politics

A friend of mine (Evangelical Pastor who I am working on a website for) forwarded this email from Jonathan Falwell:

Our Fading Reverance for Life
Jonathan Falwell

As a pastor, I am blessed to have a variety of people and people types under my care.  From newborn babies to adolescents to newlyweds and young parents to the recently retired and even people approaching the century mark, I consider it an honor to serve as pastor to each of them.
That’s why I am troubled by some wording in President Obama’s universal healthcare plan now pending in the U.S. House that would require “end of life” counseling for senior citizens.  As reported by WorldNetDaily.com, former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey is warning people to “protect their parents” from this measure.
Speaking of Section 1233 of the legislation, Ms. McCaughey stated on Fred Thompson’s radio broadcast, “One of the most shocking things is page 425, where the Congress would make it mandatory absolutely that every five years people in Medicare have a required counseling session.  They will tell [them] how to end their life sooner.”
I guess this is the next logical step in our modern culture of death.  Since we have become culturally dispassionate regarding abortion—and the reality that living humans are killed largely for the sake of convenience—it is small wonder that contemporary Big Brother would also target the elderly.
Earlier this week, I received a Patriot Post e-mail (http://patriotupdate.com/home/exclusive/13) titled, “The Ten Commandments According to Obama.”  One of the commandments read: “Honour thy father and thy mother until they are too old and sick to care for.  They will cost our public-funded health-care system too much money.”
After reading about the language in the universal healthcare plan, it struck me that the Patriot Post satire was terribly pertinent.
Let’s go to Scripture to learn about the value of the elderly.  It is important to understand that God has a role for every believer—no matter how old he/she is.  Let’s examine the first chapter of the Book of Titus to gain some insight into the value of our seniors.
In verses1-2 we read: “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.  Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in faith, in love and in endurance” (NIV).
We see here that older men are not to be eschewed or disregarded.  Instead, they are to be revered and given vital roles to play within the church.
Let’s read on.  In verse 4 we read how older women have a crucial role to play in the church.  “Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the Word of God.”
We see that God has plans for senior ladies too, specifically regarding the family and ministry to younger women in the church.
Nowhere in Scripture do I read where we are to discuss hospice care with seniors so they’re willing to get out of the way and let younger folks live more expediently.
At Thomas Road Baptist Church I am privileged to know a man named Charlie Harbin, who has been a part of our Pastoral Visitation Team for many years.  Now in his late 80s, Charlie now works part-time, but he remains energetic, wise and passionate about serving Jesus Christ and ministering to others.  I wouldn’t dream of asking him to consider getting out of the way so that a younger guy could do his job because the fact is that a younger man couldn’t hold a candle to Charlie.  I hope he is able to minister for many more years.
I mention Charlie knowing that he is emblematic of millions of Americans who are vital to our churches and our society.
Age should not define us.  Further, a bunch of faceless government poobahs who want to classify our existence should not be permitted to outline end-of-life policies for our seniors.  This is America, where we are to be free from government intrusion to live out our lives as we see fit.

Jonathan Falwell

To which I replied after an hour of research:

First things first: here is a copy of the bill (HR3200) online (from the Library of Congress): http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200:

Here is the interview from the Fred Thompson show: ( http://fredthompsonshow.com/premiumstream?dispid=320&headerDest=L3BnL2pzcC9tZWRpYS9mbGFzaHdlbGNvbWUuanNwP3BpZD03MzUxJnBsYXlsaXN0PXRydWUmY2hhcnR0eXBlPTMyMCZwbGF5bGlzdFNpemU9MQ== )

Betsy’s quote that Pastor Jonathan Falwell is referencing occurs at 1 minute and 21 seconds in.

To preface my stance with some background info: Elizabeth “Betsy” McCaughey is on the Board of Directors of Cantel Medical Group ( http://www.cantelmedical.com/about/directors.html stock share information: http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/13/mccaughey-biotech/ )

One of the provisions the Stimulus Bill from February is “Comparative Effectiveness Research.” Administration officials and leading Democrats in Congress say the idea will help government programs direct their dollars to treatments that are worth the money. ( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123423024203966081.html ) McCaughey’s attack on this is found at about 2:30 in the same interview.

So basically, the plan is to axe the more expensive, less useful treatments and naturally, Cantel Medical Group and it’s Board are worried, hence the attack on Section 1233.

(Again, a copy of the bill can be found here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200: )
“The section under question by McCaughey is Section 1233 of HR3200 (the House health care bill) and it is amending subsection s(2) of Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x). Section 1233 of HR3200 adds new sub-paragraph (FF) to the list of what Medicare will pay for as defined in Section 1861 of the Social Security Act.

Section 1233 is saying that Medicare will pay for an “advance care planning consultation” no more often than once every five years unless the patient’s health status changes as a result of certain diagnoses or the patient is admitted to a nursing home, long-term care facility, or hospice. Such a consultation may result in a written directive about care and that directive may include information about such areas as antibiotics and intravenous feeding and hydration as well as the usual DNR instructions and any wishes with regard to facility transfer.

In other words, Section 1233 is creating a new type of “treatment” that will be paid for by Medicare. It will only pay for one such consultation every five years unless the patient’s health status changes, in which case Medicare will pay for a consultation when that change occurs. This is not a mandate; this is a new entitlement. It may not be an entitlement everyone likes but it is still something extra for those on Medicare.” (cited: http://firebrandblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/cry-wolf.html )

Snopes article ( http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/euthanasia.asp )

THIS IS FALWELL’S INTERPRETATION OF THE VERY BIASED AND PURPOSELY MISLEADING CLAIMS OF MCCAUGHEY.

In the grand scale of things: This method of debate has been used by the Left against the Right against their Social Security reform ( http://grimbeorn.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html#6325270601161799842) The Socialist/Communist perception of Dems by the Right is perpetuated by this kind of email forward. The thought of thousands of people receiving this newsletter and automatically accepting it as truth worries me a great deal but I doubt that this back-and-forth battle will ever be won.

PS, in semi-related news… There is a car in our parking garage that has had it’s bumper stickers defaced/stolen… first was the standard McCain/Palin from the general election

(which i witnessed someone defacing with a key) and was quickly replaced with another (same) standard endorsement sticker which was either defaced/stolen or just replaced by the owner:

Then there was this one

Which initially infuriated me but after some calming down from my awesome girlfriend and the reddit community, it subsided.

It disappeared.

More currently there was this one:

Well that one didn’t last long at all because apparently “management” is on to the Bumper Sticker Bandit and posted this:

I find this all hilarious… especially now since I just went out and took that pic only to find ANOTHER birth cert sticker on the car:

because now that i think about it:
IT’S A TWO PACK!!! This guy (and patriotdepot.com presumably) anticipated the unpopularity of this sticker…

Watching this slow battle of the nitwits has made me want to get involved…
perchance I will replace his claims of surveilled evidence with this:

but alas, I think this post will be as far as I go…

(PPS, I am NOT the Bumper Sticker Bandit, although it would be a delightful moniker for this ridiculous fight only because I thought of it and I could retain my monogram BSB)