I started to answer Sarge Charley's comment to my previous post but it again, really got too long for a comment just for him as I started thinking about things that he and I weren't really debating about. Soo... I am not trying to start a war of words just elaborate what I think my thoughts are.
Today is a good day for me to think about what I believe and what those Enlightened Traitors of the time might have been thinking about, when they signed the document and subsequent documents we are celebrating today. So I am going to clarify what I think......I think.
When I mention the health (care) and Big Business concerns I have, surrounding GW, I am looking and listening to many opinions while making up my own mind. The Canadian and English systems are ones I want to follow,as they don't work very well, massive improvement and change is needed before Medicare does fail. Business solutions will be necessary without stockholders necessarily being the bottom line, You look at HMO, PPO's, health insurance, pharmaceuticals you see and experience the Big Business they are, and the influence they hold over the minds and votes of Gov'mint. it doesn't take much to see that health is all that is on their minds.
I long for medicine of the past where you go to your family doctor and got the help you needed. The doctor didn't have to worry that you were going to bring a lawsuit if they couldn't cure you. And you could, outside of major health catastrophe pay the bills with the help of the 20/80 health insurance your company was able to provided you. Advances in medicine costs business and research money, It didn't take long for us to start thinking medicine was so advanced it could do anything Malpractice started going from being seen as mistakes and malfeasance of bad doctors, to a way to get money or punish medicine and doctors when they couldn't cure and people died. Now, I personally believe in stem cell research and what it may promise. While GW did vote for research, it is so limiting that researchers are going private to do it, AND that is good for (little b) business. Pharmaceutical Company deserve to make a profit, as it is expensive, however, if patients can't afford the medicine that will come from stem cell research what it the point. Business is important but it should be accountable.
I work for big business and I don't agree with everything the CEO and board decides, but they do it ethically and legally so that is good for me. I do my job well, out of personal satisfaction, because they pay me well and they give me the opportunity to do what I love doing. I also do it so the stock will continue to rise and the economy will be healthy, as I am a stockholder as well. I also like the way my company works within the community. be it thru grants, providing subsidize health insurance and other great benefits to all full-time and part-time employees, making it available to all family, even families that don't fit the some folks vision of family. They promote and support volunteerism in the community. They promote diversity, which is a challenging process for some people to get behind. The US is diverse and all citizens and legal residents should be able to recognize and celebrate their diversity. We are not the melting pot of stew that kind of taste's the same, we use to be. We are now a salad and we can taste all the different ingredients enjoying all the blessings of freedom the founding fathers gave to us to participate in the U.S, and the Global Community.
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The Founding Fathers were working from their personal beliefs as well. My belief in personal choice not guided by the religious right or left of any fundamentalist groups, Christian, Muslim, Atheism or Humanism. I believe the founding fathers were originally looking at Separation of Church and State as, being free from rule by the head of the Church of England. The Constitution can be confusing because it is so open to interpretation. It is FANTASTIC because it is so open to interpretation. It has evolved into freedom of religion and freedom from religion, making personal choices for me. Keeping the terrorists at bay and the middle east from forcing Allah on me is good. Having any religion's personal interpretation of their God's word impact my personal beliefs is not good.
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I really tire of politics as I grow older, what happened to the moderates of both sides of the aisle? What happen to make everyone, rich and poor, to make them feel entitled and very greedy, and what happened to the middle class? I do hope the recent history of the Immigration debate means the politicians are going to listen to what their constituents want now instead of their own political agendas. President Reagan's amnesty in '86 in some ways added the extra 12 million we have here, as it sent the message, that you can do something the WRONG way and get residency in the United States. Illegal immigration is not politically correct term, but illegal is what it is. The recent immigration bill appeared to be a bipartisan bill, as both the reds and the blues wanted it. but for vastly different reasons. They tried to compromise, but no one was able to get their way, they amended it and filled it with so much pork that it was just plain ugly. It just didn't address what the majority of Americans ,of who, Barbara Boxer called racists, really wanted; real immigration reform!
A safe and enforced border control,
A labor pool that will : Keep the economy growing.
Can send money home& return to family.
Won't undermine the wages of Americans
willing to do the jobs.
Won't undermine infrastructure & break
state budgets.
A way to determine who are here, to tell the honest workers(though
not legal), from the criminals and gang members.
And then find an equitable way for them to stay with their American
Citizen Children.
Also prosecution of employers who are employing at sub standard
wages to the illegals here already.
Look at the collusion between government and business here and tell me where the checks and balances are!
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Even Cheney is thinking about checks and balances. Just last week he indicated he thinks he's not part of the administration branch, but the legislative branch of Government! I am waiting for him to just declare himself the 4th branch of government! Yes, he has given a major portion of his life in service to this country, but maybe it is time to let go.... and just break the tie votes.
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GW might sound to some like Everyman, but he is not He is part of the elite of the Republican Party and a very wealthy family with wealthy friends in business. To his credit there is nothing wrong with that. I just don't think he is a good ol'boy despite his manner. Recently my objection and irritation is to what he is saying. Besides the war, it would seem his main concerns are all about the legacy he and his VP want to leave for posterity. Frankly, I don't believe he is as good as his father, or Reagan, or Eisenhower or even Ford was.....and those are some of the Republican's I got behind.
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His perceive competence or incompetence is not for me to decide, tho' I have an opinion. That will be what the historians will argue about in the future. The War was inevitable. sometime in this decade, if not in this presidency then in the next. Everyone in the Global Community does not share a good opinion of the US. Many are not friendly at all, to anyone, some just think we are pompous and full of ourselves and should look to our own problems, of which we have many and quite a few still look to us as friends and allies, thank goodness. We should listen carefully to all of them and take appropriate action. We need to put an end to our smugness and go back to being admired.
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The checks and balances of government are one of those great things those smart Founding Fathers thought of....as the Bleeding Heart Liberal left and the Hard Line Conservative right have been checking and balancing each other for a long time now! It's time for those of us who sometimes move to the right, sometimes to left , Moderate Independents to really speak out. We are NOT wishy-washy, we are tired of politicians and activists telling us what is right and wrong, what we should believe or not believe. Extremists of any type are never going to be convinced to compromise, but when we marginalize America into red/blue, black/white, or true faith/false god. no good can be achieved
If Americans can't find common ground and enlightenment now as those Enlightened Men found over two centuries ago....Well I dunno....... Fireworks?
Mary and Jim. 
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On weekend you can visit the park and hike and picnic and tour the house and barn areas. And see polo matches. It was actually quite fun and exciting. The Beverly Hills team played the Santa Monica team. BH won. Mr B took his new camera and got some great shots!
The day was wonderful, and I am looking forward to many outings in the MGTF with the breeze blowing thru my Hair
