A Gentleman’s view.

A start over, new look, incremental lock step approach doesn’t amuse the President when it comes to getting health care done.

I know many people have either heard of or at least seen the movie: “ The Stepford Wives”, done twice in 1975 and 2004 originally written by Ira Levin. This is a story about a town where somehow the male of the species obtained control of a locked gate community or city and the women therein, namely their wives. All of the women dress in the same fashion as though time stood still in ’55 or somewhere in there. They all have stupid looking grins on their faces and address all men in robotic automated vernacular. Women’s total subservience to men in general and related family men in particular is the theme of the day and the locked gate community so to speak.  For the men of Stepford, satisfaction was priority one above all else including personal safety, really weird. Scared me watching a group of people, mostly men, almost all white, financially well off individuals, if not personally. The pay of the offices they hold either currently as rookies or even more so if they’ve held the office for two terms or more is quite substantial in comparison to the average worker. More so during these troublesome economic times, they can refuse to consider that there are many people out here without the protections or perks they take for granted everyday. Not just the opposition party’s constituents back at home in the districts they are sent to Congress to represent all across America, but those constituents of their own Republican Party. Members who statistics state have to be suffering financial ruin from rising health costs or devastating catastrophic illness as well and say to them, lets start from scratch.  This isn’t a Democratic or Republican thing.

The most base and traitorous hypocrisy of the Republic Party has always been the well developed perception that they really give a damn about the common blue collar working man or his family. That they believe in public service for societal good. The people who serve like teachers, doctors, nurses, cops, firefighters, telephone repairmen, postmen and construction workers, plumbers and pipefitters. Republicans are Wall Street, Business, Money, Finance, CEO’s, Big Deals, Bottom Lines, and Lowering Costs. Deregulation is their mantras, less government intrusion, best support for anti-consumer protection, stop the unions, no minimum wages. These guys are Harvard Business School, Columbia Law, Yale Business and Law, Harvard Law and MIT. The are the moneyed minded, pro-business supported individuals who come to Washington to make even more money, and finagle laws to protect and enable future endeavors in a like manner. Yet they have sold the “hard working, blue color white American on the notion they really represent them, sadly it has worked to date. They have convinced them they are on their side; they support the military, are more patriotic than the Democrats and better at policing up the least principled operating members of our society. They somehow miss the connection between the Republican mantra of less government, more deregulation and the impact of downsizing on the Wall Street Bottom Line. Most of the time it is these same people who allow business the freedoms that cause the damages the “free market” was allowed to bear!

Yet intelligent men and women of the Republican Party knowing their policies have caused this damage to so many people and they continued their robotic march off the political cliff by saying “Up Yours!” to more than 30 million Americans without health insurance coverage. They are always campaigning and holding town hall meetings for this demographic group and working up into frenzy about the total destruction of our country as we’ve come to know it. And I suspect more than 100 million when you include the number of people with less insurance than they really need, and it at least doubles if you add those using emergency rooms and free clinics as their only access to the wonderful medical machine we have. One of them made an issue of pointing out how Heads of State of other countries come here to use our medical system but leaves out the fact they have the resources to cover the expense.  But what caused me great concern was the almost robotic lock-step list of talking points by the Republican Party.  ‘We need to start with a clean sheet of paper’ ‘We should just start from a clean slate’ We need to scrap both the House and the Senate plan already passed and in a bi-partisan manner, discuss how to begin to find a way to address a problem we know both parties agree needs to be looked at’ so, ‘Lets convene a committee here in Congress to investigate the need for a commission to study the problems that exist for many Americans with limited means’ lacking the ability to obtain adequate care. Lets continue down this treasonous road to the point of destroying this beautiful country by letting the insurance industry continue to destroy America for the good of personal financial gain and the continued growth of the bottom lines of the few for the increased misery of the many. Why? Because that is what the true free market will bear!

The President convened this summit with the cameras running in order to let the public see for themselves what they had been experiencing from the Republican Party all of last year while negotiating getting any legislation passed in the Senate and the House. He patiently addressed over and over again the need to step away from the Party Rhetoric and suggested things be picked in the already passed legislation they could live with or start from, to no avail. It was a definite statement of you guys have the majority, you are running the show and are going to do what you want to do anyway through reconciliation, so don’t let us hold you up. Just let us make this perfectly clear, we are not going to assist in this and we think we are right, so there! We will continue to let people suffer not being able to get the care needed in time, or coverage being turned down for pre=existing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, Sickle Cell Anemia, Asthma or Obesity, Cerebral Palsy Multiple Sclerosis or any other debilitating diseases that have been know to inflict man starting with conception. It matters not to us if you have to wait through another election cycle and maybe then we will still not take up the issue for the insurance companies are not interested in any concept where a government agency might establish basic rights and privileges one should have as a American citizen and their health, it is not good for old fashioned American profit to the point of greed that this be allowed to change. And the Republicans are saying; treasonous or not, traitorous or not, it is more important for us to hold this line as a Party principle for all those little guys we have lied to and convinced we have their interest at heart when we support policy in Washington, as we accept the financing of big business to hold onto our “elected” offices. The Stepford locked step, let’s start over Republican Party is saying “Tough Shit” to America!

The Tiger Woods infomercial apology tour reveals nothing new but anger.

This column is mostly about politics and leadership or the lack thereof when it comes to how things are run or not in this country. Leadership is not a requirement exclusively needed to be a good politician, but an understanding of it is required being a good role model. That Tiger Woods is a role model whether or not it was appreciated by him or not was clearly stated in the advertising campaign: “I am Tiger Woods” The intent of this campaign besides removing any stigma of a black man as a role model in the mostly Caucasian dominated game of golf, was to say that Tiger Woods was not only a damn good golfer, but he was also as squeaky clean as the game was perceived to be by its elitist nature. I held off from writing this column because I wanted to hear from the man himself with his take on the adventure that has taken place in his life to bring him to the fall from grace he inflicted upon himself and his family. Since that occasion he has become the target of countless jokes and rumors, and justified or not, he did nothing to dispel them with his silence. Now that he has spoken in public for the first time since that fateful night, I am afraid my perception of him as a person I would want my son to emulate has not improved.

First of all, this was a template format 12-step speech of recovery programs designed to give the impression to the required parties that one has recognized that he/she has problems, owning those problems and is working hard to fix them. Second, such a speech by this prominent man of athletic skills had to be written or typed for him to read. It had the required pauses for emotional effect, mentioned few of the people having been impacted by his actions and a vow to change his behavior. He invited a small party of about a dozen or so people who really looked pained to be there, including his mother. It did not include a question and answer session when it was over. His rationale for his behavior was he had worked oh so hard all of his life to get where he was as a sports star and felt with all the fame and fortune he amassed, was entitled to the excesses of his world. He said he felt the rules that applied to any normal family man with a wife and two children did not apply to him so he could take advantage of the temptations of his celebrity position. He stated that it was wrong of the press to hound him, expect an explanation of what happened that dreadful evening of the car crash. It was wrong to want some public airing of his dirty laundry to please the paparazzi and expose the state of his marriage. All of this was already known prior to giving this speech, so what was the purpose?

He stated that this press conference sans press was held to let those close to him know that he was oh so truly sorry he committed those transgressions.  The pundits more famous than myself gave him mixed reviews, some thought he accomplished what he set out to do, and some didn’t. My take was one of disappointment as I hoped that he was really impacted by the hurt he caused so many that he requested at the end of this session to believe in him again. Therein lies the rub. I don’t know of many people who believed in Tiger Woods to begin with as he never represented a cause or movement or took up any societal issues of note. He may have to answer the belief issue with Jesper Parnevik a fellow golfer responsible for connecting Tiger with his wife, as she was Parneviks wife’s best friend. Even he turned a blind eye to the foul language and poor sportsmanship displayed by Tiger on the golf course when things went bad for him.  I don’t think that his mother lost any belief in her son as she had to have some idea of his flaws growing up and did nothing to help him grow beyond them as she let his father run the show. The people involved in his foundation were accomplishing its goal of working with the kids they helped, so they may need some belief support. But for those of us out here just watching, we didn’t really believe anything about him but his ability to play golf.

Let’s cover what he missed in his speech. First, I saw no sincere emotion from him at all during this speech with the exception of anger at the press.  Second, this speech was written, no press was allowed in to even listen to him much less not to have an exchange about the incidents that had taken place to let the world know he and his family had issues. While he mentioned the tournament taking place that day and the fact he didn’t know when he would be returning to the game himself, he never mentioned the impact of his actions on the sport or the financial impact on his sponsors. I never once heard him say how much he truly appreciated a how deeply he hurt his wife, how sorry he was that he caused her that kind of pain, or how much he really loved her or the kids.  He also failed to mention the damage he inflicted on all the parents aspiring their kids to be like him and the kids who believed in his “I am Tiger Woods” series of commercials.  But, that’s just me.

The game of golf just wants this ugly experience to go away and not negatively impact long-term the viability of the game to make the industry and the player’s money.  They just want him to get his ass back on the course, win tournaments and bring back the ratings and the money.  They are not interested in saving that Tiger as they are about saving their bottom lines. This is the tact that would have impressed me; “ I, Tiger Woods am leaving the game of golf behind me for life and I don’t trust myself out there on the road for I spent to much time out there doing what I wanted when I wanted without consideration for anyone”. “Elin, I have hurt you so badly and want you to know I realized that and I never want to do that to you or the kids again because I love you so much this is the most I can do to prove it”.  By this time whether or not she was in that room, I would have been standing there with tears streaming down my cheeks for empathizing with the pain she must have experienced when she found out what I had been up to out on tour as a slut not golf pro.  No matter, which way my speech went, I certainly knew what I did was wrong, why it caused others pain, and definitely would not need to read from some prepared script. But, as usual with Tiger Woods, it is all about controlling his image as the king of golf. It should be about becoming the type of man his wife and family could just respect again.

The rate of children being born autistic is good TV.

I usually stay away from issues addressing women’s rights when it comes to their bodies as we men haven’t the foggiest idea what exactly that entails in the least. Sometimes life by way of entertainment coming into our homes 24/7, lends itself to subjects about the impact of conflicting views of how we as citizens in one society make personal choices. The morning shows are entertainment businesses and I understand that bottom line, profit is what they are seeking for themselves. However, as with most experiences in life, nothing happens in a vacuum and the ‘Morning Shows’ expose more than the required amount of information about today’s celebrities personal lives as they are the essence of entertainment. They also have their so-called feel good or feel sorry for medical issue of the week. Depending on whether or not the subject matter is good or bad for the pharmaceutical sponsors presently engaging advertising spots with them the stories will be either propaganda for or an indictment against a medical cause or procedure. There has been of late much debate and opinions about Autism and the increasing amount of women choosing to start their families much later in life after spending sometime as full time professionals. Mothers want to have their cake and eat it too, are actually not ending up living the life of ‘Riley’.

Many Famous celebrities have been making the rounds talking about the subject and even former Governor and Republican Vice Presidential nominee; Sarah Palin of Alaska carried to term a baby she was informed would be born with major developmental issues, Jenny McCarthy is another prominent figure with an opinion of note with a child with Autism. The religious point of view holds for no life should be terminated no matter the quality for the child or parent or consideration of financial burden ultimately to the child, on the immediate family, on society or the future of our country by reproducing less than capable citizens to have the rest of our society be responsible for later. When the mature parents are deceased and those children will still be here and most likely need full time care. The point of view that all life has value, a damaged child with mental deficiencies, children not asking to be born deformed, or one who is autistic or  many other physical, mental or emotional shortcomings may exist to the degree that the child will never grow up to being a productive member of this society in any way ever or know just enough to be sad or regret this experience. This now appears to be a trend supported by the numbers found in a study published in the Boston Globe analyzing 5 million births that there is a 50 percent increase in the chance that a child will be autistic if the mother is over 40 years old. So last week there was a big brouhaha on the medical roundup of all the shows about mothers having babies later in life because of pursuing professional careers and competing more with men in labor period and this is good for equality for women but bodes bad for any American future for a question arises who will be left to leave it too if they can’t run it?

The hypocrisy of these morning shows is that they make a very big deal about finding out about this study and bring in not one, but two or three medical doctors to explain the impact of such a study and what will it mean to mother who thought they had time? How will it affect a society’s perception of a mother’s freedom of choice when it comes to deciding when to have a child? Not to suggest these aren’t legitimate questions to raise, but after spending a few days scaring the heck out of women with that study, the fourth day is a medical heartbreak, one of trials and tribulations of woman like the ‘Octomom in her 40;s who was artificially impregnated with half a dozen kids already living in her mothers house and winds up with several of those kids being born damaged, or seeing Sara Palin’s Trig and countless others and wonder about the kids right not to be born with a level playing field to start or less than a full deck just because its parent insisted that self duplication was mandatory or out of their control at any price no matter the quality of it for the child.

But not for nothing, in the vernacular of my street friends peep this: We have two groups of women taking this action; those who use religion, greed or ignorance to be irresponsible and those with the need to leave something behind or must create, or have it as one more thing on the check list of life or personal failure kind of thing.  So a good follow up to finding out that women over forty years of age who insist on having children are fifty percent more likely to produce a child the rest of this society will like to have to pay for in later, if not sooner as it will not be able to provide for itself or contribute to our forward development as a country. We now want to share with you the story of “Celine Dion”, ultra rich and fabulously famous singer 41, who is married to a man who was 27 years her senior when they got started back there in the tough mid-nineties. They have been blessed with one child, a boy 9, but that is not enough. The study which has been all over the news about women over 40 having an 50 percent increase in the chance of having a child with autism is not enough, that her body has rejected the notion 4 times, (she has had infertility treatments four times and they have not been successful,) she stated on a talk show “ fifth time’s a charm”. I’m hearing this study and wondering ‘Hey Celine ‘I’m going to keep trying until it works!’ Dion; ‘You have been more than fortunate than the average person when it comes to your life and your body said no 4 times since, you are forty-one, your man is damn near 70, don’t you think you should quit before you wind up with a half a dozen children in an extremely poor state of health and the shock kills your husband, the loss crushes your son and you have no help raising all those kids. No amount of money can ease that kind of life for anyone. But for Good Morning America exclusively with Celine’s story, that’s entertainment! Yet no one will suggest that ladies just cut that out after 40.

Danger! Danger! Danger, Palin is the one!

One, we all want to be part of one, group, party, or movement. Minorities, we come in all flavors and colors and ethnicities, but as a country, we are not of one mind. Our differences and uniqueness has caused all sorts of movements and identities to form and develop over the expanse of America history, yet I can’t think of one possibly being taken for the sad ride the Tea Party Movement is being taken for presently by Palin. The original concept of the Boston Tea Party was grand for its intent, ‘No Taxation without Representation’, because England was getting over on the white slavery put into place here to get this country’s party started. So, we managed to obtain our freedom by revolution. But, as a developing country, we have had many trials and tribulations along the way. There have been many during this development that felt left out of consideration in what is supposed to be so good here in America that everyone wants to come here to live.

But, this time I think this movement is being taken for a wild ride, and I’m not sure there is any way to stop or avoid it for there has never been a movement like it in America today. The Pundits want this to be a revolution as it makes for good press clippings and will keep viewers returning for the next episode. However, this particular group doesn’t fit the mold of no Blacks in elected offices, or no Latinos being hired for city union positions or no Women executives. This Tea Party Movement represents a totally different group of Americans; they represent the heart and soul of the group previous known as the Klu Klux Klan. This group is about stopping immigration totally, sending blacks anywhere but here, no religious freedoms, no taxes, no government intervention at any level but what is barely needed to function as a vehicle of communications with other countries as required. These folks question the Presidents credentials for being in office because they feel blacks have no right to the privileges afforded White Americans period. Yes, idiot, this does include every race not proven to be of Aryan descent. There won’t be a reason for peace with these people until they are of the mindset that we are no longer part of their world period. They represent the soul of a totally anti-melting pot mentally as one can have in modern times without a civil war already in place to justify the so-called Second Amendment Rights that allows them to walk around with guns exposed in the country’s capital.

The Press is hot to set up Palin as the leader of these people and they seem to think that she has their best interest at heart. I peeped her interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News, and while she fared better than previous interviews prior, she downplayed wisely the notion of her as the heir apparent to whatever comes out of this movement. This group feels it is their Manifest Destiny for the America of their dreams not to include diversity, equality, immigration and inclusion. Quiet as it is kept, I believe religious freedoms as we know them to exist today would be revisited also. The press realizes and makes note of the peril to the Republican Party here, but because of the declared capitalistic state of our Democracy, ratings are more important even to Fox News who represents not the free press of all Americans, but the propaganda arm of the Republican Party. The potential fallout from a full confrontation between the idealistic groups like the Tea Party Movement and the rest of the Republican Party faithful would be a boon for television ratings across the board. I am not sure of Palin’s true opinion of this movement at heart outside of the props she has given them to date, but I think I can safely say that with the agendas of each, the twains will never meet.

That doesn’t mean that she won’t someday lead this group somewhere, but this is were the pavement will meet the tire as Palin and the Tea Party Movement proceed forward and determine the future of the Republican Party. Her interview suggested that keeping the door open for a presidential run is always a possibility, but she is leading lambs to slaughter if she assumes mantel of leader of the Tea Party and rips Republicans not passing the litmus test as was inflicted with success on the Scott Brown election for Ted Kennedy’s seat. Now everyone seeking the Republican Party’s mantel as a leader has to be cleared as being conservative enough to obtain the endorsement of Palin or some prominent member of this Tea movement group. This could lead to many mainstream centrist thinking politicians of this party not making the cut. This doesn’t bode well for the Democrats as blue dog mindsets are not party specific, they will become targets of the Tea Baggers as well in general elections. This will not be good for America to get anything done in Washington as it was already holding up getting things done there in Congress. Palin may be many things since Senator John McCain discovered her in seeking the Presidency last election, but she is not the one to be true to this movement of unique Americans. Palin is about one thing, Palin! Don’t believe me; ask Levi, he was there when she was discovered.