This is the Organizational Chart of the House Democrats Health Plan. Please pass this around.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Necklace by Andrew Mikel
The following story can be found in the Free Lance Star - http://fredericksburg.com/ - and the link for the story is here - http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/072009/07182009/479943/printer_friendly. It is written by an Andrew Mikel of Spotsylvania. It is a simple but good read.
The Necklace
July 18, 2009 12:36 am
-
IT'S A COLD, gray morn- ing. The sky is dark and it looks like it's going to rain. But there are lots of families here waiting in line for the new link. Up ahead through the crowd I see my friend Angie and her mom walking back from the front of the line.
"Hey Angie!" But Angie just manages a weak smile and a wave as her mom pulls her past us. Her mom is wiping away tears.
"They said I'm too sick for the new link," Angie says. With a bony white hand Angie is holding her collar closed against the wind. Her mom has her other hand, pulling her along. Angie is pale and spindly 'cause she's got some serious disease I can't pronounce.
"But they've got a link for doctors and hospitals," I call after her. But Angie is gone now, behind us and out of sight.
I look up at Daddy and he looks worried, so I try to cheer him up.
"Will the new link be as shiny as these?" I finger the links of necklace around my neck.
"It'll be a beautiful new link, honey, I promise. And this one's an important one. This link is for if you go to college someday. College will be free--if they send you to college."
"And they're gonna send me, right, Daddy--so I don't have to work in the factory--or I don't have to do community service?"
"Shhh--someone will hear you!" Daddy looks around nervously. I bite my lower lip 'cause I realize I'm talking loud.
"All work is good, dear," Daddy says. "And everybody has to contribute--no matter where they send us."
I hold Daddy's hand tight and I smile. Daddy always has the right answers. I'm tired and my legs are tired and I try to think about when we're finally at the front of the line. At the front of the line, I'll get my new link welded onto my necklace. It'll be a college link--to go with the other links for food and housing and mass transit and community service. But I don't know if I still believe it.
"But these links don't always work, do they, Daddy?"
"Shhh! Sure they do. Don't ask so many questions, honey."
"But the doctors and nurses link isn't helping Angie--just like it didn't help you when you were sick."
"That's because Angie's got something real expensive to treat. And me? I'm older. And there's just so much medicine available, and just so many doctors and nurses to go around. So strong, healthy people like you get cared for first. Young people and people who can someday be part of the work force. Us old folks--and really sick people like Angie--well, we just wait for what's left. Anyway, back in my day, growing up, we didn't have links and necklaces and such."
"What did you do when you needed something?"
"Everyone had to do for themselves. We had to work hard and study hard and discover things and invent our own things."
"That must have been really hard."
"It was. And some people got really rich and really famous--and others didn't work hard and they stayed poor."
"That's no fun."
"Oh, in some ways it was fun. I guess, if the truth be told, even when it was tough it was exciting. But we changed all that--my generation did. We made sure we got better leaders in Washington--leaders who finally got away from the Constitution and started taking care of us. So now you have that necklace--and I have a necklace. All the people have necklaces that keep us all safe. And keep us all equal. Nobody rich, nobody poor. We all work for each other--and they divide everything up equally."
"Do you think my necklace is getting too long, Daddy?"
"It's beautiful. What's the matter, don't you like it?"
"I love it, Daddy. Only it hurts my neck."
"That's a small price to pay when you think about how the government is keeping us all safe "
"Angie doesn't call it a necklace."
Daddy doesn't answer me, but I can feel his arm around me.
"Angie calls it a chain, Daddy."
"Angie will never understand," Daddy says quietly.
I'm tired and the line is long. The light rain is steady now. I lean against Daddy and hug his leg.
"I love you, Daddy." I smile up at him. He smiles back. How do I tell him that with each new link, my necklace grows heavier and heavier?
Andrew Mikel lives in Spotsylvania.
The Necklace
July 18, 2009 12:36 am
-
IT'S A COLD, gray morn- ing. The sky is dark and it looks like it's going to rain. But there are lots of families here waiting in line for the new link. Up ahead through the crowd I see my friend Angie and her mom walking back from the front of the line.
"Hey Angie!" But Angie just manages a weak smile and a wave as her mom pulls her past us. Her mom is wiping away tears.
"They said I'm too sick for the new link," Angie says. With a bony white hand Angie is holding her collar closed against the wind. Her mom has her other hand, pulling her along. Angie is pale and spindly 'cause she's got some serious disease I can't pronounce.
"But they've got a link for doctors and hospitals," I call after her. But Angie is gone now, behind us and out of sight.
I look up at Daddy and he looks worried, so I try to cheer him up.
"Will the new link be as shiny as these?" I finger the links of necklace around my neck.
"It'll be a beautiful new link, honey, I promise. And this one's an important one. This link is for if you go to college someday. College will be free--if they send you to college."
"And they're gonna send me, right, Daddy--so I don't have to work in the factory--or I don't have to do community service?"
"Shhh--someone will hear you!" Daddy looks around nervously. I bite my lower lip 'cause I realize I'm talking loud.
"All work is good, dear," Daddy says. "And everybody has to contribute--no matter where they send us."
I hold Daddy's hand tight and I smile. Daddy always has the right answers. I'm tired and my legs are tired and I try to think about when we're finally at the front of the line. At the front of the line, I'll get my new link welded onto my necklace. It'll be a college link--to go with the other links for food and housing and mass transit and community service. But I don't know if I still believe it.
"But these links don't always work, do they, Daddy?"
"Shhh! Sure they do. Don't ask so many questions, honey."
"But the doctors and nurses link isn't helping Angie--just like it didn't help you when you were sick."
"That's because Angie's got something real expensive to treat. And me? I'm older. And there's just so much medicine available, and just so many doctors and nurses to go around. So strong, healthy people like you get cared for first. Young people and people who can someday be part of the work force. Us old folks--and really sick people like Angie--well, we just wait for what's left. Anyway, back in my day, growing up, we didn't have links and necklaces and such."
"What did you do when you needed something?"
"Everyone had to do for themselves. We had to work hard and study hard and discover things and invent our own things."
"That must have been really hard."
"It was. And some people got really rich and really famous--and others didn't work hard and they stayed poor."
"That's no fun."
"Oh, in some ways it was fun. I guess, if the truth be told, even when it was tough it was exciting. But we changed all that--my generation did. We made sure we got better leaders in Washington--leaders who finally got away from the Constitution and started taking care of us. So now you have that necklace--and I have a necklace. All the people have necklaces that keep us all safe. And keep us all equal. Nobody rich, nobody poor. We all work for each other--and they divide everything up equally."
"Do you think my necklace is getting too long, Daddy?"
"It's beautiful. What's the matter, don't you like it?"
"I love it, Daddy. Only it hurts my neck."
"That's a small price to pay when you think about how the government is keeping us all safe "
"Angie doesn't call it a necklace."
Daddy doesn't answer me, but I can feel his arm around me.
"Angie calls it a chain, Daddy."
"Angie will never understand," Daddy says quietly.
I'm tired and the line is long. The light rain is steady now. I lean against Daddy and hug his leg.
"I love you, Daddy." I smile up at him. He smiles back. How do I tell him that with each new link, my necklace grows heavier and heavier?
Andrew Mikel lives in Spotsylvania.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Goldman Sachs or How' That Hope and Change Thing Going
A quick video from Glenn Beck concerning our government and Goldman Sachs. I ask all of you - how do you like hope and change now?
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