Thank You President Obama!

Friday morning we sat sipping our coffee and came across this story in the LA Times. We were so happy we had cake to celebrate!!!

President Obama late Thursday ordered most hospitals in the country to grant the same visitation rights to gay and lesbian partners that they do to married heterosexual couples. ... Obama ordered the [Secretary of Health & Human Services] to ensure that all hospitals getting Medicare and Medicaid money honor all patients' advance directives, including those designating who gets family visitation privileges.
The order also requires that documents granting power of attorney and healthcare proxies be honored, regardless of sexual orientation. The language could apply to unmarried heterosexual couples too.

The pen is mightier than the sword. We just want to say Thank you President Obama! Keep up the good work.

Liberty And Justice For All?

I originally planned to post a note about a 'Technology Sabbath'. I am strongly considering participating. It would be interesting to see how I respond to a day away from so much technology. I might get more work done in the garden. I might connect to people on a real level as opposed to electronically. Ideally the trend spreads and is observed by many. I feel like participating in large positive group events/movements, sends out a very powerful positive intention and energy. I like being a part of that. I guess because it feels empowering.

But after reading the latest news about Lieutenant Dan Choi, we all felt we should write something about his situation.
Lt. Choi was discharged from the military one year ago for coming out as being gay after serving honorably under Don't Ask Don't Tell for ten years. Yesterday he handcuffed himself to the fence in front of The White House in peaceful protest. Today he's being held under arrest with Jim Pietrangelo and until recently, 5 others as well. A good place to get quick updates on developments in the case is the getEQUAL facebook page. Their latest post says:

GetEQUAL Breaking!! Offered $100 fine, Dan & Jim plead NOT GUILTY and demand a jury trial. We do not plead guilty for equality. Trial set for April. More to come.

This morning over coffee, all three of us called both our US Senators and submitted our comments to the White House contact page We would urge you to voice your concerns over the treatment of Lt. Choi as well.
This is how we feel. We're appalled that the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy exists to begin with. How degrading and insulting to expect an entire arm of the organization to pretend to be something else and hide their reality from their peers, denying them the full self expression and equality of choice afforded everyone else in this country! We're appalled that people are being treated this way. Men and women who've served us and protected our country and our freedom, are being ostracized, dismissed and worse. That makes us wonder what century we're in. And to see Lt. Choi arrested & mistreated because he staged a peaceful protest on the sidewalk just makes us shake our heads! Why is this even an issue?! Why does this man have to handcuff himself to the fence and get attention and be noticed? Our country has had one group or another fighting for equality since it's birth! And equality always wins! Make no mistake, equality will win in this case too. Those who oppose equal rights for LGBT people are on the wrong side of history and soon, time will catch up with them. Just as it did for those against the lowly colonists first, then those against the slaves gaining equality, and those against the rights of women... That's how we feel.
So why did Lt. Choi handcuff himself to the fence one year after his discharge? If I were guessing, I would guess his answer might be something like this: Because people can only affect change when they know a problem exists. Well hello everyone, Dan Choi is asking for your attention for just a moment. He would like to tell you this is a problem. He would like his equal rights now please. Just like we've been proclaiming since Thomas Jefferson wrote The Declaration of Independence! Are we really a nation still refusing to recognize that hypocrisy? These discriminatory policies may not have been instituted by us, but as a nation, these policies stand in our name and reflect on us as a group. Since I'm a part of that group, I'd like these policies changed! Don't Ask Don't Tell is a specific example with a clear answer: Repeal. But it's not the only issue of equality the LGBT community faces. Issues like California's Proposition 8 abound all over the nation and these are more examples of things that need to change!
We hope you'll write to the white house about repealing DADT, as well as about fair treatment for Lt. Choi. We also hope you'll take a moment to call your representatives. It's so easy. This morning we called and said we were constituents of the senator etc, we heard of the Lt Choi arrest and didn't think this was just, also we wanted to urge the Senator to work toward repealing DADT immediately etc. It's a very quick phone call to a sweet-voiced young lady taking messages. To get the number to call your Senators, click here. To find a number for your US House Representative click here, enter your zip+4 in a box near the top left and you will get a link to your Representative. Mine had his contact numbers and addresses listed at the bottom of his page - I called the Washington DC office number. And I did all of it while I sipped my coffee. I don't think that's too much to do to further the cause of equality in a country which claims that as one of it's founding principles.

-Flora

Healthcare - Oh Boy, We Said The H-Word

Healthcare is such a huge issue right now and everyone has a different opinion. Political issues usually tend to divide down party lines but people are all over the place on this one. There are just so many variables. National healthcare sounds great, but then you think of the cost of new government agencies and offices, tax money going to things groups object to such as abortions, loopholes for third party lawsuits, the public option, co-ops, filibusters, objections on individual points of order... it's not surprising that a lot of people we know just want someone else to figure it out. Of course that sort of apathy scares the people who do want to participate. That attitude also prompts politicians to make decisions for us despite clear opposition from their constituents. The whole thing is a huge mess. Healthcare reform is in trouble before it has even begun.
And despite having the "best healthcare in the world" we're still in trouble because of the high costs. There are several reasons costs are so inflated. We hear about the ludicrous itemized costs associated with any hospital stay and it makes me wonder why hospitals have to nickle and dime patients for every little thing when costs are already so high? Then there is the issue of doctor fees. We can't deny that a doctor has been to an extreme amount of schooling and training and can command a fairly high rate. Nevertheless, the fact that there are fewer and fewer doctors in practice (likely due to high malpractice insurance rates - again with the insurance!) and thus no need for competitive pricing, further inflates costs. Another reason for high costs are all the uninsured people who wait till things are really bad, then go to an ER and receive treatment they can't pay for. Later, those costs may have to be absorbed by the hospital. Getting back to insurance issues - my dentist has a private practice with no partners. He has two dental assistants and four office staff. One dentist and two assistants need four people just to handle all the paperwork between their office and the insurance companies! A friend of ours is constantly calling her insurance company to question charges on her daughters doctor bills. Almost every time she calls they tell her the partial coverage was "a mistake", they easily "re-review the claim" and everything goes through. This seems fishy to me. This seems like Aetna is hoping that instead of calling to argue, she'll just take the easy way and pay the bills herself.
With all the objections regarding the current bill on the table, one thing keeps coming back to me. Why should this plan not be the employer provided plan available to all of congress? Is this plan they're trying to pass, somehow sub-par? I can see a lot of problems with this and still I'm told I don't understand all the ins and outs of the bill (probably true). But don't try to first tell me that you know better/more about it and it's fine, but then second, turn around and refuse to participate yourself. I'm not stupid and that's a huge red flag.
-Flora

The real crisis with healthcare stems from the fact that people are looking to the government to step in and take over, but this is a huge conflict of interest. One of our biggest money making industries in this country is the pharmaceutical industry - an industry in the business of treating illness, not curing it. The lobbyists for these companies are pulling strings in Washington, make no mistake. So we need to be honest with ourselves and ask the question - is the government really the right entity to reform healthcare? Especially when you take into consideration what has happened with any entity the government has bailed out in the past. Because that is basically what this would be: a huge bailout of the insurance companies. There's no question that healthcare is an issue and that reform is a must, but as long as we're waiting for someone outside ourselves to step in and take over, we're giving up our rights, and it will never be what we needs because these are our bodies and we are the ones concerned with them.I'm not going to pretend to know all the answers here, but one thing I do know is that it's time to start being responsible for our own health and well-being, as far as that's possible. Especially when it is in the interest of government and big business to maintain sickness rather than wellness. It's time to get creative and start looking for our own answers. All I can do is speak for myself, but what I've done is found a chiropractor/naturopath who maintains our structural health - which has made a huge difference, I treat myself and my family with herbs & homeopathy - significantly cheaper than pharmaceuticals, I focus on nutrition, education, and preventive care. I also search for answers online - in this age of information, it's all at our fingertips. I do acknowledge this doesn't work for everyone, and there are times when medical intervention is necessary. However I do believe that individually, through education, we can and should find a balance between self-directed care and doctor-directed care. Really instead of waiting for someone else to come save us, we need to be responsible for our own health.
-Merriweather

Snow Day?

How do we feel about wasting $100M each day to pay government employees for sitting at home in the snow?  Well not great.  Especially when President Obama advised all government offices, last year, to implement strategies for teleworking in these exact situations, and an alarmingly low percentage have complied.  The president is working right now despite the snow.  Most of his staff are also working, from home.  Reportedly the resistance to telecommuting comes from management in most cases.  Managers feel they can't keep a handle on their staff when they can't see what they're doing.  But with all the advances in technology, wide spread workforces and environmental responsibilities, public agencies as well as private corporations really need to recognize the benefits of telecommuting.  eBay was originally a pioneer in telecommuting programs but recently shocked us by permanently pulling their entire remote customer service workforce back into regional offices.  The program was a small percentage of their full workforce but was comprised of several hundred employees who were able to work without driving 9 out of every ten work days.  This sort of step backward confuses us and makes us wonder what they'll do next.  What do our readers see are the advantages and disadvantages of having a remote workforce?  We'd love to hear your opinions.

-Flora

On Repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell

We got together for coffee this morning and the subject of Don't Ask Don't Tell came up. This was Congress and the US Military's answer in the early 90's, to previous policies regarding gay service members. It was supposed to be a gentler policy, but it ended up causing a huge number of gay and lesbian related discharges, as well as untold costs over the years. All three of us feel Don't Ask Don't Tell is long past due for repeal and Tuesday brought some welcome progress in that arena. On January 27, President Obama called for a repeal of DADT in his State of the Union address. And one week later in the Senate Armed Services Committee, several top US Military leaders addressed congress. We really love it when unexpected people step forward to show support for a worthy cause! Thanks to one of our readers who sent us this video link of Democracy Now.

To watch the episode, go here. It's about 30 minutes long - we really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

We really loved the words of Admiral Mike Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who said:

Mr. Chairman, speaking for myself, and myself only, it is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, personally, it comes down to integrity, theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.

Bravo!

We're not so fond of Defense Secretary Robert Gates' claim which asserts that the Pentagon needs a year to review and implement these policy changes. But we're pleased he supports the repeal nonetheless.

Of course Senator John McCain opposes the repeal - surprise, surprise. Interestingly, McCain stated on an episode of Hardball: College Tour back in 2006, that he was simply listening to the leadership of the military in his choice to support the policy. He also said that if the military leadership were to come to him in support of a repeal of the policy, he would strongly consider such. Well here we are today and Senator McCain, the ranking Republican in the Senate, is still vehemently opposed to lifting the ban. Despite the words of top military leaders. Also despite his own daughter being a lesbian in support of this policy change. Also despite the fact that both of his sons, who too serve in the military, support the repeal of DADT!

Merriweather almost spilled her coffee when we heard John McCain claim that the policy had been effective! We're not sure what world he's living in! And we loved what guest Nathaniel Frank had to say about that!

It’s hard to know where to begin with him. I think he was visibly angry yesterday. But his inconsistencies are difficult to understand. You know, you wonder if it’s personal. Historically, he’s not been known as being ... the most anti-gay Republican lawmaker. We know he has high-level gay staff. And yet, this seems very personal to him. Of course, he’s facing ... a difficult political landscape. And so, it’s not clear to me if this is a personal or a political decision, but it’s certainly irrational.

And to say that this works—I mean, two-thirds of servicemembers already know or suspect gays in their units, and the other third are kidding themselves if they really think that they’ve never shared quarters with a gay person. So the policy has failed at its most basic goal, which was to shield servicemembers of knowledge of gay people. And not to mention all of the costs, in terms of talent, money and morale for gay people. So it’s a complete failure. It’s hard for him to say otherwise.

There are currently 25 countries that allow gays to serve openly in their military. All 25 made the implementation quickly and without apology or hesitation. This is what we need to do now! As Gates said, "We have received our orders from the Commander-in-Chief, and we are moving out accordingly."

And may we add: It's about time!!!

-Flora