cannabisnews.com: Congress Aims at Medical Marijuana Reform
function share_this(num) {
tit=encodeURIComponent('Congress Aims at Medical Marijuana Reform');
url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/26/thread26574.shtml');
site = new Array(5);
site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit;
site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit;
window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500');
return false;
}
Congress Aims at Medical Marijuana Reform
Posted by CN Staff on May 25, 2011 at 19:24:55 PT
By Bob Berwyn, Summit Voice
Source: Summit County Citizen Voice
Summit County -- Congress may try to untangle some of the fiscal and legal issues associated with the burgeoning medical marijuana industry in Colorado and other states in a bipartisan way, with three new laws introduced May 25 by Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA), Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO).Two of the laws address financial inequities, while the third, the States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, would shield individuals and entities from federal prosecution when acting in compliance with state medical marijuana laws.
Rep. Polis introduced the Small Business Banking Improvement Act, which is cosponsored by Stark, Frank and Paul. It would ensure that medical marijuana businesses that are state-certified have full access to banking services by amending the Bank Secrecy Act.“When a small business, such as a medical marijuana dispensary, can’t access basic banking services they either have to become cash-only — and become targets of crime — or they’ll end up out-of-business,” said Polis. “In states that have legalized medical marijuana, and for businesses that have been state-approved, it is simply wrong for the federal government to intrude and threaten banks that are involved in legal transactions.”A press release from Polis says the three bills are a sign that there is growing bipartisan Congressional support for reforming the nation’s drug laws.Stark’s bill – the Small Business Tax Equity Act – would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to take the full range of business expense deductions on their federal tax returns, just like every other legal business is permitted to do under the law. It is co-sponsored by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), as well as Frank and Polis.“Our tax code undercuts legal medical marijuana dispensaries by preventing them from taking all the deductions allowed for other small businesses,” Stark stated. “While unfair to these small business owners, the tax code also punishes the patients who rely on them for safe and reliable access to medical marijuana prescribed by a doctor. The Small Business Tax Equity Act would correct these shortcomings.”The States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, authored by Frank and co-sponsored by Stark, Polis and Rohrabacher, would make individuals and entities immune to federal prosecution when acting in compliance with state medical marijuana laws. It would also direct the administration to initiate the process of rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act so that it is placed in a schedule other than Schedules I or II.“The time has come for the federal government to stop preempting states’ medical marijuana laws,” Frank said. “For the federal government to come in and supersede state law is a real mistake for those in pain for whom nothing else seems to work. This bill would block the federal prosecution of those patients who reside in those states that allow medical marijuana.”Most the proposed legislation got a thumbs-up from Kathleen Chippi, of the Nederland-based Patient and Caregiver Rights Litigation Project.Chippi said that John Walsh, the U.S. attorney for Colorado, recently once again threatened medical marijuana prosecutions based on federal law. The States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act would help clear up years of uncertainty over the primacy of state or federal drug laws.But Chippi said she is concerned that reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule II or Schedule III controlled substance is the first toward a power grab by the pharmaceutical industry.The bills also set up an interesting political dynamic, with states’ rights, personal privacy and social attitudes about medical marijuana all figuring into the equation.Source: Summit County Citizen Voice (CO)Author: Bob Berwyn Published: May 25, 2011Website: http://summitcountyvoice.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/IOnMd8lCCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
Comment #44 posted by FoM on May 28, 2011 at 17:17:07 PT
Afterburner
I only read a little about her years ago and that was enough for me.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #43 posted by afterburner on May 28, 2011 at 11:46:47 PT
Check This Out -- RE/ The Hero of the GOP Elite
Eric Sapp.
politics.
GOP Must Choose: Ayn Rand or Jesus.
Eric Sapp, 05.27.2011.
Founding partner, Eleison Group
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-sapp/ayn-rand-and-republicans_b_866097.htmlThere is a video, too. Send it to your GOP and/or Christian friends & family; they deserve to know what they are voting for in 2012!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #42 posted by Hope on May 27, 2011 at 23:45:03 PT
Sam, I agree with your comment 39
Most of the time, if I say anything at all, when someone starts that "socialized medicine" and "the government would only mess up healthcare if it were involved in it", I ask them, "What about Medicare". I agree that it should just be extended to everyone. We just have to find a way to pay for it, utilize it, and to get it to be accepted and used rightly by doctors and hospitals. Already, I think, some doctors and clinics don't accept it, Medicare, that is. I know some doctors don't accept my well known insurance, though. One local doctor that I know of, doesn't. It's strange. You'd think a doctor would accept any insurance, but they don't, I've discovered. I don't know why that is or how it works.Most of us, like most people that use Medicare in this country might have to buy a small supplemental policy that would take up the slack Medicare leaves. But we've already got a workable program up and going. It just needs to be extended to people not yet sixty five, too.This thread certainly ran amok and off topic! But it is a topic of great concern to most of us.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #41 posted by FoM on May 27, 2011 at 11:55:49 PT
Sam
I have never heard of a Canadian who would want to trade their health care system for ours. Money here in the states has become almost a God to many people and it's very sad.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #40 posted by FoM on May 27, 2011 at 11:52:43 PT
Hope
We are only 2 examples of millions of people. This is what our medical system has become. People that are lucky to have a good union and medical coverage like we had when my husband worked at GE are few and far between. When they closed up and sent the work to Mexico it changed many people's lives forever.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #39 posted by Sam Adams on May 27, 2011 at 10:49:07 PT
single payer
>>Just having a system like the VA would be suitable for all Americans.Don't forget -- America HAS single payer health care for everyone over 65! It's called Medicare. In Canada this becomes painfully obvious as their single-payer health plan is also called "Medicare" and everyone has it. It's even administered by some of the same corporations we have here - Blue Cross for instance.Learning about Canada and the fact that Medicare is simply extended to everyone is exactly what the govt. and corporate-owned media don't want you to know! The same ultra-rich families own the insurance and drug company stocks. Our successful resistance to single-payer relies on brainwashing & ignorance. As I mentioned below, all that's needed is to mention a brainwashed phrase for the Republicans to get want they want - "socialized medicine".
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #38 posted by Hope on May 27, 2011 at 09:58:37 PT
Oh my Lord!
From both of your posts, BGreen and FoM.They have more help for cancer victims, I'm guessing.It's horrible. It's horrible. How did it ever get so expensive and unattainable for so many people to get every day healthcare? Catastrophic illness has always been a disaster for people. But now broken arms, stitches, and minor injuries and illnesses are catastrophic!Is this another way of whittling down the middle class?
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #37 posted by FoM on May 27, 2011 at 07:14:22 PT
BGreen
The VA buys drugs in bulk I think from Canada. You order your refills on line and they send them to you. If a family is working hard and doesn't have insurance for any reason they can be stopped dead in their tracks and will never get to buy a home or a car. Feeling ashamed goes along with not being able to pay medical bills. The bill collectors will never stop hassling you and always make you feel like a failure of a human being. Many truckers don't have insurance and they just hope they don't get sick. We had insurance when we got those medical bills but they had exclusions that we didn't know about. On the news yesterday a person was hurt and was life flighted past one hospital that could have cared for him to another hospital further away. The person was released in 2 hours and got a bill for over $17,000 for the helicopter trip.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #36 posted by BGreen on May 27, 2011 at 06:50:56 PT
Yes, FoM
A single payer health program would be great. I don't need to have insurance to cover face lifts and erection pills, I just need the basic care that will help keep me alive without making me poorer.The Reverend Bud Green
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #35 posted by FoM on May 27, 2011 at 06:38:54 PT
BGreen
We have paid over $15,000 in medical bills. I am sure it is way more but those figures were from hospital bills. I was able to get my surgery paid for because we didn't have any income. People wonder why people will stay of Welfare. If they got a job they would lose health care. We need a single payer system. The VA is far from perfect but it works. Just having a system like the VA would be suitable for all Americans.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #34 posted by BGreen on May 27, 2011 at 05:26:06 PT
Hope re: post 32
I busted my head open and went to the emergency room. I had no insurance. They ordered a CT scan and sewed me up. They then hit me with an astronomical bill that we couldn't pay so they sued us.Yes, we were sued by a non-profit Catholic hospital started by Nuns.I'm afraid I'll be too far gone to save before I ever again risk the financial security of my family by going to another emergency room.Bud
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #33 posted by BGreen on May 27, 2011 at 05:18:50 PT
Civil War Southerners = Republicans of Today
Most of the southerners didn't own slaves. They were basically fighting a war for the wealthy based on nothing more than their dream of someday themselves being wealthy so they could own some slaves, too. They were dupes because they were convinced to give their lives for the wealthy elite, an elite that knew there wasn't a chance in heck that 99.999% of these dupes would ever become wealthy.That is exactly what has happened to the republicans of today. The poor have nothing but pipe dreams of ever having money, but by God if they ever get it they don't want the big, bad Democrats to take it away from them. The rich republicans seem to be the only people who understand history. Maybe that's why they've destroyed the educational system in this country for everyone except, once again, the wealthy elite.The Reverend Bud Green
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #32 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 20:56:56 PT
It's a bad feeling to not have insurance.
We wait too long about seeing a doctor when we need to. It's a very fearful feeling not feeling like we can afford to see a doctor at all when we are ill. It really is. And waiting until it's too late to help is something that shouldn't happen to people. And at our age, when we have more chance of getting struck with catastropic illness than ever... it's really frightening.But people out there need to know they can go to an emergency room... or something if they are in need of medical care and they will be cared for... at least around here. Collectors may hound us the rest of our lives for sums money we can't pay... but that can be dealt with.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #31 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 20:41:54 PT
"they got the same care"
As far as I could tell, they did. They were there with me in the same waiting rooms, and in the same infusion centers seeing the same people as I and appeared to be getting the same, and sometimes more treatment, than I, because their need was greater, or different. I know they didn't have insurance or vast amounts of money because it came up in conversations.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #30 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 20:35:32 PT
Jobs and insurance
I think it's despicable how workers, young workers, especially, are treated today by so many employers. It's criminal to my mind. Keeping their hours just under forty. Making them work split shifts. No benefits available to them at all... at any price. No hope of better wages or advancement. That's so wrong.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #29 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 20:28:10 PT
That's true.
Insurance is very expensive. Even when an employer pays part of it, it's still quite expensive. My husband took early retirement when he learned I was ill. Our insurance payments about doubled. To me, it's always been like food and electricity and gasoline. I didn't always have it because I couldn't always scrape enough together, just like a lot of people and like what has happened to so many people, including yourself in recent years. I never saw any free insurance. It has to be bought. I've spent time talking to insurance agents... letting them sell me insurance. Working out a plan.Some people hate insurance and feel fine about taking the risk. Especially young people and people without children. Kids break their arms and two or three hundred dollars won't take care of it like it might have once.Some people close the door on the insurance man or woman and then gripe about not having insurance. It's like me winning the lottery. It's going to be so hard without buying a ticket.It can be hard to pay for insurance... but heck... lots of stuff is hard.It is a shame how so many things have gotten out of reach to the low wage worker. It's not right. That's where how much stuff costs should be decided.... as affordable to the person who earns minimum wage. It did used to be better in that respect. For sure.There were people being treated exactly as I was treated that had nothing, including insurance. They had to apply and do financial stuff, but they got the same care. There were people at the hospitals that volunteered or that it was their job to help people find ways to get the same treatments when they didn't have insurance or enough money. There are organizations, charitable organizations, trust funds, memorials, individuals, and drug companies, really, that will help people find grants and such to help pay for their treatments. Even with an insurance policy and a back up insurance policy, we still had lots of out of pocket stuff too. Had to pay a hundred and ninety five dollars when I went to see my surgeon the other day. Some people don't though if they can't. The get help. People have to prove they aren't lying, of course, by letting them get into their financial business. I think. But too many people that feel they can't afford to see a doctor at all, will wait until it's too late. That's the worst part.And you don't have to sell or mortgage your only home either, or give up your bank account if it's less than a few thousand dollars either.I think the people that help patients gather money for care from different sources are called patient advocates.It would be a worthy government and society that would be about pooling of resources for total care of the community. We will eventually create something in this country like some other countries have where government is more involved in medicine... for everyone, not just the elderly, the indigent, and babies and small children. It will have to be about taxes and a lot of them... but we pay a lot now. Our tax resource has to be rationed more sensibly than it is now. We have other resources for streamlining and getting government out of debt, too. Not just taxes. We have huge amounts of government land that could be sold to the citizens for a fair price. There are lots of things we could do, as a people, to make things better for all of us. We need to get about doing them instead of lolly gagging around about it all and frittering time, and lives, and resources away. But government is about professionally lolly gagging a great deal of the time, it seems.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #28 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 19:43:59 PT
Hope
I am happy for you that it went well. People that don't have insurance have a heck of a time and many people aren't able to get insurance. Many jobs don't offer insurance. That is where the big black hole is in the current system.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #27 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 19:34:45 PT
About medical people caring...
I have to say that throughout my recent illness I was very impressed at how well I was treated and how thoughtful and caring all the staff at all levels seemed. It was what I would call above average. It was a concerted effort on the part of everyone on my "Team". There was a rare horse's ass, or near horse's ass, of course. It was a huge team. But so many people and so few testy or unkind people. I've been known to try people's nerves at my best and these people were amazingly patient and kind to me as they did their best to help me... a total stranger to them.It was all part of the experience and the healing. They were well trained, but they were sincere. I was very impressed. They seemed very dedicated and, of course, they had families, sometimes small children at home.They weren't perfect. Some of them made some mistakes some times. Some were distracted by whatever was happening in their own lives or down the hall more than others. Some weren't quite as smart as others. They are human. They didn't feel good sometimes. But they were trying to help me and trying very hard not to appear as though they didn't care about me as a human being. They went out of their way to be nice. They were nice and, mostly, elegantly competent. At first I thought a lot of the cooing, and "How did we do?", and efforts at being very, very kind and helpful to patients was a little much. "Can I get you coffee" or "Can I get you some hot chocolate?" "Honey, Darling, Sweetheart" this or that. I thought at first it was kind of annoying but seemed based on kindness, so I tried not to feel somehow, condescended to. Eventually I realized it was, in general, very comforting and healing. Like they did care. A lot. Many of them, were, in fact, survivors themselves. I was surprised at how often that was discovered to be true about different people that I came into contact with. I was eventually quite impressed at how, all in all, it created a calming and healing atmosphere. It eased anxiety. It is quite a powerful effect. It's professional. It's concerted, but it's real. And the people that helped me, and so many others, seem to thrive on helping and being nice to people. Being with my family during their hospitalization, I have to say that there are a lot of highly professional people that do care very much about healing and helping people.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #26 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 18:04:29 PT
Hope
We have become consumed with making more money to buy more stuff and it is very sad. It's really about stuff. I had a number of major surgeries years ago and was treated with great care. It made the pain more tolerable. Everyone seemed to really care. Things have changed in our country.Even low paying jobs offered decent insurance way back in those days.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #25 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 17:53:03 PT
Last comment
I'm talking about low wage earners without insurance. Which I was when I was very young.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #24 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 17:51:51 PT
Even people with minimum wage jobs
forty years ago could afford to pay a doctor. We paid them in small payments and it was reasonable. Tests were reasonable. An operation might cost a month's pay. Not a year's salary. Doctor visits were equal to a day or two wages.... not a week's. Medicines were affordable to low wage earners. Three days in the hospital might cost you a week's wages, maybe two weeks, but it was payable in payments.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #23 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 17:45:06 PT
"human caring part seems to be lacking"
There was a time when dedicating one's life to one's profession wasn't in such competition with all the entertainment and distractions available in our lives today.In my hospital times last year I often was concerned about those twelve hour shifts everyone worked. They got to be off three days, but it seemed to me there was a created risk in an already risky situation.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #22 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 16:53:16 PT
Hope
Most of my family are in the medical profession too. They get paid more then nurses and doctors were years ago and seem to work longer hours. I liked the care we got back when almost everyone had insurance and nurses were low key and doctor's took time with their patients. What it has become now isn't as good as years ago. We have had technical advances but the human caring part seems to be lacking. We need more nurses not nurses working double shifts.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #21 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 16:48:06 PT
Afterburner
Glad you liked it. I actually remember when you did that at your daughter's wedding. My old brain still works a little bit. LOL!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #20 posted by afterburner on May 26, 2011 at 15:59:59 PT
FoM #13
Amen!'Comes a Time' is one of my favorite Neil Young songs. I requested it at my daughter's wedding.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #19 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 15:27:36 PT
Obviously
I don't know the answer. But I know one thing... even if I did know what should and could be done, there's not much chance anyone would listen to me anyway.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #18 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 15:20:35 PT
Healthcare
It's a hard job and very demanding. They have to study a lot and they usually work twelve hour shifts. They don't want to work hard long hours for nothing. Few people can afford to do that. They choose such careers to do good, but they expect to make a decent living and reasonable compensation for their service. The ones I know are dedicated, but they don't want to work so hard for too little. I can understand that. An education to work in healthcare doesn't come cheaply either... either in time or money.No matter how caring about others one is and devoted to doing good, they want to and need to make a comfortable living, too. With danger of getting sued, or sick, and all that always present. Although some people are so saintly they will dedicate themselves, their lives, and their futures purposely to very hard work and living at poverty levels. But those people are rare. People like Mother Teresa. A career in health care is very high stress, life and death, and they want to be able to afford to live fairly well and take good care of their families when they are off work. And even those with a purely saintly dedication to the healthcare of their fellow man need to be compensated and their wages, supplies, research, and educations have to be paid for at some level.We have to find the balance in all this as in everything else. It's hard to find it sometimes.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #17 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 14:21:18 PT
Hope
The people of Japan look like they have a good attitude about life. We saw that during the earthquake on the news. I never thought people wanted to go into the health profession for any reason other then wanting to help sick people. Japan's Health Care System: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_system_in_Japan
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #16 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 14:17:29 PT
Exactly, Commonsense!
"My father told me growing up that if you have more than twenty bucks in your pocket you'd better vote Republicans because the Democrats just want to take it from you and give it to somebody that doesn't work."I'm so delighted to see you, old friend. You say it exactly like I would say it if I could. It's really good to see you.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #15 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 14:07:47 PT
Commonsense
It's really nice to see you. The last time you posted things weren't going very good for you and I hope everything has turned around.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by Commonsense on May 26, 2011 at 13:40:36 PT
Hope
In the South/Bible Belt it's mostly a culture war thing. It's abortion, gay marriage, etc. States in this region were traditionally Democrat as the Republican party was the party of Lincoln, but now they've mostly gone red and the mainly that's been about the culture war. Preachers at Southern Baptist and other fundamentalist churches are on their pulpits talking about the "attack on family" and all that. To listen to these people talk, you're pretty much going to Hell if you vote Democrat. People that make pretty good money vote for Republicans for those reasons but also because they believe for some reason that Republicans are better for business, less likely to tax them to death. My father told me growing up that if you have more than twenty bucks in your pocket you'd better vote Republicans because the Democrats just want to take it from you and give it to somebody that doesn't work. Most who vote for Republicans for financial reasons aren't actually enjoying any tax benefits from Repblican tax breaks, but they think they are and I suppose a lot of them are overly optimistic and think they're going to make a whole lot of money someday. Those with less money who vote for Republicans tend to do so more for culture war/religious reasons though at least here in the socially conservative South.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #13 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 13:31:04 PT
Warm Fuzzies For Me
Thank you Afterburner. It made me think of these words from Comes a Time. We were rightwe were givingThat's how we keptwhat we gave away.Comes a Time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJLsgAd4YAM
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 13:28:12 PT
They think they do deserve it though....
Chamber of Commerce types are all about "attracting" and "courting" business people. It's about money and making and circulating it.The thing is, so many people are so mean, vicious, really, and cruel, and selfish. And a lot of them are Republicans. People hate and despise each other so easily and they are always thinking someone else is cheating them somehow.People who have careers in the medical field think people want to turn them into slaves... to make them work for free or at a poorly compensated rate. And it is true, if they can't make a fairly compensated living in the medical business we will run out of, or very low, on those that want to. The few will be even more overworked. It's not simple.It's hard to find the middle ground. But I believe it can be done. Of course I'm just looked at generally as one of those "Bleeding heart Liberals". So be it. If caring about others earns you that label. I say, "I believe it can be done" and on some level it will, but as "The poor you will have with you always" is true, so is the fact that the greedy and hate filled will be with us always, too. For some reason they only care about themselves. It's strange. They think of reasons not to feed and clothe the children of the poor. They don't understand "society" and that we're all in this together. They believe quite sincerely in "survival of the fittest" and they would let the weak suffer and die and consider it fitting. They're back biting, socially cannibalistic, self serving, and full of hatred and "Their consciences are seared over... as with a hot iron". And we have to deal with them. They aren't going away and they are people... although cruel specimens of the human race, no doubt.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by afterburner on May 26, 2011 at 13:01:42 PT
OT: enjoy!
Warm Fuzzies and Cold Pricklies Story
http://guidingjewels.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91:warm-fuzzies-and-cold-pricklies-story&catid=49:stories&Itemid=76
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 12:35:56 PT
Hope
It does keep Corporations at the top of it all but they don't care about those that care for the Corporations. They exit the USA and don't look back. Cheap labor is all they care about and making obscene profits for doing almost nothing to deserve it. Why be devoted to that?
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by Hope on May 26, 2011 at 12:19:54 PT
Republicans
And why working, non-wealthy people would vote for them. I've asked the question myself. The answer is that they believe that Republicans will favor the corporations and businesses that will keep jobs here for them. Hasn't worked out all that well, looks like.Remember "Trickle down"?Aargh.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by Sam Adams on May 26, 2011 at 11:47:26 PT
republicans
the thing is that many people have built-in triggers than can be exploited by conservatives - most of these triggers are caused by the ignorance that seems rampant in the US. Almost like willful ignorance - public schooling does not cure it. The triggers are xenophobia - hatred of immigrants. Racism - hatred of other enthnicities. And just plain hatred of anyone different than you - "elitist liberals"something is wrong with our system of education IMO. It costs so much and still only 1/3rd of the US "believes" evolution. Something is seriously wrong with the way kids are brought up at home and schooled.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by afterburner on May 26, 2011 at 10:51:27 PT
Trust in Laws Made at all Levels of Government?
Wisconsin Union Law Struck Down By County Circuit Judge.
Wisconsin Union Law.
SCOTT BAUER and TODD RICHMOND 05/26/11 11:35 AM ET AP.
Follow Scott Walker , Collective Bargaining , Scott Walker Anti-Union Law , Scott Walker Collective Bargaining Law , Scott Walker Union Law , Wisconsin , Wisconsin Anti-Union Law , Wisconsin Collective Bargaining , Wisconsin Collective Bargaining Law Ruling , Wisconsin Union Law , Wisconsin Union Law Ruling , Politics News
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/05/26/wisconsin-union-law-law-s_n_867437.htmlExcerpt:
{
On Thursday, Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled that Republican legislators violated Wisconsin's open meetings law by calling the meeting without a 24-hour notice. She said that renders the law void.Sumi said violating the open-meetings law betrays the public's trust....she wrote in a 33-page decision. "Our form of government depends on citizens' trust and confidence in the process by which our elected officials make laws, at all levels of government."
}Now, about those Medical Cannabis Laws vs. US Controlled Substances Act...
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 09:47:08 PT
What I Have Noticed
I have been reading a few different Veterans forums and there seems to be a common attitude that I have observed. Those that are Republicans seem very angry and often aren't married or are unhappy in their marriage. They hate Obama and hate entitlements but complain the most when they don't get the amount of money from the VA that they feel they are entitled to. I sometimes think they think they should get as much as they can and to hell with other Americans in need. Those that are Progressive and are content with the Obama Administration are pleasant and not angry. They are patient and seem to see the big picture.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by afterburner on May 26, 2011 at 08:46:59 PT
fear
There is a connection between extreme fear and schizophrenia & as Jerry said in his book Moonflower: "People, including children, can be mean-spirited, my dear," she [Na Na] replied. "This is not to hurt you. This is a disorder of the mind."Just sayin'
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by BGreen on May 26, 2011 at 08:02:49 PT
I don't get why the poor vote for them either
The only reason I can think of is fear. Fear of change, fear of success, fear of thinking, fear of cannabis, fear of gays, fear of everything. It's not that they all are stupid so there must be some reason.The Reverend Bud Green
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 26, 2011 at 06:11:58 PT
BGreen
I will be able to get Medicare in less then 2 years. Then I will be able to go to a doctor and have tests that I really should have. Most of our friends are your age and one of them is getting sick and might need surgery. I am sick and tired of Republicans and hope that soon they will be put in their place and people will see them for what they are. Why people that look very poor support the Republicans is beyond me. They could care less about the citizens but care only for the rich business people that have send our jobs out of our country.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by BGreen on May 26, 2011 at 05:45:23 PT
Yes, FoM
There's hope for us no matter what the republicans are trying to destroy.I speak as someone who has paid into Medicare since my first job at 13 but now, at 48, realize that in order for the rich to get richer, I must suffer a fate worse than all of the elderly who can't even make it now, even though they have social security and medicare.Unless all of those 55 and older sell us out then I think it's the end of the road for the republican party. I don't think the usual abortion/gay marriage distraction will be enough to make the younger people forget that they are being screwed out of any kind of comfortable life when they get older just so those with more money than they can ever spend will have even more.The Reverend Bud Green
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 25, 2011 at 19:26:20 PT
About This Article
It gives me hope!
[ Post Comment ]
Post Comment