Category Archives: Sovereignty

directprimarycareI’ve had more reasons to deal with doctors this year, unfortunately. Very expensive. Very frustrating. And not particularly helpful.  I finally chose to look beyond what is currently offered by traditional health care and insurance and I am thrilled and excited at the results!

I’m sure most of us are paying sky-high health insurance premiums with equally sky-high deductibles. When we actually DO need to see a doctor, we wait forever in a room full of sick people until we get our very brief 8 minutes to talk to the doc. I discovered a new breed of doctors who are using a health care model called “Direct Primary Care.” Participating doctors basically have divorced themselves from the insurance model of medicine and have gone back to the way doctoring used to be done.

My new doctor makes himself available 24/7 by phone, email, and text, and he gives me whatever time is required for my appointment, usually 30-60 minutes. For this he charges a low $65 monthly fee. In addition, he has an in-office pharmacy where he dispenses common medicines at greatly reduced rates. He also performs in-office labs and procedures for free.

At last I feel I can get good medical care from a doctor I trust without an insurance company standing in my way. I still have to keep my $800/month insurance, but my medical care is back to being something that I and my doctor control and my pre-deductible, out-of-pocket expenses are much lower. And now with a doctor who listens, who provides quality care, and who is there for me when I need him, I stand a much better chance of staying healthy.

If you’re interested, Google “direct primary care” and see if there are any participating doctors in your area. If you live in Pueblo, CO, I highly recommend Dr. John Thomas, On Point Primary Care,
http://www.onpointprimarycare.com/

 

America the Beautiful from Hillsdale College

This is one of the most beautiful renderings of America the Beautiful that I’ve ever heard. The photography is fantastic. Hillsdale College is the ONLY college in the U.S. that refuses to take a cent from the government. As a result, it can offer courses rich in American history, the U.S. Constitution, and love of liberty, and teach them the way they SHOULD be taught, not how the government wants them taught. Hillsdale offers great FREE online courses [podcasts] on American freedom that are worth a listen. And you can sign up to receive the FREE Imprimis magazine. That alone will provide new insights on topics that you won’t find anywhere else. Hillsdale was founded in 1844 and is regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the U.S. They aren’t a bunch of wackos spouting tyranny. But you will learn how our founding fathers were often regarded as such.

Government Security Is Just Another Kind of Violence

Do we really believe government can provide total security?  Do we want to involuntarily commit every disaffected, disturbed, or alienated person who fantasizes about violence?  Or can we accept that liberty is more important than the illusion of state-provided security? Government cannot create a world without risks, nor would we really wish to live in such a fictional place.  Only a totalitarian society would even claim absolute safety as a worthy ideal, because it would require total state control over its citizens’ lives.  We shouldn’t settle for substituting one type of violence for another. Government role is to protect liberty, not to pursue unobtainable safety.

Our freedoms as Americans preceded gun control laws, the TSA, or the Department of Homeland Security.  Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference, not by safety. It is easy to clamor for government security when terrible things happen; but liberty is given true meaning when we support it without exception, and we will be safer for it. — Ron Paul, Texas Straight Talk, 12/24/12

Why is this important? In the wake of the tragic massacre in Connecticut, people should address solutions that begin to de-glorify violence in our society. We should be discussing values and responsibility—these are taught at the family level, and government cannot and should not have any role in that. Government cannot fix the decline in our social structure. In many respects, the roots of the decline can be traced back to the government itself.

Massachusetts Kills Death with Dignity

“It matters little whether I have six days or six years to live. If I decide that it is time for my life to come to an end for reasons important to me, that should be my decision.”—Lamar Hankins, The Rag Blog, November 14, 2012

Why is this important? By virtue of being human, I own my self and my body.  I am autonomous and make all decisions about my life. Likewise, I should be able to make decisions about my death (unless my creator beats me to it). When I’m done with living, I should be able to end my life without recrimination from people or governments. If I’m ill and suffering, I most certainly don’t want to drag out the pain. But even if I’m not, it is no one else’s right to dictate to me how I choose to live and die.

I strongly believe life is about quality and not about quantity. As a mentally competent adult, I am responsible for making decisions about my life, my health, my finances. But some people and most governments truly believe that they have a right to prevent me from making rational, competent decisions about my death. The people in Massachusetts were asked to decide if their state should allow a terminally ill person to end his suffering with a self-administered lethal drug prescribed by his physician. Oregon and Washington already allow this.

It was a close vote—51% against and 49% in favor. The Catholic church was behind most of the opposition. It is a huge loss for individual sovereignty. I’m glad I don’t live in Massachusetts…or rather that I don’t have to die in Massachusetts. It could take a lot longer than I’m willing to wait.