Letter to the Editor:
First, thanks to The Gasconade County Republican for providing a venue for an open discussion of issues facing this country
Immigration
The Gasconade County Democrats Club referenced several House bills that address immigration that are being held up in the Senate, they are part of probably hundreds of bills that are in process in both Senate and House.
The referenced bills mainly involve perceived weaknesses in the CBP and ICE and how aliens are taken care of and putting further restrictions on the people who wok to control our border. Others address things like whistleblowers and opioids which are important but not relevant to the immigration issue.
None of the bills address the real issues such as path to citizenship, border security (wall?), crime, deportation, anchor babies, chain migration, unescorted children, etc.
There are many issues to work on but the overriding issue has been impeachment. Is a malicious political issue serious enough to stop the legislative process? Time is being wasted.
Abortion
The official Democrat Platform just published opposes “any and all” efforts to restrict abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Some Democrats have said that it’s still OK after birth. I don’t know of any Democrat presidential candidate that supports right to life. Democrats who oppose abortion are not welcome in that party. Pro life Democrats must speak up.
Will there be any pro life speakers at the Democrat Convention?
A prolife Democrat was just elected Governor of Louisiana, he would be a good speaker.
The abortion debate should be about when it is morally permitted to take a human life. Human life can be traced back from birth to the moment of conception. That’s a scientific fact. There is no other point that can be identified as the beginning of life. Is convenience, or lifestyle or mental health, or gender, an adequate reason for taking a life?
There are many Christian organizations that help with unwanted pregnancies.
Healthcare and Medicare
I am covered by Medicare and it has helped me to withstand several bank-breaking medical procedures. A Medicare Advantage Plan also gives me some voice in choosing doctors and medical treatment.
Like Social Security, Medicare was meant to be a mandated insurance program that kept old folks out of bankruptcy and spread excessive medical costs over the whole population.
It was to be paid for by a payroll tax into a trust fund that would be used to pay medical costs. Like Social Security it is running into funding problems because we old folks are living too long. Without a tax increase or reduction benefits it will be necessary for the government to supplement the cost from general revenue.
I see Medicaid as simply a government run charity that should be separate from Medicare.
Single Payer System
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was meant to be the first step toward the Single Payer System, each revision would move us closer. President Obama is on record as wanting a single payer system. I believe he is still the leader of the Democrat Party.
The ACF was passed in the Senate in the middle of the night by a slim Democrat majority with two votes bought and paid for by concessions to their states. It was surely not a bi-partisan effort.
Two-year Republican control
The way our government works is that no party really controls things unless they have 60 votes in the Senate. The Democrat Senators were not about to let anything pass that would make Trump look good even if they had previously favored it. Bipartisanship can work but it takes cooperation
Impeachment
After three years and millions of dollars, no high crimes have emerged in spite of the efforts of many lawyers and politicians. A real crime would have been found in two weeks. The suspected crime keeps changing. The Articles of Impeachment will be a lot of legalise that contains nothing significant. Trump has said some things he probably regrets but we all have been there.
