OF TOWN HALL NONSENSE, REAL HEALTH CARE(INSURANCE REFORM), AND TASERS

I always viewed the concept of “Town Halls”, which are themselves part of the showbiz culture that unfortunately has become part of the political process in America, with some skepticism….The fact that well-organized groups are hijacking them to protest against President Obama’s health care plans and pressure their local congressional representatives doesn’t surprise me in the least.

“Socilaized medicine” like the word “communist” in decades gone past is one of those slurs that immediately shuts down logical debate….An invalid connection thrown out in the discourse so wildly makes it impossible for any further dialogue to occur.

The fear of government bureaucracy and long waiting lines and other images drilled into our heads by the health care lobby, the Republican Party, and others is a far cry from the mild reforms currently being offered….The real fear Americans should have is of the effect a debilitating illness would have on a family especially if it was the breadwinner who was afflicted….In America, there is no safety net and even under the most generous employer health care plan, a long-term health care necessity will destroy a family’s finances.

So what’s the solution?....Well, I take a different approach….The real problem I’ve always felt are insurance companies (who have traditionally been one of the biggest donors to political campaigns)….A comprehensive insurance reform plan needs to be brought before congress….Maybe what is needed is not “government run health care” but “government run health insurance”.

I would suggest looking at a plan in which insurance coverage is government based but health care stays the same….Reform is applied at the area where checks are cut not in the doctor’s office which is the deeply held fear many Americans have.

I am by no means an expert on this subject but I do believe “Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness” means that one is entitled to affordable health care if one gets sick.

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This story about the tasering of an elderly man http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_World&set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20090805230555146C221891 as well as the YouTube video of the tasering of a protestor at a John Kerry speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NWukZhsiBw&feature=PlayList&p=C80C588985712A43&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=22and a number of other incidents seem to indicate that American law enforcement is starting to show an over reliance on the usage of tasers.

Police in America have to be the best armed in the world….This is because America’s criminals are also the best armed in the world due to America’s gun culture and the bizarre nonsensical connection to personal freedom that has been elaborately constructed by those who are part of this culture….However, a taser would really not help you against someone armed with a gun especially if they were standing more than a few feet away from you.

So a taser by definition is used for close contact….Well police already have a lot of other non-fatal weapons at their disposal including pepper spray and billyclubs….Giving them the use of another weapon that requires less effort and more immediate impact has perhaps created a sense of laziness in law enforcement….It is very easy to use the taser for even a mild disturbance despite that being a massive over reaction to the type of threat posed.

The taser as a tool for police to use for crowd control and other interactions seems to be getting out of hand.

What are the effects of being tasered? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taser

In other words, a jolt from a taser can be deadly….It doesn’t really add anything to the armory of current law enforcement except convenience.

It might be time to look into whether or not police really need to carry tasers at all.