It is an absolute and easily verified fact that NONE of the various health care bills and proposals being considered by Congress and the White House include ANY form of euthanasia or denial of care based on age or perceived value of someones life. There are no death panels, and no one will be pulling the plug on grandma. Yet, this particularly heinous lie is still being spread and believed. How the Hell did this happen?
The proposal, submitted by a Republican, that has been so hideously twisted simply provides coverage for patients and relatives to receive end-of-life counseling and information, including living wills. The complete lie that is completely the opposite of the actual proposal was initiated by a woman working for pharmaceutical organizations, it was brought to national attention by Sarah Palin, and it has been propagated by the lie mongers at Faux (Fox) News and hate speech pundits such as Rush Limbaugh (Flush Limp-Bough). And worse of all, Republican Congressmen and Senators are either ignoring the lies being told their constituents, or actually hinting that they might be true!
I have watched some poor seniors in their 70's and 80's show up at Town Hall meetings who were just livid with anger and frustration because they believe the lies they have been told. So what happens if one of these seniors has a heart attack and dies as a direct result of anger and frustration based on lies told by purported news organizations and their elected representatives? Would not these liars be responsible? Could not they be prosecuted for negligent homicide?
How can Fox News, Rush Limbaugh or any of those who control the dissemination of information thru mass media be allowed to twist, lie, spin, and mislead the public when it comes to the important issues and elections that will affect their lives in serious ways? This is NOT free speech! free speech is not, and has never been, absolute. Speech that causes serious harm to others is not covered under free speech. That is why you cannot yell "fire!" in a crowded theater, and that is why we have slander and libel laws. Is hate speech free speech? Exciting a crowd to riot or talking someone into committing murder are not free speech. There are MANY things you cannot say in MANY situations because they are illegal. They are illegal because they cause serious harm to others.
In this health care debate, there are many who are protesting because they have been hired or enticed in some way by the large insurance and drug companies who profit most from the status quo. There are many protesting because they are enticed or paid by conservative political organizations (again with profit motives). But there are also regular citizens protesting because they have been lied to and manipulated by Right-Wing media and radio personalities. These poor people are protesting against their own self interests! Health care reform is in EVERYONE's best interest EXCEPT those who are making obscene profits off of the suffering and even death of the American people, AND those who are willing to see that suffering continue for their own political gain.
Republicans are without honor and integrity if they do not immediately condemn the dangerous lies being told about Obama and the health care proposals. They have their priorities totally ass-backwards. Their first duty seems to be to radical Right-wing nuts like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Lou Dobbs. Their second loyalty is always to big business and the wealthy, and they seem to have no loyalty to the people they are elected to represent. To allow, or even contribute to, the lying and misleading that is being directed at their constituents is, in my mind, the most un-American and unpatriotic of behaviors. They care nothing for the people, America, or the Constitution.
And Fox News should be forced to take the word "News" out of their title, because they have no regard for truth and facts. They simply do and say ANYTHING that they think will advanced the Conservative and Republican agenda and defeat the agenda of Liberals and Democrats. They do not care how much damage they are doing to the American people nor do they seem to care that they could very well be pushing some whack job over the edge with their hate speech.