I am a swing voter

[Lepidopteran]

I am a swing voter, neither Republican nor Democrat. I supported President Bush in his response to September 11 and I supported the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But I like John Kerry's message about the need to do something about the people in this country who have no health insurance. It's a hard choice.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Note to self:

Get some rest. Spelling/punctuation/basic syntax slightly impaired after 24 hr. non-stop freepfest.

[Diddley]

It knows what a Troll is, but doesn't know whar a ZOT is.

Interesting.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Dude with head cold:

(Blowing nose on handkerchief.)

I'm Zot sneething. I'm da pictoor ob healt!

[The Raven]

Did the Post Office discover the internet?

The libs want a govenrment monopoly for heath care...and it doesn't get any worst than that. The "free" care will increase demand and naturally long lines result. The government will then determine that the cost is way too high. Then the pharmaceuticals and doctors will be told how much money they can keep.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Blame Canada!

[Getsmart64]

"Irregardless is a word that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used chiefly in nonstandard speech or casual writing."

Well..irregardless of the meaning of irregardless...it's not a thesis...just a flippant response in a publik forum...

[Diddley]

:-)

[orlop9]

The only problem with forcing them to read Williams is that sooo many are incapable of learning from the experience.

[Caipirabob]

This post was the third borderline questionable newbie post I've seen just this morning. There were already two that were zotted so fast they only got two replies or so. The Admin is at the top of his game. I barely had time to prepare the above gif before they got pulled. I figured this was "my moment"... : )

The "tipper" was the thought that Kerry had any viable thoughts on healthcare. That put me over the edge.

[Watery Tart]

Well, Mme. Butterfly is still around (back into her cocoon?)--a NOT ZOT. I don't vote for it becoming our new lost thread. It is not worthy of Suggestion #Trey.

I'm not interested in #Oncet. She has said she wants to go elsewhere in search of answers, and was pointed at DiminutiveUnderparts. Good luck on her.

Looks like I vote for the Deuce. Let 'er go, big guy. This one wasn't meant to be....

[protest1]

"Do you think I should buy them a car, a house, a trip to the Bahamas too?"

YES please!... well I am not greedy forget about the house but how about a boat? Oh... and a crate of beer to drink on the beach while I am cruising the Bahamas in my boat....

Ah.... this is the life....

...sits back waiting for goodies to arrive...
;)

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

Gee, a kind word. Thanks. I'm not sure if I will stick around though. My skin is thick enough but I don't need this kind of abuse. I will look elsewhere to help make my decision in November. ~~ Lepidopteran

You're doing fine, Butterfly.

Ignore the Bushist mobs -- for all their numbers and vehemence, they have no power to "fry" your account without the say-so of the Owner and the Moderators of this Forum... and, obviously, the Powers That Be have not seen fit to "fry" your account yet, now, have they?

Instead, focus upon obtaining the answers to the questions which you have advanced. You state the following:

I like John Kerry's message about the need to do something about the people in this country who have no health insurance.

Let me modify your observation somewhat, and address instead the matter of Public Education -- surely we can both agree that Education, like Health Care, is a desirable Good that we should like to see advanced and extended for the benefit of the Public, neh?

Let us, then, address the matter of Public Education first from a Utilitarian perspective, and then from a Principled perspective.

---

• From a UTILITARIAN Perspective -- I, like my elder and younger brothers, was educated in the Government Edumbifikashun Warehouses, an exercise costing my widowed mother (and taxpayers like her) an estimated $7,000 dollars per-child, per-year in combined Federal, State, and Local spending to fund the Publik Skooling system, and incorporating a "one-size-fits-all" curriculum which was in no way specially designed to commensurate with our Traditionalist Protestant culture and history -- let alone anyone else's, really.

  HOWEVER, for my youngest brother, my widowed mother was able to secure education in a Private Reformed-Christian Academy, incorporating not only the basic curricula of the Government Edumbifikashun Warehouses as pertains to Math, Science, Literature, and History (and at standards superior to those of the Publik Skools), but also a Classical education in Greek, Latin, Logic, Rhetoric, and Theology in addition thereto... all for a Tuition Cost of approximately $3,900 dollars per-child, per-year.

  Given, then, that the Private Sector has demostrated a proven ability to deliver better Educational Services at barely half the Cost of the Government Monopoly, would it not make sense (from a UTILITARIAN perspective) to discuss the Total Privatization of the Public Educational System? I mean, unless you want generation after generation of American Children to continue to suffer and decline...

• However, there is also the matter of a PRINCIPLED Perspective. Suppose that Five Families are congregated together in a Room (we shall call this Room, a "Nation-State"). And suppose further that Four of the Five Families decide together that every Family within the Room must contribute a certain amount of their wealth (monies which a Family could otherwise spend on food, housing, clothing, health care, et cetera) in order to fund a Publik Skooling system for all the Children of the Room.

  The Fifth Family wants nothing to do with this Scheme, having elected instead to spend their monies on food, housing, clothing, health care, et cetera. They desire no subsidy whatsoever from the other Four Families, but only prefer to educate their Children instead within the Home or within their Church.

  IF the Four Families enforce their diktat by Government Coercion, compelling the Fifth Family to contribute to their "Publik Skooling" scheme whether the Fifth Family wants to or not, then have they not committed Theft? Cloak it however you will in the language of "Democracy" and "Majority Rule"... have they not imposed their Will upon the Fifth Family, taken their monies by force, and forced their own Beliefs on those of the Fifth Family?

---

From this anecdote, I hope you will begin to realize that all questions of Politics must begin from a consideration of First Principles. If you don't start there, you might as well give up on any hope of Justice and Equity in Law, whatsoever.

First principles, Clarice. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? ~~ Sir Anthony Hopkins, "The Silence of the Lambs"

Best, OP

[metesky]

[BamaAndy]

There's no one in the country NOW who cannot be treated. Smoke and mirrors on the part of power craving democrat-socialists will be harmful to you and me...and the country. Think of the judiciary--it would be a disaster for our liberties. Think of the taxes--you ain't seen nothing yet. Think of being forced to swallow revisionist history, a secular "theocracy," paying for abortions, paying more for oil--because we don't use out resources, and losing more jobs overseas (can't be competitive with our government in the way), trial lawyers on a new, more vigorous rampage against--well, US, and finally, think of the weak intel and military the democrats give us every time. These people are liars and wrong on every issue.

[jongaltsr]

If you are a "Swing Voter" next time you go to vote - Get rid of the boxers.

[Watery Tart]

Ping to # 272.

[jongaltsr]

If you are a "Swing Voter" next time you go to vote - Get rid of the boxers.

[metesky]

I guess a swing voter should never venture into this forum.

You must have missed this:

Free Republic is an online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web.

Conservatism, get it?

[backhoe]

 

[SonlitKnight]

The reason health insurance is so high is because of the excessive cost of malpractice insurance resulting from frivolous damage claims won by trial lawyers. Kerry/Edwards is the most pro-trial lawyer ticket in American history.
Edwards himself made millions using junk science to show a supposed link between natural child birth and cerebral palsy.