White Out Controversy? You Decide….

Anxious to hear your opinion on this. Does this “cross” the line?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569665,00.html

Oklahoma’s New Abortion Laws Challenged

Okla. abortion laws spark battles
By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two new laws being challenged in the Oklahoma courts would give the state some of the strictest abortion laws in the country by forcing women to an­swer questions about race and their relationships, and to listen to a doc­tor talk them through an ultra­sound.
Legal challenges to the laws are in their early stages, but observers say the trajectory of cases could mir­ror that of the partial-birth abortion debate, which went through Ne­braska courts and was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court before Congress made it a federal law that was upheld in 2007.
“That’s an apt comparison,” said Joseph Thai, a professor at the Uni­versity of Oklahoma who specializes in constitutional law and the Supreme Court. “So, expect these Oklahoma laws and the ensuing court decisions to be the first rather than last word on how far a state may go with respect to compulsory procedures and reporting require­ments.”
Opponents of the laws say they were drafted to make a woman’s al­ready difficult decision to have an abortion even more difficult.
One law would require women to fill out a lengthy survey that asks, among other things, about their race, education and reason for seek­ing an abortion. It asks women whether they’re having relationship problems, whether they can’t afford to raise a child or whether having a baby would dramatically change their lives.
Another section requires doctors to provide detailed information about complications that arise as a result of the procedure. The Health Department ultimately would com­pile the information into a statistical report and post it on its Web site.
Supporters say the surveys will prove valuable to understanding why women seek abortions, and that women need to be provided with as much knowledge as possible before making an irrevocable deci­sion.

Why Criticize President Obama?

There have been many debates and much has been written about the criticism that President Obama is receiving. Why criticize a man that has only been in office 9 months? Is the criticism just? I hope to provide some insight.

We are at the tail end of a major economic crisis. Reports are from Fed Chairman Bernanke and Lawrence Summers that we have witnessed the worst of the recession. Having said that, Americans are still feeling the negative impact of the recession. The unemployment rate continues to rise, consumer spending is decreasing, homes are being foreclosed on, and interest rates are very low. All of these contributing factors cause there to be a sense of doom and gloom among Americans.

To take just one recent example. So much has been made of President Obama’s public healthcare proposal. The overall resounding message in the media is one of negativity. Most Republican commentators, such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, are creating a sense of uneasiness among Americans. Now, one can debate whether that is justified or not, but it cannot be debated that it is present. When taking all of the things mentioned above into account, the result is an American population on edge.

We currently see an American population that is very defensive. One that is on the lookout for anything that may be interpreted as a provocative act. As Americans we are, to steal a metaphor from the campaign, “clinging to our guns and religion” in this tense time. I think one positive outcome of this crisis and negativity that we are surrounded with is that we are much more of an informed population. This is evident in the recent rise in online bloggers. We are expressing ourselves like never before. We are calling into call in radio and television shows and expressing our views on any given topic. This is a good thing. This is a positive thing for our nation. We need to be a people of expression. One that is willing to stand up in the face of opposition for a position that we feel passionate about. That is what being free is all about. That is what America is all about.

To get back to my opening questions. Is the criticism fair? Is the criticism just? We all have our own opinions on that. But one thing is for sure, we are experiencing politics as never before. This is a positive thing for our country. We should continue to express ourselves and we will all benefit and be better people for it.

Poverty – The Forgotten Statistics

Today the Philadelphia Daily News posted an article regarding the seriousness of Poverty. The Census Bureau recently released data that suggests the federal poverty level has risen a full percentage point over last year. The federal poverty level was established in the 1960’s. Things have obviously changed in our economy since that time. At that time, food costs comprised a third of American’s budgets. Therefore the poverty level was calculated simply by taking the cost of food and multiplying by three. I’m sure you have noticed the problem we are now faced with. Food costs has dropped since the poverty level was established, where other things such as daycare expenses, utilities, etc. have risen. This creates a big problem in determining who falls under the poverty level because we are using an inaccurate formula to determine it.

It is my belief that this is an area that needs to be given immediate attention. When looking at the problem of poverty in our society, we should certainly be using accurate formulas as a measurement of our current situation. It doesn’t make sense not to. I don’t know if it is just that the federal goverment doesn’t want to face the harsh reality of the situation, or if there are other reasons for not updating the standards more frequently. I have placed a link below to the article from the Philadelphia Daily News.

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20091005_Let_s_not_play_numbers_games_with_poverty.html

GOP – The Word They Won’t Use

Much has been made recently in the news media about the proposed health care bill. There are certainly legitimate concerns with it that have been brought to light by members of the Republican Party. Some of those include the costs to taxpayers and it’s effect on the federal deficit. Other concerns include the effect of mandating health coverage on small businesses. Will the small businesses be able to pay to cover employees when their revenues are not as large as some of the major corporations? In some of the proposals they can be fined for not offering coverage to their employees. In all of the articles that I have read regarding this topic, none have mentioned what is truly going on here.

There is one word that is being avoided like the plague. That is Socialism. My question is why won’t our elected members of the Republican Party stand up and call this for what it truly is. Is it because they face political consequences because of standing up against this President and his socialist ideas? This is a President that is trying to control our lives in a way never before seen.

We have already witnessed it in proposals being put forth to control executives pay in the banking industry. It is my belief that executives pay should be proportional to what other subordinates are earning. However for the federal government to put together a body or to allow the FDIC to monitor pay for all of the banking institutions just doesn’t make sense to me.

The automotive industry has already benefited from a federal bailout. While this was a positive development for the car dealers, it didn’t do anything for the other businesses that are facing closure and bankruptcy as a result of the economic times. The Obama Administration has singled out the auto industry and provided the funding to keep them afloat while allowing other things to fail. I am of the opinion that the underlying cause of the auto industry decline is primarily because of their own doing. They were paying wages that were simply unsustainable. The Government used taxpayer money to interject control in this struggling industry.

We are seeing it with the health care legislation that is being put forth. I agree that health care reform and tort reform are necessary. There are far too many Americans going without coverage because of inability to pay for it. I believe it is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that Americans have access to coverage and better health care. This could have been easily achieved by the proposal that Senator John McCain put forth back during the campaign. The Government could provide each American citizen with a set amount of money to go out and purchase the plan of their choosing. That eliminates any freedom being taken away and at the same time provides the important coverage that is so badly needed.

The freedom of press is now potentially under attack. President Obama has stated publicly that he is open to considering a federal bailout of the newspaper industry. If this is allowed to occur, the Government would then, as a result, have the ability to freely control what is being printed in the news.

My concern with our elected Republican leaders is a valid one. They are voicing some displeasure with policies that are being implemented, however they are not addressing the larger issue here. We are slowly turning into a Socialist nation. The signs are all around. It is very important that we have Republicans in office that are willing to stand up against these statist ideals and call them for what they are. While it is important to single out areas of disagreement, it is equally important to see the overall picture of what is happening in the world around us.

Mitt Romney and The Health Care Debate

Several people are speaking out against President Obama’s current health care proposal. One of those folks happens to be former Governor of Massachutes Mitt Romney. Now just for a refresher, President Obama has favored a plan that provides coverage for all Americans. He has proposed a public option where the government would serve as a competitor to the current private system. All of which has been opposed by Mr. Romney. However a close examination of his career as Governor reveals that he too not only proposed but signed into law a reform bill that required all residents to buy health insurance coverage.

There were punishments for residents that elected not to purchase health care coverage. Many would face the loss of their personal income tax exemption. This exemption was worth $219. The exemption increases monthly and is based on half the cost of health insurance coverage. There were some changes enacted to the proposal. The most controversial change was the addition of a provision which requires firms with 11 or more workers that do not provide “fair and reasonable” health coverage to their workers to pay an annual penalty. This contribution, initially $295 annually per worker, is intended to equalize the free care pool charges imposed on employers who do and do not cover their workers.

Does this sound familiar? It should because it is essentially the same form of health care reform that President Obama is proposing. It begs to question why Mr. Romney is now proposing much the same reform that he enacted while Governor in Massachutes in 2006.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Recent Gaffe

Politico has reported today that Majority Leader Reid, in an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal, made the statement that Senator Kennedy’s death would be an aid to them. Below is a link to the Politico article.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0909/Reid_Teddys_death_going_to_help_us.html

Honduras – What it means to us?

We all remember the big media blitz surrounding President Obama and his “friendly” encounter with the President of Venenzuela Hugo Chavez at the Summit of the Americas. We also remember President Obama refusing to intervene or make a statement regarding the atrocities that occurred in Iran surrounding their recent elections. I mention these two scenarios because it clearly sets a foundation for the agenda that our President is trying to establish. In terms of Iran, he saw it necessary to not intervene or make a statement until very late in relation to the violence resulting from their elections. Mr. Chavez is a known Socialist. In February Mr. Chavez won a referendum to eliminate term limits for his office. This allows him to push his socialist agenda and transformation for a long time to come. Mr. Chavez has a close relationship with Honduran President Manuel Zelaya who was recently arrested by the militia and basically removed from power. What was the reason for this? Mr. Zelaya was doing the same thing as Mr. Chavez. He was trying to change the country’s consitution so that he can not be bound my term limits. Many in Honduras believe him to be trying to also push a socialist agenda within the country. His close relationship with Mr. Chavez would be an indication, just for starters. You may be asking where does the United States fit into this picture? How does this say anything about us as a nation? The answer is very obvious. President Obama has spoken out against President Zalaya being removed from power, and in fact has gone as far as to declare that as far as the United States is concerned, Mr. Zelaya is still President. It is my opinion that this speaks volumes about the mindset of our President and who he decides to have a relationship with. He refused to intervene when Iran was undergoing such terrible violence in the streets. However, he feels necessary to speak in support of a man that was trying to change the constitution to fit his own socialist agenda. You are who your friends are and I think President Obama’s relationships with men who are pushing a socialist agenda in their own country, speaks volumes as to what we can expect in our country if we allow this administration another term.

911 Dispatcher & Air Traffic Control – Professions of Honor, Professions of Criticism

This comparison of 2 different professions with so many negative similarities may ask more questions than it does reveal answers but they need to be asked. How is it that we are protected on a daily basis by the actions of 911 Dispatchers and Air Traffic Controllers(ATC) but we still want to criticize when a situation doesn’t turn out the way we would like it to have? Why is it that we only hear the flaws and errors in reference to these 2 professions in an imperfect world, but the countless times the folks that sit behind the headsets are not congratulated for the hard work and the service they provide? Do we do enough as citizens to lift up and support those that sit behind the headsets 365 days a year to keep us safe? Just think for a moment about a world without the skilled and brave that serve in these 2 capacities. It is very scary to even entertain that thought.

You may say that I am biased having sat behind the headset as a 911 Dispatcher for 5 great years of my life, but that is far from the truth. Because, you see, I do not believe that the dispatchers or the controllers are without flaw. It happens, everyone is capable of making mistakes. Does it happen that the mistakes made by employees in either capacity can be at the worst possible time, yes. However, the reason that is true isn’t coincidence. It is that these people face crisis every day of their lives. They face “close calls” each and every day. When a police officer is requiring backup in an emergency situation, who is it that coordinates and sends that assistance. It is the dispatcher. Now let me also tell you that there may be several other emergencies requiring assistance from that dispatcher at the same time. Citizens and the media are not always aware of that, but it needs to be understood. When a health and physical education teacher calls after their father suffers a heart attack and is not breathing and ironically cannot remember CPR, it is the 911 Dispatcher that is able to calmly talk the frantic into a situation to provide the best possible care until arrival of emergency responders. Sounds extreme, but I can tell you from first hand experience it happens. It is not until after the call, or after the shift that the dispatcher has to grapple with the emotions of another tough day from a world that demands so much. 911 Dispatchers and Communication Centers as a whole are constantly in the news. It is uncommon to go a month without hearing a story about something that went wrong in our emergency system that we demand so much from. However far less common are the stories about heroism and professionalism in the face of intense pressure and crisis. We do a great job as citizens of recognizing National Telecommunicator Week each year and we watch local news stories spotlighting the dispatcher career. Thank God that we have that week each year to honor the men and women behind the headset. However is that enough? Do we do enough to ensure that these men and women get the support that they deserve? I am of the opinion that we do not. There should be far more stories of honor and professionalism in the media. In many respects the profession is viewed as a thankless one. We owe it to those that serve and protect us.

In respect to Air Traffic Control we see much the same thing. We hear regular criticism in the media of problems and errors that are encountered because of an error by an overworked controller. Rarely do we hear the stories of the potentially fatal accidents that are avoided because of the skill and quick reaction time of the Air Traffic Controller. Controllers routinely are faced with an airspace that is filled with aircraft. Each going a different speed, a different altitude, and a different direction. The professionalism and skill of the Controllers enable them to handle these situations rather easily and without any problems. Some would say that they silently perform their tasks. However what isn’t silent is the media’s criticism of them when things do not go as planned. I recently read a Washington Post article that talked about the disaser of the Trooper 2 medevac with the Maryland State Police. This was a terrible tragedy. The events as they were detailed in the article is that the weather that fateful night was very bad. It made for tremendously difficult flying conditions. As the aircraft took off from the accident scene with the patient on board they realized that they were not going to be able to make it in to the hospital as planned. They then were forced to divert and attempt to land at their hangar at Andrews Air Force Base. Typically medevacs fly in VFR conditions. This means they are able to fly by sight and not require ATC assistance in navigation. They are alerted of potential targets, or other aircraft that may pose conflicts in their route, and instructed how to avoid them. This particular night upon arrival at the airport Trooper 2 requested assistance in landing. The lone controller in the tower that night had not been trained in how to properly instruct the aircraft in landing. Trooper 2 ended up disappearing from radar and crashing in a heavily wooded area. This scenario is certainly one that should be examined. During the course of the night there were several areas that, if we were able to turn back the clock, could have gone differently. There are many teaching opportunities to improve our ATC system, and improve the overall safety of our airways. It is my belief that we should learn from the overall scenario, and not focus on the individual errors without offering anything to improve the situation and avert future tragedies. What I am asking is for a more understanding society. One that lifts up instead of tearing down. There are far more positives and acts of heroism than errors and tragedy.

Where do we go from here? How do we, as a society, learn to be more understanding? We as readers and viewers of media outlets tend to place blame and expose areas of weakness in both 911 Dispatching and Air Traffic Control. It is my belief that the main reason for that is because so many people depend on the services provided by men and women in both of these professions. They truly are taken for granted. Unconsciously we get up each morning and go about our day hoping that we are able to safely navigate our day. In the unfortunate circumstance of an emergency situation arising, we just know we can call 911 and someone will be on the other side of the phone to handle our problem without flaw. In a majority of the scenarios that is exactly what happens. That doesn’t mean that the dispatcher is perfect and the system will never fail our situation. It happens. Does it make it any more understandable to the victim of the unfortunate circumstance? Could someone have done something to make our emergency crisis turn out in a more positive manner, possibly yes, but possibly not. That said, there are situations that happen that are tragic, but what they do is provide a learning experience for those involved to improve the overall performance of our system. 911 is better for it. We are better for it. We board an airplane without really thinking about the Air Traffic Controller. We just take it for granted that there will be someone there to guide the plane around potential hazards and most of the time they do. However there are the rare circumstance that the system fails our circumstance and it doesn’t happen. It is very tragic and normally has fatal consequences. The FAA can use these tragic circumstances to learn and teach Controllers to improve the system and result in our airways being safer. I believe that is exactly what happens. But we are unconsciously trained to point blame at a particular agency, or a particular controller because of an error that may have been out of their control in the first place. I am in no way looking for excuses to these unfortunate circumstances. However, I do believe that we do not get up on a particular day without risk and chance. Our lives are in the hands of people that we meet and depend on every day. I just ask that we be understanding and not add to the stress that the professionals in each of these 2 professions face. They are under intense scrutiny and pressure. By being critical and not adding anything positive to an already difficult situation is not constructive. In fact it hinders the effectiveness of our systems in which we place our lives. It is my hope that we are able to make a conscious effort to understand these 2 professions, and celebrate the heroism and success of those that have decided to serve us, and protect us in such an honorable way.

Letter to the Editor

Check out my letter to the editor printed in today’s Patriot News.

http://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2009/08/legislators_would_do_well_to_r.html