Discussion On Becoming A Democrat

@RexRed,

Thank you for answering my question and I have admit that I am glad you changed your mind.

I have a very close relative who is gay and my family is very conservative when it comes to Christianity and practices (at least my parents, their parents...) and the whole issue is one I am very familiar with and one I struggle with on my own too. I don't struggle in the manner you probably think, but I struggle because my natural inclination is that I don't see anything wrong with it, but I know it is in the bible plus I have good friends and relatives who are good people and I don't feel comfortable stating outright that I believe homosexaul acts to be a sin but then I feel guilty about that...

I can empathise with your story about your ex boyfriend not wanting to hang out around overtly with gay men (or women?) because my close relative is like that even though she dresses in kind of boyish clothes (she gets them in boys department) they are tasteful and do not look "butch." She is also very delicate looking so she couldn't look "butch" if she tried. She happens to be against gay marriage as well, I assume for the same reason. (I have already explained my position on it and why)

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@RexRed,

Yes transgendered people can marry in Canada but no they are not the social equal of many other groups.

As to your associating drugs and guns that's more due to the criminalization of drugs and the legality of guns than your default notion.

As to what are third gender people

Quote:

The terms third gender and third sex describe individuals who are considered to be neither women nor men, as well as the social category present in those societies who recognize three or more genders.

The state of being neither male nor female may be understood in relation to the individual's biological sex, gender role, gender identity, or sexual orientation. To different cultures or individuals, a third sex or gender may represent an intermediate state between men and women, a state of being both (such as "the spirit of a man in the body of a woman"), the state of being neither (neuter), the ability to cross or swap genders, or another category altogether independent of male and female. This last definition is favored by those who argue for a strict interpretation of the "third gender" concept.

The term has been used to describe Hijras of India and Pakistan,[1] Fa'afafine of Polynesia, and Sworn virgins of the Balkans,[2] among others, and is also used by many of such groups and individuals to describe themselves.

The term "third" is usually understood to mean "other"; some anthropologists and sociologists have described fourth,[3] fifth,[4] and many[5] genders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_gender

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HOMOPHOBIA
Literally an uncontrollable fear of homosexuals and of homosexuality, but the term is generally used for a negative and contemptuous attitude to same-sex sexual relationships and to those participate in those relationships.

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@marsz,

Homo is the genus that includes modern humans and their close relatives. The genus is estimated to be about 2.5 million years old, evolving from Australopithecine ancestors with the appearance of Homo habilis. Appearance of Homo coincides with the first evidence of stone tools (the Oldowan industry), and thus by definition with the beginning of the Lower Paleolithic.
Phobias (in the clinical meaning of the term) are the most common form of anxiety disorders. An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from phobias.[2] Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.

homo=-phobia is the fear of modern humans and their close relatives.

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@RexRed,

welcome back. I was always afraid for you . Being a gay guy in MAine is like a Jew canoeing up the Suez. Ive been embarrassed for "away" gay guys who tried to vacation in Washington County and were almost driven out of bars by "good ole downeast boys"

Quote:

I don't even believe in the bible anymore. Have I lost my soul or gained a heart? What is happening to me? (I am even learning to speak Spanish...) I sometimes can't believe the person I used to be.

. Usually a rejection of the Bible as a truthful and accurate document comes from some time invested in searching through its writings. If your anapotheosis is was a sudden onset, I wouldnt worry cause you will probably reach some accomodation as the books value as a series of moral tales and a record of a civilizations travails. I occasionally refer to the Bible for quotes for my work reports and writings.(You will also find some truths in Bagvahd Gita, and writings of the Cherokee.

Becoming a Democrat isnt so much a complete rejection of your conservative side. As set once said'We are all conservative , just about different things".

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@farmerman,

FM what do you think those good old downeast boys do out on those boats all day miles from land? Gets pretty boring out there you know when the fish ain't biting.... Smile

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@farmerman,

As for my rejection the Bible, I have become less superstitious over time. At first I thought of replacing it with Wicca, then I figured I would just be replacing one fairy tale with another. I am open to the discussion of all religions and If God wants to get my attention he/she knows where I am... Smile

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@dyslexia,

dyslexia wrote:

Homo is the genus that includes modern humans and their close relatives. The genus is estimated to be about 2.5 million years old, evolving from Australopithecine ancestors with the appearance of Homo habilis. Appearance of Homo coincides with the first evidence of stone tools (the Oldowan industry), and thus by definition with the beginning of the Lower Paleolithic.
Phobias (in the clinical meaning of the term) are the most common form of anxiety disorders. An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from phobias.[2] Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.

homo=-phobia is the fear of modern humans and their close relatives.

Phoebe, a daughter of Uranus. Smile

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Quote:

arachibutyrophobia:

fear that peanut butter may stick to the roof of one's mouth (I kid you not!) (from the Latin arachis (peanut) + butyrum (butter) )

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/213057/uncommon_words_for_common_and_not_so.html

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@Chumly,

And a deep seated fear it is!

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@RexRed,

Quote:

If God wants to get my attention he/she knows where I am...

[Lightning bolt from the heavens]

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@JTT,

It's not happened yet not expecting it to rain or "flood" soon. Besides it rains on both the just and unjust so we'll all may be getting wet if God decides to speak to us though a cloud. Smile

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Please give me your opinions on health care... How should a good democrat honestly approach that subject? Health care is one subject I am mixed about.

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@RexRed,

I don't know that I could give you opinions as a "good Democrat", but here are my fundamental arguments for a public healthcare system.

1) The current system is completely inefficient. Our current model is that for those without healthcare, their healthcare provider of last resort is the emergency room. That doesn't mean that the hospital won't try to collect a huge fee (much higher than from an office visit or clinic), it just means that if you absolutely can't pay, the hospital will eventually sell the debt to a collection agency and write it off. The result is that we encourage people to postpone health care until the situation is severe enough that it requires the most expensive possible care. The result is sky rocketing costs and poor use of health care resources.

2) There are models of far superior systems available. Like Canada. In any system of millions of people, it is easy to find exceptions and Canada is no different. You can find people who had bad experiences in Canada just like in the US, but on the whole, Canadians are very happy with their system and do not want ours. Nor does Canada have "socialized" medicine. You go to your own doctor who is then paid by the state. Don't like Canada? Try Britian where all the doctors work for the state. Or France. These countries are not having the health care issues we are.

3) It hurts US competitiveness to have companies fund healthcare. Ask GM or Boeing about what the rising cost of healthcare is doing to their bottom lines. This problem just doesn't exist in other countries. That provides a critical incentive for companies to cut healthcare expenses at their employees' expense and puts US companies at a significant disadvantage when they cannot pass those costs to their customers. It also means that in slow economic times that companies can cut benefits without the employees having any recourse. Your only option today is to quit your job.

4) It is ridiculous that the richest country in the world cannot provide even basic preventitive care for its population. Just as the school lunch program was founded on the idea that we shouldn't let our children suffer gross malnutrition, I believe we shouldn't allow our population to suffer without access to the most basic of healthcare.

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@RexRed,

Don't take it personally, RR, it was just a bit of humor.

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@RexRed,

Have you considered joining the thug society or one of the Chinese Tongs?

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Welcome to the Democrat political persuation. If you didn't know it before, it might be useful to hear that the Democrats never agree with each other. Going to a meeting with the idea of organizing support for a candidate can be a lesson in frustration. About 8 years ago, I took my adult son to a meeting that was supposted to be about organizing support for a particular candidate. State Democrat officials were there and they outlined all the things that needed to be done. The first question after the presentation was from a lady who wanted to know "what could we do"????? The rest of the meeting disintegrated into people arguing about who should be in charge and how they needed more information.....we did everything but organize. I have a friend who I find myself in almost complete agreement, but he argues with me about the things we agree on. You need to be a little nuts (in the harmless way) to stick with the Democrats, but I don't want to register as an independent because I would not be able to vote in the primaries.

Maybe a better way to describe Democrats is that we tend to overthink things and while we are overthinking the Republicans are sticking together like glue. I admire the loyalty that Republicans show their party up to a point. I have worked on a few local promaries for both Republican and Democrat candidates. It's very interesring to watch the way the different parties manage their organizations.

So if you are getting a headache thinking your positins thru, you are in the right place. But you should always vote for the person you think is the best candidate, and you already know that so I will sign off now and head off to the Mall.....I hate the Mall, if I could order everything thru catalogs that would be fine with me.

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Canadian Supreme Court upholds right to take out private health insurance

A surprise ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada that struck down a Quebec prohibition on private health insurance in that province has raised fears that a two tier health care system will arise to replace the whole country’s universal publicly funded system. Until now, Canadians have not been allowed to buy health insurance to cover services provided by the publicly funded system, even though there are long waits for some of these services. The decision of the court is likely to result in residents of other provinces also challenging the ban.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Canadian+Supreme+Court+calls+health+system+unconstitutional&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7DKUS_en

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@engineer,

Engine, thanks for your thoughtful and concise post and your points seem sound.

What do you think, about what universal health care would do to our drug companies and the competitive research in medicine? I have heard it will stifle research. Could that put our health care years behind in new medical discoveries. Aren't these new discoveries improving our quality of life with radical procedures that save money and make more pricey procedures obsolete at a faster rate than those denied coverage?

For example non evasive procedures like laparoscopic surgeries and genetic research. There is a reason our medical research companies are second to none in the world today. There are reasons why foreign companies are scrambling to get a hold of our drug patents to make their generic versions of these life saving medications.

I am not knocking down what you have said but it seems there is a cost to changing the way our medical community does business. Also, we do have universal health care considering no one is turned away in our emergency rooms. Although it is wasteful it is like charity also. Charity in the emergency rooms is not a bad thing. Isn't charity for those who can't pay like welfare a good democratic thing? If the hospitals use collection agencies to recoup some of this debt what is the rub?

I understand corporations are burdened heavy but, should we take the debt from big corporations and put it on the backs of average tax payers? Isn't shielding corporations a republican big business method of politics? Corporations and their loopholes pay little taxes as it is.

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