hello,

could your panel discuss how the witness that called 911 about the gates issue said nothing about race when she called and her and her lawyers stated that she didnt tell or say anything about 2 black man entering the house. This shows that officer crowley presented false information on his report, since it said two black man , could this be the reason that the charges were dropped since it would be thrown out of court once this was found out?

or Justin Barrett from the boston police who sent a pretty nasty letter which you can read below to his fellow cops, boston globe and his nat/guard unit? this guy barrett is another story and is whats deval patrick was talking about and the police and the Commissioner did the right thing, but still scares me listening to WTKK where boston officers called in talking about how it was okay for his behavior and show not have been a issue(barret) .

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/cop_suspended_for_racial_slur_in_Gates_email_072809

police divided on lesson learn
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111372433

witness speaking

http://www.wbur.org/2009/07/29/gates-arrest-caller-3

But i do feel it was a learning moment, many police departments are now looking into the civil disorder laws on the book and some who were not aware or care not to know can see what some groups in American society still has to deal with. maybe some more empathy can come from this. It seems that besides the arresting of gates and having some false info on his reporting it seems crowley not a bad guy and forgiving him is the more human thing to do so i will.

Obama showed empathy on Thursday by inviting both man over and trying to find a middle ground and ease tensions between blacks, whites, and the police hopefully it can bring some changes in the police force thinking towards minorities and disrupt that wall of blue that most people are well aware and think its justified and others fear it and think it’s totalitarian.

If this wall is disrupted than in turn can bring trust, cooperation, and understanding from minority communities in turn benefiting us all otherwise our democracy will suffer since people will feel they cannot trust the people who are paid to protect them. without protest against the police than we are reduced to countries like iran.

could you also talk about the kidney story as well thought it was a pretty crazy story?

thanks for the great programing

I’m getting really tired of hearing about polls which claim a growing number of Americans don’t approve of Obama’s approach to health care.

If that is really how pollsters are wording the question, how can anyone know that what people don’t approve of is Obama’s abondonment of a single payer system?

He got elected with single payer as part of his platform. Everyone I’ve asked (and most everyone I know is insured) understands that single payer is clearly the way our country needs to go, and I live in Texas (a red state).

Obama needs to stop caring whether or not Republican serial opportunists are brought into the fold in the least, and start playing hard ball with them and the blue dog Dems.

Obama is obviously not being served too well by Rahm Emanuel and the rest of his staff. Obama needs to start pushing some weight around and use the clout he still has: namely, the strong support of the vast majority of the American public. Republicans are obsolete and insignificant, and the blue dog Dems just need to be shaken out of their stupor.

Come on Obama, snap out of it!

AMERICANS WANT A SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE SYSTEM! GET IT DONE!

I mean:

Original thoughts rarely enter or exit a Republican congressman’s head, and that sort of mindlessness facilitates unanimity of message, allowing scripted talking points to brainwash weaker-minded Americans through mere inculcation.

Dems are not so mindless, and therefore never address the public with 100% cohesion in their talking points, forcing Americans to actually use their brains to understand an issue and what is really in their interest. This means Dems will never latch on to lazy-minded Americans, but who cares? Let the Republicans keep the weak-minded portion of America! Fortunately, a significant enough number of Americans do have brains.

Obama and the Dems should be out en force making their LOGICAL argument and aggressively countering conservative blather.

Americans already proved they are on board during the last couple of election cycles… all Obama and the Dems have to do is prove to the handful of cowardly blue dogs that only an insignificant and passé potion of the electorate is at stake, and then we can simply ignore the opportunistic and mindless obstructionism coming from the little Republican section of Congress.

A beautiful picture. Love how the 2 White House dudes don’t have on their suit jacket, whereas the two Hub guys do. But all 4 beers on the table are full. Bottoms up, already!

Yet, why not beers brewed by American-owned companies?

Blue Moon is sold by a joint venture in which London-based SABMiller has a majority stake.

Bud Light is made by Anheuser-Busch — which is now known as Anseuser-Busch InBev NV after getting bought last year by a giant Belgian-Brazilian company.

Only Prof Gates switch his origiinal choice (Red Stripe, Jamaican beer) to an American beer (Sam Adams Light).

He said that instead of his usual Red Stripe, he drank a Sam Adams at the meeting in honor of an ancestor who fought in the American Revolution.

Hey, read all about my life.

‘The professor, a prolific writer, did not miss an opportunity to promote his 1994 memoir, “Colored People.” He gave Sergeant Crowley a signed copy, he said, with the inscription, “Linked together forever in history.”’

“We hit it off right from the very beginning,” Professor Gates said. Laughing, he added, “When he’s not arresting you, Sergeant Crowley is a really likable guy.”

Expanded Consciousness, do you have a date for Robert Pasin’s piece? I think the public is learning more. I have seen both the lawyer and the lawyer’s witness on the news, heard the 911 call. Didn’t Crowley question whether Gates was in fact Gates? Wouldn’t a robber caught red-handed declare himself legally present. If there was an accomplice, shouldn’t the police be wary? Didn’t the witness say she then went to the porch herself and reveal more? It seems to me the “backpack” might be a mishearing of “with bags,” whenever she said that.
Mike, it seems to me that it is very sad if telling the police the apparent race of suspects is racism. The witness was pretty close on the Moroccan (I think that’s what they said the driver was). It seems to me you could mistake Gates for Caucasian, which he partly is. Can one say “tan” without being labeled a racist? Why is it racist to see someone as one race or another, one color or another?
Or is it?
Why is the witness making such an issue that she did NOT report the race (except that it really was not all that clear, so why would one try)?
Health care. I don’t believe anyone about what might come out of the sausage factory anymore.

Ellen – Date for Robert Pasin’s piece is 5:21 pm July 29, 2009 and is just one lawyer’s angle.
RP wrote:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/07/29/wsjnbc-poll-whos-at-fault-in-gates-arrest/tab/comments/

In the past few weeks, a number of NPR programs in their discussions on health care reform, have discussed advertisements featuring a Canadian lady who claims that she would have died under the Canadian health care system because of her brain tumour. She claims that her treatment in the U.S. saved her life and that she would have been dead without it.

Today the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is airing a story debunking this lady’s claims. Turns out her condition was not nearly as serious as she claimed and at no time was her life in jeopardy.

If something appears in an advertisement sponsored by an organization with a vested interest in preserving the status quo, people should ask questions but based on many of the comments from callers, they are buying it hook, line and sinker.

It’s too bad that the fine people of the U.S. are being hoodwinked with misinformation. You deserve better. Hopefully this clarification will get as much airtime as the false claims by the Canadian lady.

Oh, geez. I said the lawyer and the lawyer’s witness. That was the witness and her lawyer. Ahem.

Obama’s rapidly declining poll numbers indicate that more and more Americans are doubtful of his ability to effectively lead the country.

Ellen i think you mis-read my point, my point is as Expanded explain so well, was that the officer presented false information in his report, suit case and backpack is a pretty big differences.Like i pointed out and a post earlier this week the report was slanted to the officer favor and this witness has proved this to be true.i ask ellen when is false information okay in police reports? many crimal cases get thrown out when this happens, If i thought the witness was a racist than i would not have presented her side of the story correct? as noted the link to it.

ellen are you aware of the fence, i recommend you listen or read about it.This happen in boston 1995 where a under cover cop was beaten my the police in boston and than the report and incident was than cover-up.

http://www.wbur.org/2009/07/30/the-fence

What i was referring to as racist is the email sent about gates by Justin Barrett to nat/guard members, police and the boson global, of the Boston police department. as i posted the link if you wish to read it.

on WTKK,(normally far-right station besides the 1230 show) has the witness lawyer on stating no such thing when officer crowley arrived.

I agree with JP as well sadly the rapid right has talking over the republican party, and if any future republican senators, congressman, or future presidential candidates will have to appeal to the growing crazies in the party to get pass there convention.

So republicans will do nothing and hope teh economy fails so they can use it to come back to power and is all they really care about.

With Foxs News as the talking head of the far-right very few if any republicans will vote for health-care, or frankly anything even if it is to the benefit for all Americans and people will keep voting for these guys because of fear, along with this republicans warming up and keeping alive rumors like what the birthers present.

Fear of the police and what they’re growing into.

American is not suppose to be a police state, but the police have grown to view themselves as a power onto themselves. The police now act as if we are the servants and they are the nobles. The angry Officer Crowley showed when he said Mr. Gates should have been “grateful” that the police came to his home, is a example of this. The e-mail Officer Barrent wrote is another. With the e-mail, more reveling is many police officers have stated they don’t understand what the big deal is. The repeated tazering of a man’s genital area by the police in Idaho is a third.

We (the people) were promised pepper spray and Tazers would only be used in violent situations to prevent harm, instead both are used at the whim of the police. I remember when a police officer needed to justify even drawing his weapon, now he can use it to kill and all he has to say is ” I felt threatened” and the burdon of proof is on the people to prove he wasn’t.

I’m not polite to the police because I respect them, I’m polite because I fear them.

On the subject of health care: Over a hundred years ago Germany started to provide health care to it’s people. When are we? Yes! to national helath care.

Joe,

please explain what the Republicans would do? how? and who? would someone like palin do the job?

Mike, I don’t think we have in the media a posting of the police report to confirm whether it was inaccurate. Oh, yeah, I believe it was slanted more to help police than the guy arrested, but I also believe something like the backpack reference could indeed have been something someone heard or misheard. I hear you that backpack is different than suitcase. Like “hoodie” is different than “dinner jacket.” I always come back from travels wearing a backpack, by the way. Police reports should be accurate, especially when you happen to have snagged a black celebrity — which he would have known by the time the report was written. (Sorry to say, publicity probably enhances carefulness.)
I did check your first links. My question is more for your opinion if the witness would have been racist to tell the police she saw people of color (which dispatch did ask). The idea is to help identify people, not pull over lots of innocent people. Someone has the woman all defensive, saying she did not report the race. It should have been okay, if she knew. Right?

Ellen,

here is the report

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/20090722_gates_police_documents.pdf

you can make your decision

On the news last night they reported some number around 700,000 arrests per year for disturbing the peace. I don’t think they reported the number that lead to convictions. I would bet the judges don’t want to waste state monies on this. I would bet that lawyers make money arranging for charges to be dropped. Very, very few charges going beyond: “you bother me; I’ll make your life tough the way I can.” But are those cops too quick on the “trigger” to bring that charge?

Hey guys, a reminder to please refrain from posting long quotes from other sources. If it’s a big chunk of text, please feel free to post a link along with a couple sentences of your own explaining what it is.

so if you read the report from sgt crowley and the statements from the witness it does not match and false information was in it.

I worked child care in the past and it was taught(good or bad) when writing a incident report slant it in the favor of the person writing it cause it maybe used against you in court.

i recommended you look at what see said and crowley and will find it not the same.

“We hit it off right from the very beginning,” Professor Gates said. Laughing, he added, “When he’s not arresting you, Sergeant Crowley is a really likable guy.”

Well, at least Professor Gates has a sense of humor.

I’ve not been polled about the health care plan, which is being put together in the usual piecemeal way that congress does things. I give President Obama a failing grade on health care. He’s blown it. So has both houses of congress.

Obama has basically given in to the special interest. The only thing he’s asking for now is a regulation that would bar insurance companies from denying care for preexisting conditions. What this plan does is force people who can’t afford health care to buy it. It does nothing to change how these plans are designed.
It does nothing to control how through high deductibles and limits that most of the plans will be useless if one has a serious illness.

This plan does not address the issue of bankruptcy caused by medical bills

This bill does nothing to address the for profit companies that own hospitals and clinics.

Basically the bill that is coming through the Senate now is joke. It wont help, it will make it worse.

Regarding Healthcare polls. We’ve heard again and again that a high percentage of American’s support single payer, and also that a majority of Americans want to keep their healthcare. I am sure what looks like a contradiction is just results of questions that are crafted differently, but I would like to hear how they are different.

Regarding Gates/Crowley-goes to show the great benefit of knowing our neighbors!

“Obama’s rapidly declining poll numbers indicate that more and more Americans are doubtful of his ability to effectively lead the country.”

This is kind of a broad statement. I voted for Obama, but my support is declining because I don’t see in his actions a willingness to fight. Instead, he plays it safe and wants to please everyone. Healthcare, for instance. He also escalates the war in Afganistan, which to me is stupid. The only beneficiaries there are war profiteers and Russia (the U.S. is fighting islamists on its borders, which really Russia should be doing itself). While my support for him is waning, I will not vote Republican under any circumstances. Perhaps a third party candidate?

Ezra Klein, Trudy Rubin, and Jack Beatty, three ultra-liberal perspectives on the news.

Ok, Producer Sam Gale Rose

I guess, we cannot post comments about US Foreign Policy and why we have to reverse our position in the Middle Easts, any more.

I knew one of these days, the deletion hammer was going to come in full force. Ok, let’s have the the zio-liars take over the entire forum.

Joe B you know you can change the station.
If you have so many problems with On Point, why do you keep listening?

On Point is an excellent news program. I just want to see some more balanced points of view.

My mom is a senior citizen and is convinced the goverment wants to help her die with the new plan. I have tried to explain this to her, but I can’t seem to get her off this point. I appreciated the explanation of where this came from. But any other suggestions to help me help her understand that the goverment is not trying to help her die

Address this:

If a public health care option is not enacted because the sheer greed of our elected officials and their management-class puppeteers, why should anyone under age 30 have any faith in this country, this political system or this economy?

Seeing their greed, folly, indifference and catastrophes, why should the current ruling generation be allowed to continue running things in any shape or form?

OK Joe fair enough.

Lilya seems your being given a message, try to play nice in the sand box.

If a public health care option is not enacted because the sheer greed of our elected officials and their management-class puppeteers, why should anyone under age 30 have any faith in this country, this political system or this economy?

Indeed, and why should anyone above 30 have any faith in this country, this political system or this economy?

Seeing their greed, folly, indifference and catastrophes, why should the current ruling generation be allowed to continue running things in any shape or form?

….um…because they were elected?

We’ve deleted the link/comment about our producer Sam Gale Rosen. Our comment threads are not the place for personal attacks. Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.

If you’d like to send us feedback on anything other than the show or specific topic at hand, you can email us at on point at wbur dot org.

Sometimes I think we are country that is dysfunctional.
This will never happen. The special interest are killing it the same way they have since Truman was President.

Truman tried to deal with this in the 50’s. He left office in 1953. That’s 56 years! We have been trying to do this or not doing this for 56 years.

Something to ponder over.

This whole health care thing drives me to despair. Why is it that Americans can be so great about helping a single individual in serious trouble but don’t care enough about 47 million of their own citizens to provide them with health insurance? If so many millions of our fellow-citizens don’t get health care it is an American failure and not just the failure of a single political party or a single politician.

On health care, Jack, you have once again hit the bullseye–it’s the money in politics. It’s hopeless to expect robust reform from a pay-to-play federal government.

Rep. Kucinich has an amendment pending to make it legally easier for states to start their own single-payer systems. Regardless of how you feel about single payer, the debate on its merits will only be heard clearly at the state level, where constituents have some voice. On the federal level, we count for very little compared to the money coming in from the health care, insurance, and pharmaceutical industries, and the people who run them.

I wanted to ask the commentators today about the health care issue. I know there has been some fears that if Obama’s health care plan was in place, we’d be waiting in line for health care, like in the Canadian system. Why can’t we concentrate on getting more qualified doctors trained, especially in the primary care field? I feel primary care doctors would be more important than ever when it comes to health care.

Medicare!? We all subsidize any one on Medicare so of course those on Medicare love it. When we are all on Medicare (or ObamaCare) who will subsidize it then China?!

If you would like to help pressure Congress to pass single payer health care please join our voting bloc at:
http://www.votingbloc.org/Health_Bloc.php

Joanna I think it’s tunnel vision. We have this “thing” in this country about the “individual” and going it alone. All out myths are based on this. It’s part of our psyche.

We don’t have a sense of a collective society.
Why is that New Orleans is still in ruins so many years after Hurricane Katrina.

In the city of Kobe, Japan which was devastated by a massive earthquake, they rebuilt the damaged areas in about 5 years. In Japan they have more of a sense of the collective society, they have too due to so many people living in a small country.

In the USA we seem too think that government is bad. We don’t want to pay taxes and yet we want our roads to be in good shape and the schools to work and to be free.

What I see is a huge disparity of wealth and this is part of the problem. If this keeps happening and growing we are in trouble as a nation. Health care is part of this equation.

I do agree that the Federal government most likely can not run a national health care system. Our country is too big. What we spend on health care alone is more than the entire GDP of Great Britain.

I wanted to ask the commentators today about the health care issue. I know there has been some fears that if Obama’s health care plan was in place, we’d be waiting in line for health care, like in the Canadian system.

This is false information. PEOPLE IN CANADA DO NOT WAIT ON LINE FOR HEALTH CARE! I repeat, people in Canada do not wait for health care. Not only that they more choices than we do as the can go too any doctor they want to. In France doctors make house calls at night.
They make house calls!

Please can people do some research and at least try and have some common sense with this issue. Is this too much to ask?

Each person on the program stated that Medicare is working well. Yes it is, but what about the costs? Medicare is extremely expensive and will require an increase in taxes in a few years even though every working person contributes and only those over 65 collect. The only way Medicare controls costs is by issuing edicts about what they will pay to doctors and hospitals which are below costs and require private insurance to make up the differences. Is that what we want; government price controls of the economy?
And as far as competition with private insurance, I have Medicare Advantage insurance through a NON-PROFIT HMO. Medicare pays the HMO for running the program and I get better coverage at NO cost to me. Medicare’s copay is 20%; I pay $10 or $20 copays. I also get other benefits like free health club membership and all of this costs me no more than the $98 per month that all Medicare members pay. Doesn’t this mean that private insurance is more efficient than government insurance?

How is that a hand full of Blue Dog democrat’s are dictating the health care bill now. By the way these so called conservative democrat’s are really republicans in blue suits.

Blue Dog Compromises: A War On the Middle Class?:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/blue-dog-compromises-a-wa_b_248311.html

We need a single payer health care (CARE not insurance) system in the US!!
It’s unacceptable that people are deliberately made confused by the ‘marketing’ campaign financed by insurance companies and carried out by the politicians in Washington. The insurance companies want to make sure that their revenues increase by a tax mandate. What kind of market system is that??? Mandated tax-based monopoly??
For heaven’s sake – the health insurance bill is not even finalized! What’s the rush about???
Write to your representatives in Washington!!! Write to Obama. Tell them you want a single payer system without the insurance companies! Originally it was going to be part of the plan.

Don A.,

Medicare Advantage/private insurance is NOT more efficient than government insurance.
You are not aware of how much Medicare Advantage costs the gov’t relative to original Medicare, and are currently satisfied with the services provided.

http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=1524

Trudy Rubin is hammering healthcare industry talking points. She is deliberately misrepresenting the facts. I am very glad one of the male guests (Jack Beatty?) corrected her on the air. Too often talk shows on NPR allow deliberate misstatements of facts to go unchallenged. If you are earning $350,000 or more (not that your assets are worth $350,000 or more) your taxes go up 9/10 of one %. That’s $3,150 if you earn $350,000 or $9,000 if you earn $1,000,000. This tax would affect the wealthiest 1 percent of U.S. taxpayers only.

republicans at it agains, guess rounding is not something they are able to understand. i mean 800bill rounded to 1 trillion makes perfect since… wait what?

Mike Pence Caught Making Up Health Care Numbers On MSNBC

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/31/mike-pence-caught-making_n_248707.html

The media has bought into the Republican talking point of describing the Health Care plan as costing one trillion over ten years.

They love this figure of one trillion.

Name one other Federal program that is habitually alluded to in terms of its ten year cost!

Americans would have no problem with the cost at all if it was accurately broken down into a yearly cost figure of 100 billion a year… peanuts these days.

“I know there has been some fears that if Obama’s health care plan was in place, we’d be waiting in line for health care, like in the Canadian system.”

WE WAIT IN LINE FOR HEALTH CARE!!!! Have you tried to book a specialist lately? If you have a suspicious area on your body, it can be months before you see a dermatologist. In the meantime, the melanoma keeps on growing. Name your specialty–from primary care, to eye docs, gynocology, to hematology–we wait and wait for an appointment, then wait and wait in the waiting room. Come on, people. We are already living the health care nightmare.

Must be nothing happening in the news room if this if this situation gets this much play imagine if something really important should happen

It might take a bit of luck but hopefully this massive take over of our healthcare system by obama and company will fail.

People on this web site are delusional if they believe that this ObamaCare will only cost 800 Billion over the next 10 years. The government has no clue what the number will be next year never mind 10 years from now! Buying every one insurance has done nothing to stem rising health care cost in Mass.
How about this Obama fixes Medicare then he can take a shot at the rest of our health care.

It might take a bit of luck but hopefully this massive take over of our health care system by obama and company will fail.

And then what Janet? What’s your plan to fix this mess.

It’s touching to see such a concern about the costs of the healthcare reform. In the past decade we’ve seen a projected 1.6 trillion for the Iraq war. I am reading that the cost of the TARP may come to something like 23 trillion (!?!?). Does 1 trillion over ten years really look that crazy anymore? In any event, at least we will have something to show for that money. I say – do it and don’t even listen to GOP. Next time they are elected they are going to waste the money anyways.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I heard Jacki Lyden ask us whether we listeners might be concerned about too much reform, too soon, in the current health care “debate.” Too much, too soon? Please. As long as there is no serious discussion of doing away once and for all with the wasteful, irrational health insurance industry, which acts as an unnecessary middleman between patients and doctors, seeking to limit rather than expand care, then there can be no real reform. Can anyone really doubt that we are in for another Clintonesque failure in regard to Obama’s half-baked attempts to compromise, as is his unfortunate wont, with the likes of America’s insurance industry? And by letting Congress run with the ball, Obama shows us just how beholden to that industry its members are. The archetypal backroom deals being secretly negotiated behind retrograde Sen. Max Baucus’s closed doors are the very antithesis of democracy. His shenanigans pass for what ought to be a real legislative process in our country. His deals are designed to cause the least pain possible to his main constituent: the insurance industry. Why aren’t more of us outraged by it all?

As long as any mention of a single-payer plan remains verboten, then no reform of any real merit will be accomplished. And President Obama, like Bill Clinton before him, will have lost a chance to do something great. Real reform does not come about through mindless compromising with the very elements of society who are steadfastly opposed to any and all reforms worthy of the name. Read Dr. Marcia Angell’s hard-hitting thoughts on this subject for more enlightening views. She should be interviewed on “On Point.”

For all who are interested in the unvarnished truth about why we really have a health care crisis, here is a link to a PBS interview of Marcia Angell, the former Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine:

http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/Exprts_intrvw/m_angell.htm

The interview was conducted some time ago, but her perceptive comments are even more relevant today. Hers is a much-needed voice of reason.

Single payer is the way to go for real reform.

No personal attack intended but i want to comment on the selection of Jacki Lydon as a host. Having heard her now on several programs I consider her poorly suited to On Point format and is irritating to listen to, especially when she cuts callers short when making a point she is not in agreement with. I typically look forward to this program but do not find it great listening with this host.

I mention this as feed back for whoever makes the decision on finding a stand in On Point host. Surely there are others more suited.

Three purely innocent Hikers (“carrying” American Passports) who crossed the border to Iran were arrested. They were in remote corners of Turkey. These travelled more than 200 miles with a taxi through the mountainous Kurdish region and then the taxi’s gps died and they found themselves inside Iranian territory.

Bummer. Three innocent hikers originally wanted to go to appalachian trail in Argentina. But CIA did not want to pay for pleasure trips. Instead they decided to sneak into Ahmedinejad’s Iran and cause trouble. Now they are caught.

It is time for us to use the media and call the State Depatment for their release. Because anybody with an American Passport has to be Good and innocent, but Iranians are Evil. These hiker guys should start (fake) hunger-strike immediately [CIA Ref Manual, page 894]. Sisters should hit the TV shows (if they are in the US), with their hiker brothers’ childhood pictures. The goldfish and the Labradors are waiting for their masters to return home from Iranian custody.

ps. did not say that they are (really) Americans!!!

Mr. Independent, Solutions? Eliminate all gov. mandates on insurance companies, increase the number of doctors we allow into this country by 5,000 per year and require them to work in poor or rural areas, eliminate the Earned Income Credit and put that money into Medicaid, change the Medicare policies to cover only hosptial visits and major claims over 10,000 dollars, require people that don’t have medical insurance to buy a basic policy to cover costs over 10,000 dollars, deport five million illegals and arrest anyone employing them, sieze their assets and sell them at auction, these are just a few ideas…

Not sure these are very workable ideas Jenet.
Good luck finding and deporting 5 million illegals.

What do you do with the disabled who can’t afford to cover up to $10,000. People over 65 have spent their entire working lives contributing to the SS and Medicare. It’s not their fault that the government spent the money in the trust.

To much emphasis on “enforcing the law” not enough on”public servicing”, It’s ‘cultural” in the police force more than we care to admit.

And the laughable argument:” look a black policeman was also at the scene!!”

Black folks have known for the longest time, the dynamic of being harassed by a couple of black and white police officers together on patrol.Shoul i say more?

Day #4

Obama has promised to end this covert crap against Iran.

US Special Ops got about $400,000,000.00 for Regime Changes. Still the Secrecy goes on.

When US Military went the Kurdish region in full force last week, they knew who they were looking for – the identities. The story is “one of them had health issues and he stayed back”.

Iranians say that he also crossed the border, but he was sent back.

Good Job Media!!! Who came up with the word “hiker” vs. meteorolgists, bird watchers, doctors looking for indigent patients. One person behind a desk, came up with the word “hikers”, and Media never questions “Who” were these people and why in the world they are “still unidentified”.

If they were really Hikers, everybody would have been looking at their Facebook pages, and the mothers and sisters would have been on TV Shows all over.

Very Fishy!!!

Why are we talking about creating/expanding the “Public Option”
– by ‘CUTTING ~$500 BILLION from Medicare/Medicaid’???!!!!!!!!
What am I missing here?

Seems apparent the salient question about the current (HR3200) proposal is, “What does a Norquistadorian Medical-Industrial Trojan Horse smell like?”
Single-Payer is reform.
The current proposal is not, and may well make the worst aspect of the system – for-profit insurance companies’ gatekeeper role even more central and controlling. It will lock us into paying for “coverage” – the medical branch of the Gaming “Industry” – while denying you medical care whenever the insurance co. lawyers are actuarially cheaper than your doctors.

I second “Bryan’s” (Aug 1 @~2am, above) suggestion for an unvarnished status report for getting a wider perspective on
our current healcare ’system’:

http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/Exprts_intrvw/m_angell.htm

An excerpt: “… we spend over twice what the next most expensive country spends on health care — that’s Switzerland. We spend roughly $4500 for every American, whether they have insurance or not. Switzerland spends maybe $2500 for every citizen. Canada spends maybe $2,000. Great Britain, poor little Great Britain, spends about $1,000 for every British citizen. And what do we get for it? What do we get for that $4500? Well, we certainly don’t get our money’s worth. We have roughly 43 million people with no insurance whatsoever, and among the rest of us, many of us are underinsured. That is, we have shrinking packages. This might be covered, but that won’t be covered.

Our life expectancy is shorter. Our infant mortality is higher. Our childhood immunization rate is lower. And look at how often we get to see the doctor, how long we get to stay in the hospital. Canadians see their doctors far more often than we do. Americans really can’t afford to go see their doctor. There’s always some co-payment, some deductible, or they have to pay out of pocket, or something isn’t covered. But in Canada, where everybody is covered for everything, they go to the doctor much more often. When they are hospitalized, their hospital stays are longer…”

Single-Payer is reform.

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/what_is_single_payer.php

Thanks Chris!

why not to vote republican.beside the fact they have no new plans, goals, thoughts, beholding to the far right extremist often racist, fearful or scared of anything differnt from them.

A poll just came out and only 42 percent of republicans believe obama is a U.S. citizen,goes to show a indication of where the parties at and whoses running it.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/01/Poll-Birthers-Republicans-Southerners/UPI-70871249143676/

I hope everyone realizes that the extremist currently run the party and anything moderate will not be coming out of the republican party for awhile.

“And the laughable argument:” look a black policeman was also at the scene!!”

Black folks have known for the longest time, the dynamic of being harassed by a couple of black and white police officers together on patrol.Shoul i say more?”
=

OK, explain this to me. This is not the first time I’ve heard such thoughts expressed. What it boils down to is that you are convinced beyond doubt that there was racism involved in this particular incident, and if anyone disagrees (like the black cop) then that’s laughable, because, well, how will that black cop know racism? (And there’s 100% certainty and no doubt whatsoever that the good professor is above any wrongdoing because he teaches at Hahvahd.) So the black person’s (the cop) thoughts and views on racism – when they go against your view – are invalid and dismissed – and he has to play Uncle Tom to either the leftists or the rightists to gain acceptance.

If he says there was racism – he’s agreeing with you and being an Uncle Tom.

If he says there was no racism, he’s saying that because he’s an Uncle Tom to the conservatives by disagreeing with you.

According to your logic, it’s a no-win situation for the blacks if they disagree with the left, and they have to go by what the whites tell them.

Nice one there, wavre. I bet you’re also white and blind to white privilege which expresses itself by calling those blacks who happen to disagree with people like you on the issue of racism, Uncle Toms.

And here I thought that the left was a champion of the working class. *head-slap*

I was hoping that ‘wavre’ or someone else would respond to my comment and share views on the “logic” used by the leftists when it comes to racism.

Hello Millard,

if u wish, the problem with the gates case was

1) he was arrested after it was confirmed he was the owner of the house. As most are aware it was wrong to do yet crowley and other officers stood by it.

2) It turns out by the witness and her lawyers admission that she said nothing of the mens race and stated over and over again it looked like suit cases, yet in sgt crowely report it was stated the witness(same on) stated it was 2 black men with back packs in there house.

3) A officer should have tougher skin if someone yells at them otherwise arresting someone for disorderly conduct(yelling at their house) seems like the officer abused there power.

4) Based on these three things, even the first is big one, one could think that there a racial profiling, biased going on.

5) the apologist like u like to call people stated that gates should have stayed mute and caressed the officers ego, or it was in the officers right to arrest gates or worst(go back to prior post to see)

6) Just cause their is a black police officers does not automatically mean they will report or say what they are really thinking,or like some units in the military, you never rat on a fellow officers(know as the wall of Blue)

7) Because this wall of blue is supported by many in our society believe it is for the betterment for unit Cohesion and trust within the force, it enables some to abuse their power and while others may know its wrong say nothing otherwise face being singled out for the rest or not having their back watched.

Because of this many in the minorities communties know that justice will not be served and or other officers will cover for their fellow, showing a unit first than civilans, justice second. This can be seen almost all the time.

9) this case brought out some real racist such as Justin Barret from the boston police department, who sent a nasty email to a boston global reporter, along with fellow officers, and other National guard memembers(which is troubling) would u agree?

10) until the wall of blue is broken than black, Latino, White, Green Cops will stick up for there own majority of the time or face being a outcast.

11) Hench it always questionable to hear officers black or whatever sticking up of questionable actions(stated above)

12) I myself is bi-racial and i see Michael steele as a uncle-tom as well as supreme court Justice T. who would sell out for power, wealth or prestige or can be assumed in the gates case that nice blue wall.

13) Also there were some black police officer unions that spoke out against it, they got little pres and were called many names for it, (fresh air last week i think).

14) as you state with Republicans and democratic, most people mostly white feel and are shocked to find out cops are abusing there power and will be apologist to almost the very end when there do.

15) why are Black republican often refer to uncle tom’s as if you know the history of the south you understand that label, as currently and been for a long time, the base of the repbulican party has been very racist towards blacks, example the stuff monkeys handed out to republican rallies saying it was obama, the watermelon pictures google if u like to see,the name calling of spook, uppity,terrorist fist jab and many others i prefer not say, Yet we have some Black republican that try and cling to the party, and say nothing when such things occur, apologizes (steele) to Far-right host, and suck up in hopes of gain some type of power,or acknowledgment from people who quite frankly dont like them deeming them with the title of a uncle tom.

You can check out the hip-hop republican web-site were there was begging for the republican party to include them and hopefully there acknowledge them, claiming the party of Lincoln and martin Luther yet totally against what Lincoln and Luther stood for.

Mike, thanks.

I still don’t agree with all your points, you haven’t directly answered the question I asked and you’re working under some stereotypes of your own regarding who is an Uncle Tom and who isn’t. BTW, wasn’t Abraham Lincoln a Republican? I am aware of the history, but I don’t like to use history in lieu of facts – each case has to be looked at on its own merit, otherwise we’re simply perpetuating stereotypes. Case in point: Duke University lacrosse team case, when everyone jumped on the “racism” bandwagon and then had to eat their words, though it’s telling that not many people admitted that they were wrong in waving the racism flag and apologized.

If you can give me examples where whites acting the same way as Gates did (telling a cop “you don’t know who you’re dealing with”, calling him a racist), were not arrested by the police, then that would be the clearest indicator that Sgt. Crowley acted in a racist manner. Whereas I can give you many examples where both black and white people have been arrested when they acted in a disorderly manner. The issue is abuse of power here, not racism.

And good for you and all the liberals that it wasn’t a female cop who arrested Gates. Now that would’ve been fun.

Are you refering to a) videos footage of this? b) articles,news? c) personal exp? As you could assume the question you posted would be hard to answer since it would not be reported or recorded since the officer walked away.would you not agree?

amazing enough i can find all 3 of officers abusing minorities, this shows a major issue.

As for Abe he would be considered a liberal by today’s standards agreed for helping blacks? i doubt he be part of the base of the republican party.

the dukes case only benefited people like AL Sharpeton and Ann Coulter, who both i dislike and think de value issues that effect minorities.

simple exp, at least from a personal stand point as my father lives in a wealthy upper class gated community while one of the times i was visiting him a neighbors(white) alarm went off for whatever reason when he was home a officer came i few minutes later and we watch as my father neighbor belittled the officer for bugging him and wasting his time. The response of the officer was thank you sir and walked away. should have the officer arrested him or did the officer just have thinker skin to be professional?

I ask you to show me some cases where the officers did this to blacks?

Millard

yelling and not getting arrested for D.C. who are white as well.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32314240/ns/politics-cq_politics/