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PAGE 4A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. AUGUST 27. 2009
4 Opinions
Frankly
Speaking
frankgillispie671@msn.com
By Frank Gillispie
Millions of
Americans are slaves
to government today
How do you make a slave? How do you take a
human being who’s natural state is one of freedom
and liberty and force him into submission?
There are two ways to make a slave. One is with
whips and chains. Chains to prevent him from
fleeing, and the whip to force him to do your will.
That is an easy one to enforce, but you will never
whip out the desire for freedom in one who has
had a taste of liberty.
The other, more damaging way to make a slave
is with ignorance and dependence. Unlike most
creatures on earth, human infants are bom with no
instinctive knowledge of how to survive. That is
why human children take so long to mature. They
need the time to leam all the things they have to
know to function in our world. In all things, he
must be carefully taught. ("Train up a child in the
way he should go; even when he is old he will not
depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6)
Therefore, if you want to create a slave, take a
young child and carefully teach him to be totally
dependent on the slave master for all things. And
carefully shield him from the kind of thorough
education that will teach him to think for himself,
or assume responsibility for his own welfare.
Once he is totally dependent on some force out
side himself for his food, shelter, clothing and
health he will be fiercely loyal to that source.
Because to be otherwise would place his entire
life system at risk.
Suppose you were taught from infancy to
depend on government for your well-being and
someone came along and told you that to main
tain your well-being you had to vote for a specific
candidate, or go to a certain street and hold up
a sign that you might not even understand, or
that you must say repeatedly a slogan exactly as
they taught you, you would feel that you have no
choice but to do as you were told. You would be a
slave to the government.
Millions of Americans are slaves to government
today. These slaves come in all colors, from all
regions of the nation, and are of all sexual inclina
tions. They have very poor language skills, limited
mathematical skills and undeveloped logic capaci
ties. Even if they went to school, they were never
motivated by their families and peers to leam the
things they need to be self sufficient.
And sadly, they are also deficient in parenting
skills, so their children are left in the same trap and
will also become slaves to government.
The more we turn our lives over to government,
the less ability we have to be free and independent
citizens. A large percentage of our citizens are
slaves today, and if the trend continues, we will
become a nation of slaves. And once that happens,
the characteristics that made us a great nation
will be quickly eliminated and slavery will be the
norm. Time is short and we must act now to save
our liberty.
But if we are unwilling to do the things that are
necessary, then perhaps we do not deserve to be a
free people. I hope I am wrong but I am not very
optimistic.
Frank Gillispie is founder of The Madison
County Journal. His e-mail address is frankgil-
Iispie671@msn.com. His website can be accessed
at http.V/frankgillispie. tripod, com/
The Madison
County Journal
(Merged with The Danielsville Monitor
and The Comer News, January 2006)
P.O. Box 658
Hwy. 29 South
Danielsville, Georgia 30633
Phone: 706-795-2567
Fax: 706-795-2765
Email: zach@mainstreetnews.com
ZACH MITCHAM, Editor
MARGIE RICHARDS, Reporter/Office Manager
BEN MUNRO, Reporter/Sports Editor
MIKE BUFFINGTON, Co-publisher
SCOTT BUFFINGTON, Co-publisher
FRANK GILLISPIE, Founder of The Journal.
Jere Ayers (deceased) former owner
of The Danielsville Monitor and The Comer News
Periodical postage paid at Danielsville, Georgia 30633
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Madison & surrounding counties $19.75/year
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
THE MADISON COUNTY JOURNAL
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A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Should we just grin and bear this health care system?
When our child was really sick, we
took her to the emergency room, where
we waited forever, while people, seem
ingly far less sick, went before her. I
was utterly furious.
I wondered if everyone who went
before her was insured. A lot of people
go to the emergency room because they
have no insurance and can’t see a doctor
otherwise. We talk about the uninsured,
but they are not the untreated. No, they
go to the emergency room, instead of
a primary care physician’s office, and
many can't pay the huge hospital bills.
This cost shifts to those who do pay.
And our premiums go up and up.
So, more and more people can't cover
the cost of those inflated premiums.
The pool of uninsured grows, putting
more burden on the shrinking group
who still pays. The cuirent arrangement
is unfair and unsustainable. Our system
already carries the woeful inefficiency
many fear of a "socialist" system.
Meanwhile, insurance companies
have an understandable financial incen
tive to knock the weak off their rolls,
keeping the paying healthy on their
lists. This is simple economics. That's
why insurance companies look for rea
sons not to help you if you do fall ill.
It’s a revenue-versus-expense issue. So,
they pull out some fine print detail that
exempts them from payment, some
thing you never knew about, some
thing utterly cold given your dire straits.
You thought you were covered. Oops.
No, you’re not. Sorry, but it’s financial
disaster for you on top of your ailment.
Get a horrible diagnosis and your
doctor tells you that such-and-such
treatment or medicine is what you
In the
Meantime
zach@
mainstreet
news.com
By Zach Mitcham
need. Well, let's run that by the insur
ance company. Nope, it's not covered.
Want to see the best doctor? Sorry, he’s
out of network.
If you could just get a government
job, you could get nice government
benefits — you know, like our lawmak
er's enjoy. But everybody's lining up for
government employment. Meanwhile,
your company is laying off folks. They
ultimately fold.
You’re now among the uninsured.
You worked hard all your life. Now,
that’s no longer good enough. Some
folks will judge you quickly. “Get
a job," they say triumphantly, as if
they’ve just scored a touchdown on
you. It’s such a fun dagger to throw,
so simple and sharp. They don’t know
the first thing about what you've been
through. But how can you expect them
to care?
You wake up in horrible pain. It’s
been nagging you for a while, but
you couldn’t go to the doctor, because
you don’t have insurance. A manage
able problem has turned catastrophic.
A small cost is now exorbitant. So you
go to the emergency room. Should they
block the door since you don’t have
insurance? Some would say, "Yes, let
him suffer on the curb. He deserves it."
Of course, a lot of those judgmen
tal folks smoke, eat big fried chicken
dinners and don't exercise. They will
ultimately add huge costs to our health
care system, too. Many of them are one
personnel move away from landing
in the same boat. But who are you to
judge them? Your company failed and
you lost your job. You should have
worked harder. Then maybe your com
pany could have stayed afloat.
Thankfully, you find another job.
Sorry, though, you can’t get coverage,
ever. You have a pre-existing condition.
We all have fears and they are out in
full force in the health care debate. I’m
afraid and bitterly angry, too. Can you
tell? I'm sure you probably feel those
emotions, too, but your reasons may
be entirely different from mine. These
things touch on our deepest emotions.
And to try to convince people to see
things as we do is ultimately futile.
We’re all deeply rooted in our own con
victions and have little patience with
anything contradictory. I’m as guilty
as anyone. I can only say that I believe
my deepest anxiety is well warranted.
And it’s based on this: I used to think
there was no way my family could find
ourselves among the uninsured so long
as I just worked hard. Hard work —
that will see us through. Now, after all
I’ve seen. I'm not so self-assured. Hard
worker or slouch — we can all get hit
with devastating misfortune, whether
it’s physical or economic. We see it
all around us. And it happens to good,
good people, not just those who want
a free ride.
Amid all this political nastiness, I
just wish we could agree that the cen
tral intent of current reform efforts is
needed — something must be done to
address the inflationary forces that are
pricing people out of coverage. Think
about it, the consumer market deter
mines a reasonable price for Tylenol
at your local CVS, but the health care
market prices the very same Tylenol
at an astronomical rate in the hospital.
This is senseless. And this inflation
infects the entire health care system.
It warrants corrective action. Because
if we don't address these unhealthy
inflationary forces, more and more
middle income people are going to be
left out in the cold in years to come.
Consider that since 1999, employment-
based health insurance premiums have
increased 120 percent. Another decade
like that and a lot more people aren’t
going to have any coverage.
One needed reform is to push for
preventive care and to get many of
those uninsured folks into primary care
offices — instead of the emergency
room. Our society already pays for the
uninsured in an incredibly inefficient
emergency-room manner, an arrange
ment that jacks up our premiums and
puts many of us at risk. It seems sensible
to steer the uninsured toward preventive
measures that will help eliminate more
expensive treatment later.
But I don’t expect any such healthy
measures in coming weeks.
When it comes to health care, many
prefer to just grin and bear whatever
pain comes, so long as Uncle Sam isn’t
in the room.
Zach Mitcham is editor of The
Madison County Journal
Interested in the Revolutionary War? Read ‘The Battle of Cowpens’
Reading Zach Mitcham’s recent
"book review" of Shelby Foote’s
fine Civil War work put me in
mind of Kenneth Roberts, a writer
whose detailed, historical novels
focused on the Revolutionary War.
His series of four books traces the
War's history as it moves south
ward.
The last was "The Battle of
Cowpens," published in 1958 after
Roberts died. It’s short, at around
100 pages, and Roberts meant it to
be a full-length novel. As it stands,
though, it's a history lesson’s worth
of notes worth reading.
"The Battle of Cowpens” was
meant to complete the story of
Brigadier General Daniel Morgan,
which Roberts had told in two pre
vious best-sellers, “Arundel" and
"Rabble in Arms.”
Morgan served as an aide to
Major General Benedict Arnold,
and seems a footnote to Arnold’s
unhappy history, but he rose to
command the American troops at
Cowpens against British forces.
Book
Review
By Mark Bronberg
Roberts intended to set the record
straight about the battle, which
historians had written about as
a series of mistakes and tactical
errors on both sides.
Roberts makes history come
alive hour-by-hour as the battle
forces draw near. South Carolina
militia had been victorious at
Kings Mountain, and the British
were concerned they would join
with regulars of the Continental
Army.
The author writes that the militia
were trained to reload while run
ning in broken Held, and could “hit
a saucer at a hundred paces while
so doing.” When the battle started,
the regiments of redcoats advanc
ing as a unit were easy targets, and
soon half the British officers were
down.
Then the Americans retreated,
running to safety without more
word from Morgan. The British
thought the militia were retreat
ing across open field “in a panic,”
writes Roberts, and pursued. When
Morgan saw the British running
up the hill, he ordered his men to
fire again. They reloaded, fired,
and stopped the advancing British
once more. It had been a blunder,
but ultimately it worked to the
Americans' advantage.
The battle became a turning point
for the Americans. It lasted only an
hour, but was costly to the British:
100 dead, 200 wounded, 500 cap
tured. Morgan's troops suffered
just 16 casualties, and the British
lost hope that Southerners would
remain loyal to England as well
and put an end to the Revolution.
Morgan's decision may have
been in error, but the damage to
the enemy was done, regardless.
Roberts writes that Morgan was
later questioned on his choice of
the Cowpens to meet the British,
and that he did little to inspire the
men in his command.
“The Battle of Cowpens" can
be hard to find, but it is worth
wearing out shoe leather (or com
puter keys) to track down a copy.
Kenneth Roberts wrote his books
more than 60 years ago, but they’re
still just as exciting to read today.
Mark Bronberg’s poetry has
been read on “Prairie Home
Companion” and appeared in
many publications and online.
Bronberg is an Ila resident.
Editor’s Note: Madison County
residents interested in writing a re
view of a book about historical or
modern-day issues or events can
submit those reviews to zach@
mainstreetnews.com. Please keep
reviews at 600 words or less.
Georgians at least are talking about health care
The push to revise America’s
health care system is one of those
rare events that can dramatically
change how our society works.
The approval of Social Security
in the 1930s was one such turning
point, as was the passage of civil
rights legislation in the 1960s.
I have no idea at this point if
Congress will pass a health insur
ance bill or if the legislation will
end up on the scrap heap, as hap
pened to the campaign for univer
sal coverage 16 years ago.
Whether you oppose or sup
port the current effort, this is an
important issue that should be
getting serious discussion among
the members of Congress and the
people they represent.
Sadly, there isn’t much intel
ligent discussion taking place. At
town halls across the country, peo
ple are shouting and screaming so
loudly that many of the events have
effectively been shut down. Some
of the protesters have even come to
these events armed with handguns
and assault rifles.
That's no way to have a rational
discussion in a free society.
The one encouraging trend I’ve
seen in the past few weeks has
been the behavior of people at
the town halls in Georgia. The
attendees have been passionately
outspoken about the health care
bill, but the meetings have gener
ally proceeded without violence
The Capitol
Report
tcrawford@
capitol
impact.net.
By Tom Crawford
and there have been no reports of
people bringing automatic weap
ons. That’s a good thing.
What seems to set Georgia apart
from the bedlam in other states is
that our congressmen were savvy
enough to have law enforcement
officers on hand at their meetings.
When attendees got too rowdy and
wouldn’t stop shouting, they were
escorted from the hall.
It is also commendable that our
congressmen, whether they oppose
or support the healthcare bill, have
been willing to acknowledge that
there are two sides to this conten
tious issue.
Rep. Hank Johnson is a DeKalb
County Democrat who supports the
idea of universal coverage, but at a
town hall in Clarkston he set aside
time for the head of the Medical
Association of Georgia, which
opposes the health reform pro
posal, to explain why he thought it
was flawed legislation.
Rep. Phil Gingrey is a Cobb
County Republican who strongly
opposes health care reform, but he
conceded that there are still prob
lems with the country’s current
system of paying for medical care
through private insurers.
“It’s too expensive and we need
to do something about those, who
through no fault of their own,
are high risk,” Gingrey said at a
town hall meeting in Kennesaw.
“Insurance reform, I've said it a
number of times, I think we can do
that. It may take a little bit more
than tweaking around the edges."
Some opponents of the health
care bill have spread the false
report that it will set up “death pan
els” that require elderly patients to
be euthanized when their cost of
medical care becomes too prohibi
tive.
In reality, there is no such pro
vision anywhere in the bill - it
would have provided Medicare
coverage for patients who volun
tarily decide to seek counseling
from their physicians about such
end-of-life issues as a living will
or an advance directive.
Although Sen. Johnny Isakson
opposes the Democrats’ health care
proposal, he has long been a sup
porter of living wills and advance
directives. When former Alaska
governor Sarah Palin made her
highly publicized accusation about
the alleged "death panels," Isakson
said this about Palin’s statement:
“How someone could take an end-
of-life directive or a living will
as that is nuts. You’re putting the
authority in the individual rather
than the government. I don’t know
how that got so mixed up."
While most of Georgia’s con
gressmen have been willing to
have an honest debate about this
issue, there have been some nota
ble exceptions - such as Rep. Tom
Price, a Republican from Roswell.
Price appeared on a CNN news
show and made the false accusa
tion that under the proposed health
care bill, government will “man
date” these discussions between
patients and physicians about end-
of-life care. As Isakson noted, the
choice remains with the individual
patient.
There are questions that urgently
need to be answered about this
proposal to revise our health care
system - such as how the govern
ment would pay for it. It’s hard to
talk about that when the opposition
is screaming, waving guns, and
telling lies about death panels.
Here in Georgia, we’ve at least
been able to hold the discussion.
Tom Crawford is the editor of
Capitol Impact 's Georgia Report,
an Internet news sendee at www.
gareport.com that covers govern
ment and politics in Georgia. He
can be reached at tcrawford@
capitolimpact.net.