A Silver Lining with Obamacare

     
      In the article, “New Study Confirms Obamacare’s Birth Control Mandate Will Reduce Abortion Rate” by, Tara Culp-Ressler, gives considerable evidence that Obamacare is moving in the right direction with its intended audience to get the picture and jump on board. Many will argue that Obamacare is a good idea; however, the possibility of mandating health insurance to those who do not see fit is another story. Due to the statistics of this particular reform, I completely agree with their intentions. Living in low income areas makes it extremely hard to maintain health care coverage. A study has been conducted among young women living in the low-income St. Louis, MO area. The CHOICE project imitates the Obamacare program. The results showed that birth rates among teens who were active participants in the study were given free birth control which dramatically lowered birth rates to “6.3 births per 1,000 teens, compared to 34.3 births per 1,000 teens nationwide in 2010. Abortion rates were also drastically down by less than half on the regional and national level according to researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine.” To paraphrase, researchers found that when women are not barred by costs, they chose a longer lasting and more effective form of birth control. More and more evidence is becoming clear that the Affordable Healthcare Act has good intentions. This program is also conducive to winning over more supporters in health care reform act. Women generally spend more money going to the doctor. The average amount for a year supply of birth control is approximately $1,200 out of pocket. Here is some food for thought. Having access to free birth contraceptives surely beats having to collectively pay for welfare recipients.
      Let us face it! Sex is universal. We all have or will engage in the activity sometime in our lives. Why not be as safe and responsible as possible when being sexually active? This would in return help the government in the years to come.

Stage 6

Commentary on Obamacare 

While I do favor Mr. President Obama, and for more reasons that one I also agree with student Jariah Powell. She explains that while Obamacare does benefit some, yet, a good portion of the U.S population will be affected in a negative way. The newly implemented Affordable Healthcare Program is suppose to be affordably reasonable to retain the insurance, but only for those who CAN afford it. She further elaborates, that those who are in perfect health are wondering why they are being penalized for the “Greater Good?” I agree with the fact that those in perfect health should not be obligated to pay for health insurance. Especially, if it is only to please others and if they personally do not feel that they have a need for it. I say, is paying all taxes, mandating upkeep on car insurance, and voting not enough? She then gives an example of possibly single parents that struggle to make end meet. They are now stuck with yet another expense. She also mentions the potential risks for small business owners that do not bring in a lot of revenue. Again, while I do still side with Mr. President, I do not think this plan was completely thought out. I think he had good intentions though.

Who Are We To Judge? Blog #5

                                      Should Gay Marriage become Legalized?

       We all know of someone in our circle that is gay or lesbian. This is America, land of the free and the home of the brave! So why the big fuss over gay marriage? There has been an ongoing dispute over whether or not gay marriage should be legalized.
       I stand by the homosexuals and lesbians on this topic matter because science shows, most of them have no say-so in their sexual preference. No human being just chooses to like the same sex because he or she likes a challenge and want to spend the majority of their life defending themselves. By the U.S. overlooking this sensitive subject, they are merely saying to the gay community, fight in our wars, pay taxes, vote, even adopt children, but under no circumstances can you get married. Hell, animals have rights! (P.E.T.A) Where is the bill of rights and constitution when you need it? For years even centuries, homosexuals have been frowned upon, exiled, and humiliated by almost every society known to humankind.  Furthermore, for those who are religious, GOD loves all of his children, even those who do not know or believe. If a higher power of omniscience can be that forgiving and accepting, then what gives us the right to deny anyone their holy matrimony? The irony here is that our country prides itself on its friendly mixed cultural environment, independence and individualism; however, denying this right to American citizens makes the U.S. no different from third ward country dictatorships.
       What if all gays, lesbians, and supporters decided to rally in one place and create their own form of a democracy? The world would be surprised at the crime rates compared to the U.S. I can almost guarantee that overall social and living environments would be happier and richer than the U.S. The lifestyle these people lead has no infliction on the rest of the world. They are simply human as we all are and trying to survive and overcome extreme adversity.

Shutdown Aftermath

     The Newsweek published this article, How the Shutdown Hammered the U.S. Economy, by Leah McGrath Goodman. This article was published to arouse interest, ruffle feathers of supporters of the Republican Party, and yet, inform the less informed. This article subtly raises suspicion at the Republican Party for the elongated 16-day delay the government has undergone. After reading this article, I would not be surprised if some Republican supporters started to rethink their political values. This partial shutdown has discouraged some followers. The writer gives enough evidence that supports their opinions as well as strengthens credibility.  The author pulled a few statistics and quotes from interviews with polling agency Standard & Poor as well as government officials. The author gives statistics using reliable predictions from dependable sources. According to Cavanaugh, “the agency projected that for every week the government was shut down, roughly 0.3 percent of the nations GDP were destroyed.” Marie Cavanaugh is a senior credit analyst at Standard & Poor agency. “The same agency estimates that the government shutdown has knocked $24 billion out of the U.S. economy in just two weeks. That is more than $1.5 billion a day.“ That is more money than I can ever imagine and unfortunately it is not profit revenue. “The bottom line is the government shutdown hurt the U.S. economy,” says Bovino.
     I like the fact that an obvious side is not taken by the author, however through the interviewers opinions leave readers to infer who the culprits are. You can even lay blame on both parties for this “fiscal game of chicken”, says Beth Ann Bovino, chief economist. However, the overall article shockingly focuses more on the issue at hand rather than pointing a finger. This article is probably one of the purest non-biased pieces I have read thus far.

Who's to Blame?

  

      I skimmed through the New York Times, when an editorial article caught my attention. “John Boehner’s Shutdown, the author/s of this editorial makes a compelling argument against the humanistic kinks in the government system. With all the chaos going on with the government shutting down, the author clearly points the finger at one Republican in particular, John Boehner, Speaker of the House. The author states, “ Had he put on the floor a simple temporary spending resolution… without the outrageous demands to delay or defund the healthcare reform law, it could have easily passed …” The author then gives further evidence against John, proving his lack of sympathy for those who would be really affected more. He waited until the last minute demanding an immediate conference meeting with the Senate. The Senate has been demanding a conference for six months for the 2014 budget with the House. What an insult! The author continues, “For Mr. Boehner to call for a conference near midnight was the height of hypocrisy.” John Boehner obviously does not take this government shutdown serious or he would have acted a lot sooner.
      This article will evoke emotion with all voting citizens of the world. It is the author’s cry to voters to make a change. The targeting group that would be affected more are older and the financially deprived citizens.  The younger crowd should also take heed.
      The journalists of the editorial panel are all well groomed and well educated. They have a broad array of expertise so their credibility is very persuasive. I am convinced. This is why I will continue to exercise my right to vote.

Latest Political Scoop

 


       The Austin American Statesman published this article, on Thursday September 19, 2013,” Dodge default, defund Obamacare, GOP leaders say”, It happened to catch my eye. I would advise anyone interested in politics or want to impress a professor for a good grade to read this article and many others to stay afloat and involved in government relations. This is a good article because there is a lot going on. For example, national debt, budget cuts, government shut down, nearly passing the Obama care bill, to all of a sudden withdrawal from the Republican Party, and character assassination and strong criticisms all compiled in this article. I honestly seldom follow politics; however, I think I have found some common ground (Eureka!) It seems that uncouth behaviors, vacillated tactics, and greediness are just a few political components in everyday politics (Sounds like a decent soap opera if you ask me!). There is an ongoing dispute among House of Representatives and the Senate. Should they repeal and replace the Obama health care bill, which with anticipation will help millions gain health care coverage and gradually close the economic hole. There is finger pointing and name-calling, but mainly from the Republican end. The final decision has not been made yet, however, if they do not act soon the government will be forced into default by mid October.