This morning’s e-mail brought a press release from the 10th Amendment Foundation promising a suit on constitutional grounds the very second that the president signs a health care bill. Such a suit, if successful, would also eliminate Medicare and, no doubt, a number of other federal health care related programs as well. The likelihood of success is slim, but the media coverage would be enormous, especially in certain sectors of the entertainment industry specializing in political hysteria.
I’m disappointed that America seems so easily captivated by a hot movement of small minds and cold hearts, but I also recognize that it’s been that way off and on for a long time. The Dixiecrats and paranoid ‘commie under every bed’ gang of the 1950s come to mind right away, but before them was the hugely popular America First and fellow isolationists movement egged on by media outlets that were rabidly anti FDR.
As I’ve said before, the difference between then and now is the existence of 24 hour talk radio and cable imitation news programming that take delight in fomenting the worst in the American psyche while proclaiming that their only interest is for the patriotic well being of the country.
It could get a few older folks' attention when word of possible medicare cancellation starts circulating:) Those who would have the government stay out of their business but oh by the way they still want their ss and medicare! Nice post.
CP:I have waited to respond until I could think through this. You write, \”I’m disappointed that America seems so easily captivated by a hot movement of small minds and cold hearts.\”First, you don't really know that all persons who wonder about the constitutionality of government mandated health care have small minds and cold hearts. That is terribly presumptuous of you. Thanks for lumping us all together with dixiecrats and all those other folks you hate. How very illiberal of you.But second, the issue of the constitutionality of anything has nothing to do with emotions and feeling about assisting others. This is a liberal red herring. It has to do with whether or not government mandated health care is constitutional, plain and simple. That is where the debate should be; not on those who do not take your position as cold and uncaring.And by the way, it can be argued that the big losers in all of this will be the people who need health care the most. Whether or not that is true remains to be seen, but it might shift the question as to who is cold-hearted. The House plan that just passed is supposed to cut Medicare big-time. What are the implications of that for seniors?Just thoughts from one of those small-minded individuals.
Now Alan,I could be more sympathetic if I thought the 10th Amendment gang was truly interested in the whole of the constitution (I have the same thoughts about the 2nd Amendment folks) . The press release I received had very little to do with what I consider to be a genuine and sober concern for constitutionality and everything to do with stopping health care reform at any cost. You might recall that the Dixiecrats, also called States Righters, claimed the same thing but were only interested using the 10th Amendment to maintain segregation and Jim Crow laws. The 10th Amendment is important and does establish a gentle shove against too much federal power. It deserves to be treated with respect. This aint it.CP
CP:Of course, I do not endorse everthing I hear from the 10th amendment folks, and I agree that more than a few are truly not concerned with the Constitution per se.Having said that, however, I think there is something to be said for how the right and the left have played fast and loose with the Constitution over the decades. I am not a Libertarian, but their critique of left and right and Constitutional interpretation should not be ignored. I have dabbled and Constitutional law, but do not consider myself to be an expert by any streatch of the imagination. But you and I and our biblical training have made us sensitive when it comes to interpreting texts. I am not sure that Congress interprets texts very carefully.