Yeah... I wasn't going to go all mainstream, but this is a hot topic like no other. After months and years of arguing both sides, the deal is done, and health care reform is now the law. I'm not sure anyone knows what it means - there are as many opinions on the matter as there are members of Congress, it seems.
I won't say where I stand on the matter, because like so many other Americans, I really don't know how it will affect me yet. There is hope it will make things easier in my life, because coverage will get less expensive in the long run, but right now, I know my out-of-pocket expenses are pretty sucky if I have to see someone besides my primary physician.
The one problem I do have is how one-sided the measure is. Depending on who you talk to, what polls are referenced, there is a fair amount of underwhelming support. Not a single Republican has voted for the initial bill-now-law, nor for the "fix-it" measure that was bounced back and forth between the two legislative branches. The GOP claim a less than 40-percent public approval of this "bold new plan" for health care. Meanwhile the appearance is the Democrats pushed the bill through for their own agenda and disregarded all of their talk of bipartisanship and compromise.
So now the question is where does this leave us? This hot topic isn't going to just go away now that the President has signed it into law. Right or wrong, the Republicans will take this to the voting booth when the mid-term elections happen in November, and make it a key issue in their platform. And Democrats will continue to thumb their noses at the GOP in hopes they can retain their power.
In the end, We the People will suffer the outcome... no matter who wins.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Drawing the Fine Line
"I felt like, as an individual Christian, who believes that God created life and only got has a right to terminate life, that I as an individual human being had to take action."
That is what one county commissioner said in an interview on one of our local news stations. He is one of six who voted Monday to adjust county employees' health insurance to no longer cover elective abortion. A county employee who decides to have an abortion will now have to pay for it out-of-pocket. This affects both female employees and the spouses of male employees. Only two voted against the change.
There are exemptions for cases of medical necessity, rape, or incest.
But the commissioner in question suggested this change not in the interest of saving money, or any other secular or political reason. He freely admits to it being about his personal beliefs.
Far be it from me to tell anyone what they should believe, or how they should worship. And most people I know are usually "live and let live" types. I am also not saying that I condone abortion out of hand as solely a form of "hail mary" birth control.
This is clearly a case of personal bias and religion being played out in a public forum. Where is the separation of church and state? There is an increasing amount of pressure coming from the religious "right" in this country, pushing their agenda of morality harder into the mainstream. This is another case of legislating the morality of the people.
And that is something our founding fathers were against.
Too many times people presume to know the thoughts of the founding fathers, and continue to try to legislate personal liberties away, instead of educating the public - and themeselves. A well-informed populace can decide for themselves, and people will choose a moral path in most cases. Making more laws only means more laws will be broken.
So what's next? How far will this go before someone stands up to say, "enough is enough"? It should be up to every individual to deal with their conscience and decide personal morality. And unless the choices they make directly impact the lives of other human beings, then allow people the freedom of choice.
That is what one county commissioner said in an interview on one of our local news stations. He is one of six who voted Monday to adjust county employees' health insurance to no longer cover elective abortion. A county employee who decides to have an abortion will now have to pay for it out-of-pocket. This affects both female employees and the spouses of male employees. Only two voted against the change.
There are exemptions for cases of medical necessity, rape, or incest.
But the commissioner in question suggested this change not in the interest of saving money, or any other secular or political reason. He freely admits to it being about his personal beliefs.
Far be it from me to tell anyone what they should believe, or how they should worship. And most people I know are usually "live and let live" types. I am also not saying that I condone abortion out of hand as solely a form of "hail mary" birth control.
This is clearly a case of personal bias and religion being played out in a public forum. Where is the separation of church and state? There is an increasing amount of pressure coming from the religious "right" in this country, pushing their agenda of morality harder into the mainstream. This is another case of legislating the morality of the people.
And that is something our founding fathers were against.
Too many times people presume to know the thoughts of the founding fathers, and continue to try to legislate personal liberties away, instead of educating the public - and themeselves. A well-informed populace can decide for themselves, and people will choose a moral path in most cases. Making more laws only means more laws will be broken.
So what's next? How far will this go before someone stands up to say, "enough is enough"? It should be up to every individual to deal with their conscience and decide personal morality. And unless the choices they make directly impact the lives of other human beings, then allow people the freedom of choice.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I Didn't Get to Say Goodbye
So it's the end of the work week. Actually, I've already been done since Friday morning, so I'm already well into my Saturday; that's what happens when you start at midnight Monday morning. The news business can be funny that way. Especially when something hot comes up in the last few hours of the morning, and I end up being the "go to" guy to get the quick video. Makes for a long morning...
Not only is it the end of the week, some might call it the end of an era.
Our morning anchor has left the Southeast to return to her roots up North. She will be missed by some, I'm sure; there are others who are probably happy to see her go. Plenty of people from the newsroom came out in the morning to wish her well, with hot chocolate and Dunkin' Donuts. They seemed to be having a good time, but the news doesn't always wait. I was out the door with camera in hand just as the crowd gathered, and by the time I returned most of the treats were gone.
A fire broke out at a restaurant in the early hours, in a town about an hour from our station. Everything seems to be an hour from the studio, especially when it's something fairly big - fires, car accidents, shootings and other crimes. Grabbing a camera and dashing off to get decent video is what I live for. I know I can write, I have a fair handle on producing a newscast I think, but getting behind a camera, finding the angle, putting it all together, is a technical and artistic accomplishment which satisfies me.
As I said, once I returned, the food was mostly eaten, the newsroom was starting to meet for the daily routine, and the work was still there to finish for me. I managed to put together a good video, and left it in good hands. Turning around the office as I grabbed my stuff to go, I saw no sign of the departing anchor.
Things were left unsaid; it probably should bother me, but I really am not losing sleep over it. I do wish her the best as she returns home, and hold no ill will towards her. I learned a lot early on working with her, so I am grateful for that.
But I didn't get to say goodbye.
So there it is... goodbye. It's all the closure I need at this point; there is no need to dwell on the past, this is the news business after all. Time to look forward to hunting down the next story, and working with the new morning anchor.
Not only is it the end of the week, some might call it the end of an era.
Our morning anchor has left the Southeast to return to her roots up North. She will be missed by some, I'm sure; there are others who are probably happy to see her go. Plenty of people from the newsroom came out in the morning to wish her well, with hot chocolate and Dunkin' Donuts. They seemed to be having a good time, but the news doesn't always wait. I was out the door with camera in hand just as the crowd gathered, and by the time I returned most of the treats were gone.
A fire broke out at a restaurant in the early hours, in a town about an hour from our station. Everything seems to be an hour from the studio, especially when it's something fairly big - fires, car accidents, shootings and other crimes. Grabbing a camera and dashing off to get decent video is what I live for. I know I can write, I have a fair handle on producing a newscast I think, but getting behind a camera, finding the angle, putting it all together, is a technical and artistic accomplishment which satisfies me.
As I said, once I returned, the food was mostly eaten, the newsroom was starting to meet for the daily routine, and the work was still there to finish for me. I managed to put together a good video, and left it in good hands. Turning around the office as I grabbed my stuff to go, I saw no sign of the departing anchor.
Things were left unsaid; it probably should bother me, but I really am not losing sleep over it. I do wish her the best as she returns home, and hold no ill will towards her. I learned a lot early on working with her, so I am grateful for that.
But I didn't get to say goodbye.
So there it is... goodbye. It's all the closure I need at this point; there is no need to dwell on the past, this is the news business after all. Time to look forward to hunting down the next story, and working with the new morning anchor.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Not Necessarily the News
Growing up, there was a comedy show on HBO which spawned a generation of news hounds and rumor hunters - Not Necessarily the News. In recent years Comedy Central has The Daily Show and the Colbert Report, which provide a humorous - and yet thought provoking - look at current events.
So this is my version of the NNS trend. A place to comment on happenings and events - whether near home and work, or noteworthy national and global news. The opinions will always be my own, or those of the authors who post articles and comments. I may not necessarily share those views personally, but will try to provide the same thought-provoking information for the reader to make their own judgments.
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