Opinionated Thought

A Buddy of Mine Turns Into Glenn Beck

Politics - U.S.

So this old buddy of mine calls me up in the middle of the day. All is well and good, it’s always good to hear from an old friend. But this time, I happen to be busy. This time I happen to be on the last leg of the project I’m working on and trying to get back home. This time, I’m not in such a great mood.

So if you know me you know that I don’t care about much. You know that I will talk religion and politics. You know that I don’t mind debating the merits of a valid opinion. And you know that I don’t care about peoples feelings to much. I should, but I don’t. I understand that. The fact is that I will say what needs to be said. I will do so in a respectful manner and if it ticks you off, I really don’t care. Why are you so short fused that you can not control your temper anyways?

Our conversation went like this. He calls. We exchange pleasantries. He starts talking spades and then the president’s speech. (I didn’t watch the speech by the way, but should have.) And of course he mentions the out burst. He initially says it’s about something it wasn’t. I inform him that it was about illegal immigrants getting health care coverage. He agrees with Dr. Disrespectful and thinks the president lied. In inform him that he didn’t. The facts back up the president on this one and not even in an iffy kind of way. He again reiterates his belief that the president lied. (Whatever Glen Beck) I further inform him that there is a specific provision in the health care legislation that explicitly prohibits federal funds from being used to help illegal immigrants from obtaining subsidized health coverage. He then goes to “but what good does that do when they make it illegal to check” This is where we have a disagreement.

This just smells of bogus BS and it is. I tell him to check his facts and he gets all bent out of shape. I didn’t know it was that easy to rustle the dudes panties but oh well. I’m already in a bad mood, trying to get things done and still taking phone calls. I tell him his whole argument is based on lie and to check his facts and, well, he gets pissy and hangs up on me. I do what every body should do when they have a disagreement, I promptly log on to my favorite website and post an article titled “Now that is aggravating...”

Let me fact check this for you.

THE FACTS: The House version of the health care bill explicitly prohibits spending any federal money to help illegal immigrants get health care coverage. Illegal immigrants could buy private health insurance, as many do now, and they could also buy into a new government-run insurance plan if Congress creates one. But unlike legal residents, they wouldn't get federal subsidies to help them. The bill's exact language: "Nothing in this subtitle shall allow federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully in the United States." Health care legislation in the Senate is also being crafted to exclude illegal immigrants from coverage.

Republicans problem is not what's in the bill, it's what the bill leaves out. There's no provision for how the prohibition would be enforced, or any requirement for people to prove they are citizens or legal residents before getting health care benefits. In fact, Democrats on the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees defeated Republican-offered amendments that would have required people to verify their legal status before getting care, with some Democrats saying such requirements would be unnecessarily burdensome for people legally entitled to coverage.

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I agree with Republicans on this one. It should be a requirement to prove your legal status. It’s already a requirement to get a driver’s license in most states (when it shouldn’t be) so it shouldn’t be that hard to check and clear if it was a requirement. I’m sure each state will enforce the provision in their own way. But in no way is it illegal to enforce the provision. How does that even make sense? The responsibilities lie within the state and federal government to enforce the law as it does with anything. It is not the responsibility of the consumer to prove he’s following the law.

So in the ending;

Now this guy wants to fight me. He wants to get me into a physical altercation. I’ve been in way to many fights as it is. We didn’t exactly grow up in the best of neighborhoods. I don’t know about you but I have learned to avoid fights at all cost. Why? Because I’m 30yrs old and not in high school anymore. I have had my fair share of fights over the years and really don’t mind getting dirty if I have to but the fact of the matter is I’ve out grown it. Only ignorance feels violence is the only way to settle a dispute. A smoker of 20yrs challenging someone that runs every day, that surely would be a sad sight. If you want to get ignorant with it we can. Whatever floats your boat…

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