Medical Care and Cars: A Brief Comparison

In the free market system, some people drive nicer cars than other people. Some people drive Hummers, Cadillacs, and BMW's; others of us drive used vehicles made during the Clinton administration. In any case, nearly everyone is able to meet their transportation needs.

In the free market system, some people are able to afford more/better medical care than other people. Some people go to the doctor frequently and/or have great insurance coverage; others go less frequently and may have to pay out of pocket. In any case, nearly everyone is able to meet their medical needs.

In the Obama system, all people should drive cars of equal value. They must trade in their "clunkers" [to be destroyed] and obtain new cars—which will supposedly save them money in the long run, due to government rules on fuel economy and such. However, car production capacity is finite, and new cars must be rationed. Not everyone gets a new car.

In the Obama system, everyone [in theory] gets equal access to health care. In order to accomplish this, various taxes are instituted and government controls and rules are put in place. Healthcare becomes a limited asset which must be rationed; not everyone will obtain what they need.

Just hope that your body isn't a "clunker"....you know what the Obama system does with those, don't you?!?

The Obama healthcare system, by the way, promises that all of us will be able to have "Cadillac healthcare." By the time our healthcare system is ravaged, though, we'll all be getting "clunker healthcare."

Michiganders (and certain others) About To Be Denied Proper Representation in Census

According to this wsj.com article, the upcoming 2010 Census will, like the three preceding it, be using a count of all persons physically present in the country to determine apportionment in Congress for the upcoming decade—including persons here illegally. The result of this will be to give disproportionately higher numbers of representatives to those states which have disproportionately higher numbers of illegal aliens.

Who wins and who loses under this scenario?

Winners: California is projected to have nine additional representatives in Congress, compared to the results if a count of only legal, permanent residents was done. Texas would get four additional representatives. Depending on the actual counts, several other states could pick up an additional seat, including Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New York, and New Jersey.

Losers: Several states right now are looking at the possibility of losing a Congressional seat regardless of this issue, but states at risk include Michigan, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Ohio could lose a second seat if illegal immigrants are counted. New York and New Jersey stand to lose a seat under a proper count, but could gain it back if illegal immigrants are counted.

What should we do?

For Michiganders, this is very much a bi-partisan issue. Our entire congressional delegation in D.C. should demand that the census only count legal, permanent residents of the country; legislation should be introduced to make this happen. Furthermore, co-sponsors should sprout up like weeds from such places as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and other states which either stand to lose a seat(s) or which will likely be unaffected regardless of the specific count.

We need to contact our representatives, regardless of their party, and demand action on this front. As Cameron Brown said in a MIRS interview recently, "If people can't have confidence in our election process, in our election system, they will not have confidence in government, period."

We have the greatest governmental system on the planet, and it is in the interests of all citizens to keep it healthy and honest. Eternal vigilance is required.

Hymn of the Week: I Gave My Life For Thee

This very first hymn of Frances Havergal was inspired by a painting of Christ with the subtitle, "This have I done for thee; What hast thou done for me?" She wrote the words and her father wrote a tune for them [The tune in hymnals today was later written by Philip P. Bliss].

The theme is very simple: Christ did everything for us; Have we done anything for Him in return? The One Who created us and provided our salvation is worthy of everything we have, are, and can do. Meditate upon this blessed thought today.

I Gave My Life For Thee

I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed,
That thou might ransomed be, and raised up from the dead
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?

My Father’s house of light, My glory circled throne
I left for earthly night, for wanderings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for Me?

I suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony, to rescue thee from hell.
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for Me?

And I have brought to thee, down from My home above,
Salvation full and free, My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to Me?

Good News! I've Solved the Illegal Immigrant Problem!

I have developed a two-pronged solution to the illegal immigrant problem.

First, we need to go national on the NYC plan for the homeless: If they are here illegally, we buy them a one-way plane ticket (or bus ticket, if they're already close enough to Mexico) to where they ought to be. I figure if we spend $500 per illegal immigrant and there are 15 million of them, the government spends $7.5 billion. A relative bargain!

[Of course, with the government running the program, the costs will be higher...but even at $1000 per illegal immigrant and even if the government could find 20 million of them, it's still just $20 billion. By California standards alone, that's a good deal.]

Second, I think we as a nation have been ignoring the example of our neighbors to the north in Quebec. Up there, they all stubbornly speak one language and look down upon those who deign to visit and not speak their mother tongue. That—and the cold weather—easily explains why most of us don't want to live there!

These simple steps alone should put a huge dent in the problem. I'll try to make some headway on that world peace problem this weekend.

Time to Apply the Pressure!

Congress is embarking upon its summer recess. When your Congressman or Senator comes to your area, you need to introduce yourself and politely make a few things known to him or her. For your convenience, here are some talking points:

• Under no circumstances whatsoever is a government takeover of heathcare acceptable. None. No compromises are acceptable, either. Government simply needs to get out of the way.
• Government spending is ridiculously out-of-control and must be severely curtailed. Pork projects, bailouts, "stimuli," and presidential date nights to far-off locales need to stop (OK, maybe your congressman can't do much about that last one).
• Taxes must not go up. Welfare, including such forms as the EIC, needs to shrink.

[Commentary on that last point: Given the ludicrous complexity of the U.S. Tax Code, it has become nearly impossible to change it in any way without affecting someone with higher taxes. I really don't have a problem with people who pay no taxes now, due to the EIC or other similar targeted tax credits, paying something more equitable if those tax credits are removed.]

If your Congressman hasn't extricated himself from the discussion by this point, select your favorites from this list below:

• Illegal immigration, since it is illegal, needs to be stopped. With vigor.
• Guantanamo is the ideal place for terrorist enemies of our country.
• The Second Amendment is every bit as much a part of our Constitution as the First Amendment.
• Abortion is murder, and since murder is illegal, it needs to be stopped. With vigor. The Supreme Court was supremely wrong on that one.
• Car manufacturing should be in the hands of the private sector.

The point here is to impress upon your Congressman that there are many voters who have strong feelings on these issues, and that these people will vote in the next election. We want them to return to Washington next month with the strong feeling that many voters are watching and taking notes, and that if they support the Obama/socialist agenda, they do so at their own electoral peril.

Top Ten Hymns: The Runners-Up

Here is a collection of absolutely wonderful hymns that I like, but which I could not squeeze into the Top Ten list (alphabetized by title). One stanza of each is included:

Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed? (Words by Isaac Watts [Refrain by Ralph Hudson]; the most common tunes are Martyrdom by Hugh Wilson, which omits the refrain, and Hudson, by Ralph Hudson, which includes it. Also goes by the title At The Cross when the refrain is used)

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?
[originally, For such a worm as I?]

Refrain

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (Words by Edward Perronet. It is one of the few hymns sung to three widely-recognized tunes: Coronation by Oliver Holden, Diadem by James Ellor, and Miles Lane by William Shrubsole)

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.

At Calvary (Words by William Newell, Music by Daniel Towner) Here is the final stanza and refrain:

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

Battle Hymn of the Republic (Words by Julia Ward Howe; Music source unknown) Here is the little-used fourth stanza:

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

Jesus Loves Me (Words by Anna B. Warner; Music by William Bradbury) Many people don't think of this as a hymn, though it is; it is, along with Amazing Grace, one of the two most recognized Christian songs in the world. It also contains one of the simplest and most easily understood doctrinal statements on the earth: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Words by Isaac Watts; Music: Hamburg by Lowell Mason) Meditate on this final stanza:

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Care to contribute one to the list? Leave a comment!

Past Entries in this Series:

Top Ten Hymns Countdown #1: Amazing Grace

Top Ten Hymns Countdown #2: Holy, Holy, Holy
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #3: The Old Rugged Cross
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #4: Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #5: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #6: To God Be The Glory
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #7: Onward Christian Soldiers
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #8: How Great Thou Art
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #9: It Is Well With My Soul
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #10: All Creatures of Our God and King

Introduction

Work and Gratitude

Have you ever noticed that when you have worked hard for something, saving your money and making the necessary sacrifices, that you tend to treasure it more?

Case in point: I drive a 1997 Lumina with almost 142,000 miles on it. It was paid for about five years ago. I like my car. It's hardly unique (Chevrolet made a bazillion of them and most are the same color as mine) and it doesn't turn heads—but it's mine. I like it. I change the oil; I don't race it; I don't let my children eat in it. For its age, it's in good shape...because I (and its previous owner) valued it and took care of it.

And although I was not reckless with my parents' cars during my school days—respect and fear banded together to prevent that—I did not "value" or "cherish" them in the same way that I do my own vehicle.

This analogy is certainly applied to education; parents who pay for their children to go to a private school or who make the efforts to homeschool them tend to put a greater value on that education, and to instill such value in the children. Public school education...not quite so much, on average.

Similarly, on those rare times when I see a doctor, I tend to "value" his advice and pump him for more. Why? Because I am usually shelling out my money for it...and I want my money's worth.

So what will happen if we have government-run health care provided to us? Will I be as inclined to care for my body, knowing that my doctor bills are paid for? Or will I go to the doctor all the more often at every sniffle, scratch, ache, and pain...clogging up the inevitable line at his office?

But for the purposes of this post, another question: Will I be as grateful for what I receive? Will I value it? Or will I become ungrateful and arrogant, feeling that it's deserved by me because...I'm me?

To work hard for something, and to grateful when it's received, ought to be hallmarks of any good citizen and any good Christian.

Manners, Beers, and Obama

What do those three things have in common? Observe the picture below:


Obama is evidently thinking about beer (or photographers, or who knows what else). Crowley, the much-maligned-as-a-racist yet diligent police officer, is helping Dr. Gates down the steps. Honoring his elder fellow citizen. It appears the president, um, overlooked this opportunity.

Update: Furthermore, did you wonder where this picture can be found? On the White House's own blog! Could it be that even the president's staff is oblivious to the appearances of the men in the photo??

Top Ten Hymns Countdown #1: Amazing Grace

Anyone knowledgeable about hymns who looked at the last entry in this series could probably have figured out that Amazing Grace surely had to be #1. It is probably the most popular and best-known hymn in the English language.

That "Amazing Grace" about which John Newton wrote was incredibly apparent in his own life. In his youth he was a sailor who became godless and reprobate. He eventually commanded a slave trading ship. Once he was saved, he experienced that grace of which he wrote and eventually became a minister in England. He served God for many years thereafter.

Newton wrote lyrics to many other hymns (perhaps the best known of which is Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken) but none is remotely close to the popularity and ubiquity of Amazing Grace. Meditate upon these words—all seven stanzas—and if they mean nothing to you, consider and accept God's grace that He offers freely to all of us.

Coming tomorrow: The Runners-Up

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Past Entries in this Series:

Top Ten Hymns Countdown #2: Holy, Holy, Holy
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #3: The Old Rugged Cross
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #4: Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #5: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #6: To God Be The Glory
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #7: Onward Christian Soldiers
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #8: How Great Thou Art
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #9: It Is Well With My Soul
Top Ten Hymns Countdown #10: All Creatures of Our God and King

Introduction