needed surgery to remove a tumor. And they did, about an 8lb girl tumor. The kicker was that she had been going to the doctor for symptoms of pregnancy for about 6 months and the doctors told her she wasn’t, after repeated tests. The hospital’s response was that they had made a mistake. Hmmm, guess the mistake was no big deal since no one died.
Another example, one that I witnessed personally, while on TDY a friend of mine broke his foot, we went to a British hospital (it was closer than a military facility) and they set and cast the foot. Three weeks later back in the states, a doctor removes the cast, treats the infection he got because of a poorly treated broken foot, then x-rayed the foot. Where they discovered it had been incorrectly set. So now they had to re-break the foot and reset the foot. And the second time the healing took a lot longer (10 weeks in the cast).
This is what we have to look forward to.
Now people keep saying things about how everyone has the right to medical coverage. Where does it say that? I know that the only rights we were guaranteed were life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But let’s look at that, Robert A. Heinlein, yes the science fiction writer but before that the military man who served his country, was a brilliant man. In one of his science fiction novels, Starship Troopers, a character of his discusses these “inalienable rights”. Below is the excerpt from the book:
"Ah, yes, the 'unalienable rights.' Each year someone quotes that magnificent poetry. Life? What 'right' to life has a man who is drowning in the Pacific? The ocean will not hearken to his cries. What 'right' to life has a man who must die to save his children? If he chooses to save his own life, does he do so as a matter of 'right'? If two men are starving and cannibalism is the only alternative to death, which man's right is 'unalienable'? And is it 'right'? As to liberty, the heroes who signed the great document pledged themselves to buy liberty with their lives. Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost. The third 'right'?—the 'pursuit of happiness'? It is indeed unalienable but it is not a right; it is simply a universal condition which tyrants cannot take away nor patriots restore. Cast me into a dungeon, burn me at the stake, crown me king of kings, I can 'pursue happiness' as long as my brain lives—but neither gods nor saints, wise men nor subtle drugs, can insure that I will catch it."
Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois (Ret.) – Starship Troopers
These are the only rights guaranteed in the constitution. The only other rights that are guaranteed are in the “Bill of Rights”. And nowhere is health insurance guaranteed.
In all of the amendments to the constitution, never has health insurance been brought up. Why, because that is not the kind of issue the amendments deal with. Liberty, Justice and government control. Those are the issues that it is meant to deal with.
This is just another way the government is slowly but surely creating dependency on the government for everything. Eventually there will be only two classes, the rich who managed to hang on to their money and there freedoms from the government, and the rest of us who have become dependent on the government for everything. Hmmm, sound familiar. Think about it, it will eventually come to you. The current party in control wants you dependent on the government. Independent thinkers are dangerous to them. They can’t be controlled.
SO WAKE UP AMERICA AND BE AWARE. Watch your rights and guard them, or they will be gone before you know it.
First of all, let’s start with some of the problems with this plan. This plan covers everyone. On the surface that is good, but some of the problems I see are the abuses. Now the coverage for people who can’t afford health care but are working, that’s great, these are hard working people who need help. And for the people who can’t work for some reason and can’t afford coverage, again great. My problem comes from the people who chose to abuse the welfare systems. And don’t even try to tell me they don’t exist, I saw enough of them when I was out of work and on welfare programs like health care and food stamps. Yes, I said health care, Illinois has had health care for welfare recipients for years. I saw these women who continued to have babies so they could get more money from the system without having to work. They came in all races so don’t even think of calling me a racist. If you want the truth, the majority of the ones in the Belleville we white and from places with names like Freeburg, Smithton, etc. They were the ones I likes to call the “Trailer Park Diva’s”. My question is this, why should they have health care coverage if they don’t even want to try to get any kind of work. Right now, they know all they have to do is keep having babies and the government will support they, and now we are providing free health care. Don’t tell me this doesn’t happen, I see it all the time. If they want health care, get a job, even if it’s slinging burgers. Then I say they government should provide health care, because at least they are then trying to earn an honest living. Otherwise they should be SOL. (If you don’t know the acronym, ask someone with a brain.) The other group of people that will have coverage are the people working in this country illegally. Now why the heck are we providing them with health care, or any rights for that matter. People, illegal aliens are criminals, nothing else. So ship their butts out of here. Now I am not talking aliens/immigrants in general, I am talking about the ones that are sneaking across the border, not paying taxes, sending the money out of the country to relatives in other countries. The ones who don’t want to become American citizens. You want benefits and rights in this country, come in legally, start working to be a citizen, learn the language. Otherwise, as far as I am concerned, to bad if you get sick, should have played by the rules like the rest of us. That is problem one.
Which leads us to problem two. All these extra people that we shouldn’t be covering are going to cause taxes to go up, how else are they going to pay for it. Either taxes go up or it gets passed on to businesses, which raises costs, then the cost of products go up. Either way we are screwed. They keep telling us that it won’t cost us more, I still haven’t figured out how the government can take care of all these people and pay the doctors, nurses, etc; pay for the medicine, pay for facilities, and not have it cost the tax payers. Anybody understand the math involved? I sure don’t.
Now let’s look at what the outcome of the “Universal Coverage” will be, and before you argue that I am not dealing with reality, let’s put this in perspective. Several countries around the world have some form or other of universal health care and the results have always been the same, so this is our future whether you want to believe it or not. First thing that will happen is the cost of private medical insurance will slowly climb so that within 5-10 years the upper and middle middle-class will be on the government health insurance. That doesn’t sound to bad now does it. Except…..the government health insurance will be very basic, so forget a lot of the specialized tests and screenings that could save your life before the cancer spreads, or your son//daughter loses their hearing, etc. And the therapist your ADHD son see’s for his emotional problems, that is now probably going to be a intern who has no clue what they are doing. (REMINDER: This has happened in other countries and if you don’t think it will happen here. YOU ARE DREAMING) Oh, and that doctor that you have been seeing for years who knows your family history, forget about him, if your are on the government plan, clinic for you. And the clinic doctors, well let’s just put it this way. Someone had to graduate at the bottom of the class, the good docs are in practices that only take private insurance so that they can make money. That is our future. Just like Britain and Canada.
Prime example: Last month in Britain, a woman had been claiming stomach pains and cramps and went to the emergency room where the doctors told her she needed surgery to remove a tumor. And they did, about an 8lb girl tumor. The kicker was that she had been going to the doctor for symptoms of pregnancy for about 6 months and the doctors told her she wasn’t, after repeated tests. The hospital’s response was that they had made a mistake. Hmmm, guess the mistake was no big deal since no one died.
Another example, one that I witnessed personally, while on TDY a friend of mine broke his foot, we went to a British hospital (it was closer than a military facility) and they set and cast the foot. Three weeks later back in the states, a doctor removes the cast, treats the infection he got because of a poorly treated broken foot, then x-rayed the foot. Where they discovered it had been incorrectly set. So now they had to re-break the foot and reset the foot. And the second time the healing took a lot longer (10 weeks in the cast).
This is what we have to look forward to.
Now people keep saying things about how everyone has the right to medical coverage. Where does it say that? I know that the only rights we were guaranteed were life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But let’s look at that, Robert A. Heinlein, yes the science fiction writer but before that the military man who served his country, was a brilliant man. In one of his science fiction novels, Starship Troopers, a character of his discusses these “inalienable rights”. Below is the excerpt from the book:
"Ah, yes, the 'unalienable rights.' Each year someone quotes that magnificent poetry. Life? What 'right' to life has a man who is drowning in the Pacific? The ocean will not hearken to his cries. What 'right' to life has a man who must die to save his children? If he chooses to save his own life, does he do so as a matter of 'right'? If two men are starving and cannibalism is the only alternative to death, which man's right is 'unalienable'? And is it 'right'? As to liberty, the heroes who signed the great document pledged themselves to buy liberty with their lives. Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost. The third 'right'?—the 'pursuit of happiness'? It is indeed unalienable but it is not a right; it is simply a universal condition which tyrants cannot take away nor patriots restore. Cast me into a dungeon, burn me at the stake, crown me king of kings, I can 'pursue happiness' as long as my brain lives—but neither gods nor saints, wise men nor subtle drugs, can insure that I will catch it."
Lt. Col. Jean V. Dubois (Ret.) – Starship Troopers
These are the only rights guaranteed in the constitution. The only other rights that are guaranteed are in the “Bill of Rights”. And nowhere is health insurance guaranteed.
In all of the amendments to the constitution, never has health insurance been brought up. Why, because that is not the kind of issue the amendments deal with. Liberty, Justice and government control. Those are the issues that it is meant to deal with.
This is just another way the government is slowly but surely creating dependency on the government for everything. Eventually there will be only two classes, the rich who managed to hang on to their money and there freedoms from the government, and the rest of us who have become dependent on the government for everything. Hmmm, sound familiar. Think about it, it will eventually come to you. The current party in control wants you dependent on the government. Independent thinkers are dangerous to them. They can’t be controlled.
SO WAKE UP AMERICA AND BE AWARE. Watch your rights and guard them, or they will be gone before you know it.
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