The Press-Dispatch
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OPINION Obama administration and much of the me- dia have embraced, has implications that reach far beyond the passing sensation it has created. The unwillingness of authorities to put a The "Occupy" movement, which the stop to their organized disruptions of oth- er people's lives, their trespassing, vandal- ism and violence is a de facto suspension, if not repeal, of the 14th Amendment's require- ment that the government provide "equal protection of the laws" to all its citizens. How did the "Occupy" movement acquire such immunity from the laws that the rest of us are expected to obey? Simply by shout- ing politically correct slogans and calling themselves representatives of the 99 percent against the 1 percent. But just when did the 99 percent elect After Obamacare of your health care—you, or the government? That, in a nutshell, is what the debate over Obamacare is about. True health care reform is Who should be in charge By Ed Feulner needed. Unfortunately, the president's signature law is the wrong medicine. Which is why, if the Supreme Court affirms that the law is uncon- stitutional and overturns it, we shouldn't consider the problem solved. Not at all. We will simply have stopped applying a treatment that was making the problem worse. One of the main ways it's doing so: financially. Right now, health care spend- ing amounts to about one- sixth of the economy. Esti- mates from the Congressio- nal Budget Office show this amount is climbing rapid- ly. In fact, by the end of this decade, it will reach a point where it's consuming one- fifth of the economy—and continue to grow from there. This is obviously unsus- tainable. The fact that Obam- acare makes this day of reck- oning come that much soon- er is reason enough to jetti- son the law. But this necessary first care is a tax-free benefit. But this means you're stuck with whatever coverage your employer offers, whether it's right for you or not. And if you want to (or have to) buy your plan, whatever money you spend on it doesn't en- joy the same tax-free status. What we need to do in- Wednesday, May 16, 2012 The Press-Dispatch Observations by Thomas Sowell The moral infrastructure them as their represen- tatives? If in fact 99 per- cent of the people in the country were like these "Occupy" mobs, we would not have a coun- try. We would have an- archy. Democracy does not mean mob rule. It C-2 means majority rule. If the "Occupy" move- ment, or any other mob, actually represents a majority, then they already have the votes to accomplish legally whatever they are try- ing to accomplish by illegal means. Mob rule means imposing what the mob wants, regardless of what the majority of vot- ers want. It is the antithesis of democracy. In San Francisco, when the mob smashed Continued on page 3 Still making waves The no-spin zone—by Bill O'Reilly stead is to ensure that Amer- icans, regardless of job situ- ation, are eligible for a tax credit or other help that can be used to purchase health insurance. This would allow people to buy, own and keep the plan of their choice. Under the Heritage plan, the net value of the credit would be $2,000 for an indi- vidual and $3,500 for a cou- ple or family. This credit would be gradually phased out for those with higher in- comes. Offer assistance to lower- Beach Boys, right? They are currently on their 50th anniversary tour across the country, if you can believe it. I saw the boys the other night, and tion: What is the most en- during Ameri- can pop group of all time? Has to be The Quick ques- they can still bring it. Lead singer Mike Love is 71, musical genius Bri- an Wilson is nearly 70, as is keyboard- ist Bruce Johnston. The audience was primarily aging step is just that: a first step. Once Obamacare has joined the growing pile of failed government-heavy prescrip- tions, we need to prescribe the correct remedy. In addi- tion to Medicare premium support, which we at The Heritage Foundation outline in our reform plan (www. savingthedream.org), we need to do the following: Create a new health care tax credit. We can trace much of the dysfunction in the current health care sys- tem to how most people get their insurance: through their workplace. The money that's spent on your health income working families. We need to help poor Amer- icans get the coverage they need—and it should be paid for with cuts in other health care spending. This way, we wouldn't have to push still more low-income able-bod- ied adults and their families into the costly and failing Medicaid system, as Obam- acare does. Instead, they could enroll We need to turn Medicaid into a true safety-net pro- gram, not the catch-all, patchwork one we have to- day, where you need a new Continued on page 3 in a private plan of their own choosing, just as the rest of society does. They'd be able to get the kind of coverage they want, not the kind the government wants them to have. And under the Heri- tage plan, low-income indi- viduals would receive the financial assistance they need to buy health cover- age as well. Restructure Medicaid. and Camelot was in full flower that year. "Where were you in '62?" lat- baby boomers who were not only sing- ing along to the surf tracks; they were memorializing their youth. In 1962, back when The Beach Boys were just getting started, America was a kind- er, sweeter place where long summer days defined many young lives. John F. Kennedy was president, Tonight Show" in 1962. The unem- ployment rate was 5.2 percent. Aver- age family income was $6,000, which didn't leave much cash left over for rec- reational drugs. I was 12 years old and loved The Beach Boys. "Surfer Girl" and "Little Deuce Coupe" were my favorite songs. I lived on Long Island and, like the boys, had access to an ocean. I used it frequently, catching waves, feeling the warmth of the sun. It was a happy time. The girls were pretty, my parents clue- less, and all things seemed possible. But life has a way of intruding on happiness. Two of the original Beach Boys, Carl and Dennis Wilson, are er became the ad campaign for a film called "American Graffiti." But many senior citizens well remember where they were: watching the No. 1 rated TV program, "Wagon Train," listening to Elvis sing "Return to Sender," maybe going to the movies to see the block- buster "Lawrence of Arabia." Johnny Carson debuted on "The dead. And their brother Brian is one of the walking wounded, a poster boy for the downside of drug abuse. The picture The Beach Boys continue to paint with their upbeat lyrics is idyl- lic, but their lives, generally speaking, have included much turbulent water. In that, they are just like most of us. So when we get a chance to revisit the past in a positive way, we should take it. I actually embarrassed myself at the concert by singing "In My Room." I didn't care. I remember my small, un- air-conditioned room in Levittown. I could go there to soothe my troubles. I did a lot of dreaming in that space. So right on to The Beach Boys, even though they are now ancient mariners. The waves today are far more intense than they were back in '62. In the face of the incoming tide, sometimes we need some relief, some positive per- spective about our lives. God only knows just how much the baby-boom generation has experi- enced. Giving Without Thought Of Recompense home the fact that to give from the heart really means to give of yourself without a hope of receiving anything in return. I was part of a work team Points to ponder—by Rev. Ford Bond Two recent events brought parent that we were giving our money, time, and expe- rience to people who in no way can repay in kind. Our team consisted of 49 from the Southeastern Dis- trict of the United Meth- odist Church that traveled to Henagar, Mississippi in March. Our week was spent working on two homes for people of limited means who lost everything in the torna- do that went through the ar- ea in April of 2011, and were uninsured. I saw first hand how the United Methodist Commit- tee On Relief (UMCOR) helps people recover from disaster. It was readily ap- people; some were retired tradesmen, a few pastors, farmers, and assorted oth- ers who took time off from work. The three of us that traveled together to Hena- gar occurred around a thou- sand dollars in travel related expenses to stay there. What did I learn? It costs and how UMCOR qualifies people for assistance; and I went away knowing that the money people give to UM- COR is well spent. Tied to this was a conver- something to help others! This was my first work mis- sion trip and I was amazed at the work ethic and comrade- ly of the crew and no one spoke of what or why they were doing this. The Long Term Resident Disaster Re- lief Coordinator spoke of the relief effort, the time frame, No bigotry no sanction A woman's perspective—by Mona Charen "evolved" on the matter of same-sex marriage to the position favored by "enlightened" Americans, this would seem to be a good time for some rhe- torical hygiene. There are modest and civil propo- Now that President Obama has nents of same-sex marriage. But the tone of many advocates has been shrill to the point of frothing. The Southern Poverty Law Center, for example, put the National Organiza- tion for Marriage and the Family Research Coun- cil on its 2010 list of "hate groups" because of their opposition to gay mar- riage. A religion professor at a Midwest state univer- sity explained Catholic opposition to same-sex marriage and found him- self denounced for "hate speech" and fired from his teaching po- sition (he was later reinstated). The Hastings Law School denied funding and recognition to a chapter of the Christian Legal Society because it re- quired its members to conform their sexual behavior to traditional Chris- tian teachings. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., called the Defense of Marriage Act "a stain on our democracy." To be sure, there is overheated lan- guage among some opponents of gay marriage as well, though not among the leadership. The vitriol on the left arises from one simple source—the misappropriation of the race analo- gy. Once you convince yourself that same-sex marriage is the great civil rights cause of our time, it then follows logically that opponents are the mor- al equivalents of racists. That's what gay activist Dan Savage said explicitly: "We need a cultural reckoning around gay and lesbian issues. There was once two sides to the race debate . . . you could . . . argue for segrega- tion. You could argue against interra- cial marriage, against the Civil Rights Act, against extending voting rights to African Americans, and that used to be treated as one side . . . of a pressing na- tional debate, and it isn't anymore. And we really need to reach that point with gay and lesbian issues. There are no 'two sides' to the issues about gay and lesbian rights." Here's a question for Rep. believe that marriage is the union be- tween a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian . . . it is also a sacred union. God's in the mix." Was that a "stain on our democracy"? No? Then how about a modicum of Lewis and Dan Savage and the SPLC and the rest: Does your intolerance for disagreement extend to pre-May 10 Barack Obama? Before Obama evolved back (he had been pro same- sex marriage before he was against it), was he spewing "hate"? When he said, at the Saddleback Church in 2008, "I of gays and lesbians but from the be- lief that traditional marriage is too im- portant to be toyed with. When gays say, "marriage isn't doing well among heterosexuals," they have a point. Het- erosexuals are making a mess of mar- riage. But that's all the more reason to be cautious about adding another blow. Traditional marriage is recognized respect for those who continue to hold the views that Obama abandoned on- ly yesterday? Six states and the District of Co- lumbia have legalized same-sex mar- riage. Thirty-two states prohibit it— some by statute and others by state constitutions. The nation is doing what both Obama and Romney say they pre- fer, dealing with the question state by state. Romney's description of the issue as "tender and sensitive" was apt. But it should be possible for mature adults to discuss even sensitive subjects without descending into name-calling. My personal resistance to same-sex marriage arises not from any dislike and to some degree privileged by so- ciety because it performs the most es- sential task of any civilization—provid- ing the optimal environment for rais- ing children. Men and women bring different and complementary qualities to parenthood. The genetic tie, which both heterosexual parents have to their children, while not essential (I speak as an adoptive mother), is help- ful in maintaining loyalty and support for the long haul. Having parents of op- posite sexes gives children male and female role models. And the sexes dif- fer in a thousand little ways that, when blended, tend to redound to kids' wel- fare. Just to name a few: mothers are more protective, fathers more chal- lenging; mothers are more comfort- ing, fathers more stimulating; moth- ers are more related, fathers more dis- ciplinary. Permitting people of the same sex to marry changes the nature of the insti- tution. Rather than the optimal vehicle for raising children, it becomes just the social ratification of the relationship between two adults—a seal of approv- al. Having your love validated by the larger society may seem important if you are gay. But marriage, rightly un- derstood, is not really about love. It in- cludes love. But it's really about stabil- ity and raising children. That's what Obama said he believed, sation I had with a long time pastor who not only has gone on many relief trips, but also has served churches in more urban settings and has at- tended seminars on how to help those who cannot help themselves (i.e. drug ad- dicts, alcoholics and scam artists). As we were eat- ing lunch we talk- ed about Hena- gar and the sub- ject came up about helping the disad- vantaged and he let me in on a se- cret. He said "if you had a room full of pastors they would agree with what I am going to say—but in public they would dodge the issue." He went straight to the have they spent their money? Anytime you give to anoth- er person you are enabling them to continue their mal- adaptive behavior. By pay- ing a bill you free up money that they can now spend on frivolous items or buy drugs and alcohol. There is noth- ing that a drug addict or al- coholic cannot exchange for their fix." meet this challenge?" The real question is where we had someone approach the benevolence committee to help them pay a light bill of around $800 dollars or they face disconnect soon." "Now, this is May and this is a bill obviously in arrears probably since March. " They have known for three months this was facing them and what have they done to MR. AND MRS. FRANK HEURING, PUBLISHERS ANDREW G. HEURING, EDITOR The Press- Dispatch JOHN B. HEURING, ADVERTISING MANAGER Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Entered at the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for trans- mission through the mails as Periodical Mail, Postage paid at Petersburg, Indiana. Published weekly. will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. Postmaster: send changes to Post Office Box 68, Petersburg, Indiana 47567-0068. Change of Address—Subscribers changing addresses P.O. BOX 68, PETERSBURG, INDIANA 47567 E-mail—news@pressdispatch.net (604-340) Phone 354-8500 • FAX—354-2014 until yesterday. It wasn't bigotry then, and it isn't now. Pike and Surrounding Cos. ......$ 10.00 $15.00 $25.00 $45.00 Elsewhere in Indiana ................ 14.00 Outside Indiana ............................18.00 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 3 mos. 6 mos. 1 year 2 years 19.00 28.00 27.00 43.00 49.00 75.00 meat of the discussion and said "if you are giving to someone with the notion that you are helping them get their lives on track or you are making a difference you are naïve." I said "real- ly, please explain." He said "look, this week how do you help others? He replied "realistically, for those chronically in need, you can't." It's a lifestyle that only they can break." What can we learn from you go buy their groceries; no cash is given. They go home and exchange the food for money, drugs, or pen- nies on the dollar. You pay someone's rent, the landlord might be in on the graft and says the rent is more than they owe and he gets a cut. It is endless." Then what do you do or the people at the Wheeler Street Mission in Indi- anapolis and at- tend their semi- nar on how to be a good steward of God's money and still help the disadvantaged. It is a real eye- opener." "For example, "Go talk to these two incidents? Again, helping someone is costly. Furthermore, when you help someone you have no guar- antee that what you give will go to where it is pledged. Continued on page 3