I know that there are reports that some of those 28 states have exemptions for specific groups and easy outs for any company. That wasn’t my point.
There was no outbreak of complaint and condemnation of this level when those laws were passed. More to my point, many companies run by religious organizations already provide insurance that covers contraception. When those same groups claim that the federal law is an attack on religion and conscience that must be opposed at all costs they are being hypocrites.
They were fine with covering contraception before, those companies still provide it now, so this new outrage is a sham. These are false cries of persecution concocted for personal ideological and in some cases political reasons.
It’s a fraud.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Feigned outrage
Suddenly religious leaders are upset because federal law requires all employers who offer health insurance to their employees to include contraceptives in the coverage. But for years they remained silent even though similar laws already exist in 28 states.
The law doesn’t affect religious institutions since churches, and their employees, are exempt. Only the private businesses that a church might run and their employees are covered, just like other businesses. By next year they have to offer contraception coverage. This is not about abortion, it’s about contraception and wellness care.
Companies under the direction of those same, complaining religious leaders have been following the law and covering contraception in their employee health insurance plans for years. There was no outrage or claim of persecution before. Until now there were no complaints, no letters or sermons spreading disinformation in an effort to rally opposition to a law that does nothing more than promote women’s health. There were no objections about providing contraception coverage – they were and are providing it.
But now there are self-righteous rants about religious freedom and tolerance and ridiculous arguments about attacking religion. Suddenly, what was tolerable in some cases is intolerable in all imaginable ways and lies must be used to oppose it.
I suppose the fact that this is all happening in an election year is just a coincidence.
I really don’t think that this is anything more than petty posturing, an attempt to exert what must be perceived as dwindling authority and maybe a distraction to take peoples’ minds off of the legal problems of certain religious institutions.
It also seems to be an attractive political position to some – though many people on that side are simply making fools of themselves.
If the government said that churches could not exist and that it was illegal to express a belief in religious principles I would consider that an attack on religion.
When a religious group wants to do business as a corporation operating under and taking advantage of the laws of the United States and is therefore required to abide by all of those laws just like everyone else – that is not an attack on religion.
The law doesn’t affect religious institutions since churches, and their employees, are exempt. Only the private businesses that a church might run and their employees are covered, just like other businesses. By next year they have to offer contraception coverage. This is not about abortion, it’s about contraception and wellness care.
Companies under the direction of those same, complaining religious leaders have been following the law and covering contraception in their employee health insurance plans for years. There was no outrage or claim of persecution before. Until now there were no complaints, no letters or sermons spreading disinformation in an effort to rally opposition to a law that does nothing more than promote women’s health. There were no objections about providing contraception coverage – they were and are providing it.
But now there are self-righteous rants about religious freedom and tolerance and ridiculous arguments about attacking religion. Suddenly, what was tolerable in some cases is intolerable in all imaginable ways and lies must be used to oppose it.
I suppose the fact that this is all happening in an election year is just a coincidence.
I really don’t think that this is anything more than petty posturing, an attempt to exert what must be perceived as dwindling authority and maybe a distraction to take peoples’ minds off of the legal problems of certain religious institutions.
It also seems to be an attractive political position to some – though many people on that side are simply making fools of themselves.
If the government said that churches could not exist and that it was illegal to express a belief in religious principles I would consider that an attack on religion.
When a religious group wants to do business as a corporation operating under and taking advantage of the laws of the United States and is therefore required to abide by all of those laws just like everyone else – that is not an attack on religion.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Uh
It occurred to me that it might appear, based on those last two posts, that I was linking my dreams to climate change. That was not my intent. After all with the dreams I'm talking about weather.
And the weather around here has been kind of cantankerous lately and far from stable.
The weather, I said the weather was cantankerous and unstable.
And the weather around here has been kind of cantankerous lately and far from stable.
The weather, I said the weather was cantankerous and unstable.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Dreams – the actual thing, not as in ‘hopes and …’
This doesn’t really apply or lead to anything, but…
I very often have strange dreams. They can be weird, bizarre, upsetting, distressing, funny even – the point being that when I wake up I think, ‘Boy, that was a weird dream.’.
I usually don’t remember the dreams, any part of them, for more than a few minutes. That is a good thing.
Last night I had three really weird dreams. The impression I had of them – no memory of them remember – was that they were on the high end of the weird scale. They make some of the others seem downright normal in comparison.
The level of weird seems to have been rising lately.
Is it the weather or something?
I very often have strange dreams. They can be weird, bizarre, upsetting, distressing, funny even – the point being that when I wake up I think, ‘Boy, that was a weird dream.’.
I usually don’t remember the dreams, any part of them, for more than a few minutes. That is a good thing.
Last night I had three really weird dreams. The impression I had of them – no memory of them remember – was that they were on the high end of the weird scale. They make some of the others seem downright normal in comparison.
The level of weird seems to have been rising lately.
Is it the weather or something?
It's too darn warm
I keep hearing that no one is complaining about the warm weather - I am. Sure, it feels nice and it's comfortable outside, but this isn’t normal for this part of the world. And I say that as someone who has serious physical problems dealing with cold weather.
I have trouble breathing in cold weather - though the dry air sure is nice - and my pain levels increase dramatically, as well as the frequency of pain spikes. But, to paraphrase, this just isn't right.
I have trouble breathing in cold weather - though the dry air sure is nice - and my pain levels increase dramatically, as well as the frequency of pain spikes. But, to paraphrase, this just isn't right.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
What I am doing here
Looking through some of what I have said on here it occurs to me that it might lean a bit too much to the dark. That is not my intent. I just gave someone a quick update on myself and then a couple of hours later realized that all I really needed to say was that I was doing OK, all things considered. But that isn’t what I did. Why?
One reason is that I post here so that people who know me can keep up, whenever they like, with my condition without me sending out long, boring emails. While I’ve made progress over the years I really don’t have a lot of great news to post. I also post so that other people in a similar situation can see that they aren’t alone. When I first found an ARDS web site it was very helpful to learn that I was not the only person who had gone through some of what I had gone through. You can feel very lonely and like an outsider when you have a serious illness that you never heard of before.
So I write about my health and other conditions to share them with the world in the hope that I might be of some help.
I also post for my own sake. It helps me to write things out. It’s a way I work out my feelings and ideas and problems and yes I am making that public, but I am doing that for the above reasons. There are a lot of things I write down that never make it to this blog. I post what I think is more general and not specific just to me, with the exception of when I am just letting people know how I am doing.
Comments are screened at the moment because even I get spam, not because I want to limit participation. Please comment on anything you want. I welcome any advice since that’s another reason to post here. I share with all of you, whoever you are, and you can share with me.
So I will keep doing what I am doing, but since the stuff about me has tended to be something less than uplifting, I will try to be less dark. I will try to post, when I can, things that are positive or entertaining.
Since I do sometimes write things in advance – since I am not the fastest at this – you can expect some things that I have been working on already to show up here and those things may not be all blue skies and sunshine. I hope they are enlightening nevertheless. One post in particular that I have been struggling with is about how I am trying to change things. Another that I have been trying to get right for over a year now is less progressive, but in working out that answer I am trying to change things and make them more positive.
That’s why I am on here. I want to be more positive. Sometimes that means posting about the negative because that is what I need to overcome. If I am lucky I will be able to do just that. If I am very lucky I will be able to help somebody else do the same thing.
One reason is that I post here so that people who know me can keep up, whenever they like, with my condition without me sending out long, boring emails. While I’ve made progress over the years I really don’t have a lot of great news to post. I also post so that other people in a similar situation can see that they aren’t alone. When I first found an ARDS web site it was very helpful to learn that I was not the only person who had gone through some of what I had gone through. You can feel very lonely and like an outsider when you have a serious illness that you never heard of before.
So I write about my health and other conditions to share them with the world in the hope that I might be of some help.
I also post for my own sake. It helps me to write things out. It’s a way I work out my feelings and ideas and problems and yes I am making that public, but I am doing that for the above reasons. There are a lot of things I write down that never make it to this blog. I post what I think is more general and not specific just to me, with the exception of when I am just letting people know how I am doing.
Comments are screened at the moment because even I get spam, not because I want to limit participation. Please comment on anything you want. I welcome any advice since that’s another reason to post here. I share with all of you, whoever you are, and you can share with me.
So I will keep doing what I am doing, but since the stuff about me has tended to be something less than uplifting, I will try to be less dark. I will try to post, when I can, things that are positive or entertaining.
Since I do sometimes write things in advance – since I am not the fastest at this – you can expect some things that I have been working on already to show up here and those things may not be all blue skies and sunshine. I hope they are enlightening nevertheless. One post in particular that I have been struggling with is about how I am trying to change things. Another that I have been trying to get right for over a year now is less progressive, but in working out that answer I am trying to change things and make them more positive.
That’s why I am on here. I want to be more positive. Sometimes that means posting about the negative because that is what I need to overcome. If I am lucky I will be able to do just that. If I am very lucky I will be able to help somebody else do the same thing.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Almost a whole week
It’s January 6th and I haven’t accomplished everything that I wanted to do in 2012.
Oh well, I might as well give up.
Just kidding. I always feel a little less than productive at this time of year because I am still recovering from the holidays. In truth I got a lot more done than I usually do during the first week of the year.
The holidays were pretty good and also more active than usual, so I don’t mind the recovery as much as I might otherwise. I still need more rest, and I have to beat back that part of my brain that says that I need to do more even when I know that I am unable to. Yes, in some ways I am messed up. This year I’ve managed to keep that part of my head in check, so far at least.
I hope everyone had a good end of the old year and a good beginning to the new year. If you have the opportunity, relax for a while – next week is soon enough to start breaking resolutions. That’s my plan.
Oh well, I might as well give up.
Just kidding. I always feel a little less than productive at this time of year because I am still recovering from the holidays. In truth I got a lot more done than I usually do during the first week of the year.
The holidays were pretty good and also more active than usual, so I don’t mind the recovery as much as I might otherwise. I still need more rest, and I have to beat back that part of my brain that says that I need to do more even when I know that I am unable to. Yes, in some ways I am messed up. This year I’ve managed to keep that part of my head in check, so far at least.
I hope everyone had a good end of the old year and a good beginning to the new year. If you have the opportunity, relax for a while – next week is soon enough to start breaking resolutions. That’s my plan.
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