Thanks be to God. The National Catholic Reporter and the Catholic Health Organization have endorsed the health care bill. They are apparently taking some flak because the bill supposedly funds abortions. Not true. There is specific language against federal funds being used for abortion. This was just another handful of mud being thrown at the wall to see if it sticks. The campaign against health care reform has been nothing but fear mongering and flat out lies.

It's a little insulting to any group of people to assume that they all think and vote alike. Catholics, Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, Women, and blue collar workers, all have plenty in common with their respective groups, but they don't think, feel, and vote in lock step. As a Catholic, I alternate between cringing and cheering regarding the official views of the church on any particular subject. Why should a health care bill that may or may not use taxpayer money to pay for abortions be any different? Catholic Bishops are not officially on board with this bill because it is not the ideal bill and because they are convinced that people may be paying for abortions with their insurance premiums. True, community health clinics will receive funds, and Planned Parenthood is a community health clinic, but Planned Parenthood is not an abortion factory. I don't believe that all Planned Parenthood clinics even provide abortions. They do provide birth control, counseling and other services that some women (those with no health insurance) would not otherwise have access to.

This was the last mud pie in the arsenal, and it doesn't look like it's going to stick. Death panels, fines for people not participating in the new "socialized medicine", hired screaming mad constituents, the latest commercials claiming that this bill is being rammed down America's throat, and now, the ultimate weapon......just tell America that this bill funds abortions and it will go down like a lead balloon. Thank God that the NCR , CHO and the women's religious groups that also endorsed this bill had the courage to act on the facts, and not run at the mention of abortion and health care bill in the same sentence.

Let's not forget that part of health care is reproductive care. Would we really tank this bill because Planned Parenthood may receive federal funds? Planned Parenthood provides reproductive care to women who cannot get it from any other provider. Would we really deny so many Americans a chance to have health care insurance because an organization that provides abortions may receive funds? Even with specific language that forbids the funds from being used for abortion? This bill is not being rammed down our throats. Universal health care was one of the planks in candidate Obama's campaign. This is not a new or surprise concept. He campaigned on universal health care, among other things, and was elected to the Presidency. The American people spoke more than a year ago and they overwhelmingly voted to change the health care system in America.

Because of all the accusations of sexual abuse and the settlements that appear to confirm guilt, it hasn't been easy for Catholics lately. Our political beliefs, social status, educations, and ethnic backgrounds are many and span a huge spectrum. What unites us are the broad ideas like God, Jesus, Mary, the Holy Spirit, love, forgiveness, justice, and charity. It would be monumental for Catholics if we could all unite in support of a bill that helps those who are in need and rights some definite and serious wrongs in the system. Part of the Catholic mission here in the states and abroad is( and has been for years) providing healthcare to those who would otherwise do without. I hope that American Catholic Bishops will add their endorsement to this bill and encourage Catholics to support it. It would go a long way in repairing my wounded Catholic pride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=459Dny0aabI

Visit this link and see if you think Representative Trent Franks is a loon.

Well, I have to agree that abortions are never a happy event and I for one would be happy if they never happened. However, I support a woman's right to make that decision for herself, since she is the one who will carry, deliver, and possibly raise the child alone. That being said, I have a few issues with the Congressman on this subject. For instance....does he support sex education? I know that we all want to think that our little darlings are innocent and won't have sex until they are much older, but let's face it. Children and adolescents are being pounded by media images (including song lyrics) that scream SEX every day of their lives. They are already hormonal and ready to jump in and experiment. We don't need to push them along by dressing them to look sexy or by encouraging young boys to become sexually active to prove their manhood. By the way, teaching and encouraging young boys to "conquer" girls sexually is not going to establish the "correct" sexuality. If a child is going to be gay, there is nothing you can do to stop it.

We should be educating adolescents about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases, the most effective methods and dangerous myths about birth control, and the emotional toll that sex and sexual relationships can take. Some object to sex education because they feel that children are being taught to have sex. Not true. I was educated on the workings of the body and different birth control methods and I can not remember the teacher ever once recommending that we go out and try out our new skills. Kids need to know what can happen if they have sex and they need to know that they are not emotionally or financially ready to face some of the consequences. Parents, teachers, guardians and mentors should aggressively discourage their adolescents and teens from sexual activity. This includes girls and boys.

I cannot confirm or dispute the Congressman's statistic about half of all Black babies being aborted. Are Black children an "endangered species"? I think that one is also debatable. People in all demographics should have access to birth control and sex education. In a society where every one is truly equal, everyone has the same opportunity to be educated, no matter what the subject matter. Most importantly, the buck stops with the parents, since they are the major role models in a child's life.

I also am a little confused by the "abortion President" label. Has the President signed any new bills into law that ease regulations on abortion? If anything, more restrictions are being placed on women's health care and parental planning. The American Pharmacist's Association has a policy that says that pharmacists can refuse to give prescribed birth control on moral grounds. If we are trying to reduce the number of abortions performed, shouldn't we be encouraging the use of birth control? The hypocrisy of this policy is mind blowing. How many times have pharmacists turned away a patient who was picking up his Viagra?

Rush Limbaugh has a passion for humanity?.Rep. Franks had 11 surgeries before he was born? African Americans are worse off today than under slavery??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Shackles, A disease filled, miserable ride across the ocean, back breaking work, physical abuse, rape, humiliation and the total loss of identity? Wow, that does sound appealling. How did this man get elected? I don't think anyone should lose their job because of something they said. This is America and free speech is one of our dearest civil rights. I am going to call for the Senator's resignation, however, on the grounds of gross stupidity. Congressman, you are an ignorant moron. Shut up, go home, and stay there.

Today I heard on BBC radio that the new National Drug Control budget would be increased to 5 billion dollars. I was happy to see that programs like Access to Recovery, VA Treatment, the Second Chance Act, and programs for drug involved offenders were getting an increase in funds. It has been disappointing to hear conservative talk lambasting the President for having the gall to say that the U.S. is, in part, responsible for the increasingly violent drug wars along the border betweenthe U.S. and Mexico. Conservative talk show hosts insinuate that the President is sympathetic to the gangsters, accepting fault for the growing crisis and blaming America for the violence, torture, and death.

Of course no American ever forced one of these murderous lunatics to commit violence. I don't think that was what Obama was saying. I believe he was acknowledging the fact that the U.S. is the consumer of the drugs that are being trafficked into our country by the ton. The killing is over the right to control a license to print money, which we have created with our insatiable appetite for cocaine, marijuana, heroin, Ecstasy and methamphetamine.


I am glad to see that the new budget is allocating more money towards prevention and treatment. The funds for each will be increased by 13.4% and 3.7% respectively. After all, if there is no market for drugs, there wouldn't be anything to fight about, right? George W. Bush said plenty of stupid and corny things during his presidency, but he was right at least once during those 8 years. He said that if you are using drugs, you are helping the terrorists. Drugs don't just come from poppies in Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and Ecstasy are all being brought into the country by organized crime. The violence over drug sale territory is escalating to terrorist level. Unless you are growing your own pot, you are contributing to the "war" when you use any of these substances.



Unfortunately, the Obama administration also stated that they would not discuss the legalization of any of these substances. Here was the chance to really think and act outside the box, and the President is taking a pass. Can't we at least discuss federal recognition of medical marijuana laws? I think we spend too much time and funds chasing down marijuana. The most recent statistic on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration web sight was from 2005. The DEA seized 282,139 Kg's of marijuana that year. That does not include the pot that was actually consumed. Can you imagine the revenue that marijuana would generate if it were legalized, regulated, and taxed?

Take it easy, folks. I'm not advocating giving weed to kids. Marijuana should be treated like cigarettes and alcohol. It should only be available to adults. Of course, kids get a hold of cigarettes and alcohol anyway, but no one is talking about making either one of those drugs illegal. We tried to criminalize alcohol in the 20th century and that was a gigantic failure that turned organized crime into an institution. There are much more powerful and addictive drugs available from the pharmacy right now. Why are we fighting marijuana? I can only conclude that we are fighting the stigma. Marijuana is seen as a "gateway" drug that snares users and leads them to try harder drugs and spiral into addiction. Again, marijuana should not be available to kids. There should be a serious and honest debate about legalizing it for medical use, and eventually legalizing it completely. Let's stop fighting a substance that is about as harmful as cigarettes and beer and let's spend more time and effort fighting the use of and addiction to the other drugs that are being smuggled across our borders. We need to eradicate the consumers of the drugs and eventually the salesmen will go away.

Who gives a shit about Tiger Woods, really? The stiff , robotic and agonizingly long apology was unnecessary and none of our business. The only person who should have gotten the apology was his wife. His mistresses don't deserve an apology, either. Everybody on the planet knew he was married. If you have an affair with someone who is married, you give up any right to indignation when your married lover turns out to be a liar and maker of false promises. Your lover is breaking a sacred trust to his or her spouse already. Why would you expect them to suddenly be honest and true to their word where your relationship is concerned?

I hate to be so cynical, but it seems that Tiger was apologizing to to his sponsors. "Please continue paying me obscene amounts of money to wear and advertise your products.....I'm really a nice family man.....I AM!!!" We forgave Bill Clinton because our economy was strong and things were reletively peaceful on his watch. Charlie Sheen's knife fight with his wife was barely a blip on the radar. Why do we care that Woods cheated on his wife? Why are we still hanging on Tiger's every word, studying his facial expressions and wasting 14 minutes of precious time to hear him say "I'm sorry"? What difference does is make in the world if he whored around with lot's of women and now he is sorry that he got caught?

Elin Woods had the final say and definitive answer to the hysterical curiosity over the whole scandal......She didn't even show up. She spoke volumes by not showing her face or commenting. What I got from that was, it's over. What he did was unforgivable and you can call it sex addiction, entitlement, "everybody makes mistakes", "I'm only human" or what ever catch phrase you care to use in the attempt to smooth over this clusterfuck. The bottom line is, Elin Woods showed a lot of class by not sitting there like an idiot while her husband retold, thereby forcing her to relive, her humiliation like some simpering, defeated, politician's wife. It was nice not to listen to his apology and feel the twinge of sympathy for him, because isn't he brave, humble and moral to admit publicly that he made a "mistake"?

NO. A mistake is when you tell your friends to meet you at the movies at 8 o'clock but the movie doesn't start until 8:50. A mistake is forgetting one of your grocery bags at the checkout counter. Being human is losing your car keyes or forgetting your homework. Being human does not excuse you for doing the same mean, insensitive, dishonest, thing over and over and over again. People who cheat on their spouses know that what they are doing is wrong. They choose to do it anyway and deal with the consequences later. People who do it on a regular basis have no clue what marriage and commitment are and don't truly love anyone but themselves. If in the end, your spouse leaves you because he or she can never look you in the eye again without feeling bitter doubt, then that is your consequence. Live with it. Some things are so deliberate and hurtful that "I'm sorry" just doesn't fix it.

Not that I think Obama is doing a spectacular job as president. I voted for Hillary. When Obama won the Dems nomination, I had no choice but to support him. The alternative was just unacceptable. Besides, everyone hung the mantle of "hope" on the man......how broad and difficult a thing is that to deliver? That being said, I am becoming more of an Obama supporter out of spite for the Republican party. The health care movement has been stripped bare of anything substantial already and Republicans are still trying to kill it. Correction...they are trying to kill it, grind it up into hamburger, and feed the meat to stray dogs. What absolutely kills me is that Americans have believed the flat out lies that were told and spread about the original bill, leading eventually to it's demise. We continue to be our own worst enemy. I wish we could all leave poor Brad and Anjelina alone for five minutes and do some research about the real contents of the bill as well as do some fact checking on the claims made by politicians, talk show hosts, and spin doctors.