Speakout 5/6

Thursday, May 6, 2004

OK, folks. Some of us are so stupid we have to just keep saying it. George Bush did not lie about weapons of mass destruction. He believed, as did Bill "cigar" Clinton, Congress, the United Nations, and every other person on the planet the that this crazy killer had them or certainly could build them. He had already once used them on is own people. Why are some Americans so stupid? I know. They're Democrats, you idiots.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of Common Sense who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Finally, Common sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

My mother is in a local nursing home. She pays her own bills and is not on Medicaid. Recently we found out that the staff assumed that she was on Medicaid and she was being prescribed the most expensive drugs for arthritis. When we inquired about less expensive generic brands, we were told, "She's on Medicaid, so she's not paying for them." This infuriated us, and we realized that the doctors and nursing homes are making no effort to keep costs down. And the scale of fraud on their part far outweighs anything that individual recipients are causing. If we don't hold the people at the top accountable, we'll never get a grip on this mess. I'd like to include all the doctors who are diagnosing children as bipolar so that they can get a government check.