Tyranny Takes the Day

by: Humphrey Stevenson

Last Sunday night the US House of Representatives did something many of us thought they would never do. In defiance of common sense and overwhelming public opposition, the House passed the Senate Health Care Reform bill. With the signature of President Obama the following Tuesday, our long national nightmare became a reality.

The Democrats lied, cheated, and bribed their way to passing the Senate Health Care bill. To Democrats the ends justify the means; they recognize no rules, including the Constitution. Alcee Hastings, Member of the House Rules Committee (note the oxymoron), declared “There ain't no rules here, we're trying to accomplish something. . . .All this talk about rules. . . .When the deal goes down . . . we make 'em up as we go along.” To quote Rush Limbaugh, “There are rules and there are Democrats. When you have Democrats, you have no rules.”

The biggest joke of Sunday night was once again “pro-life Democrat” Bart Stupak. I thought Dennis Kucinich was cheap when he sold his vote for a ride on Air Force One but at least he got a ride on Air Force One. Bart Stupak sold his vote for a piece of paper, which he was quick to wave around like Neville Chamberlain back from his trip to Germany in 1938. Supposedly, Stupak got an executive order from President Obama barring use of federal funds for abortion procedures. Originally, Stupak had said he would accept nothing less than the long standing Hyde Amendment language being placed in the actual health care legislation. In the final analysis, I doubt Stupak’s paper will turn out to be worth any more than was Chamberlain’s. Some good did come out of this; we now know there are no pro-life Democrats.

Several of the states Attorneys General are filing suit in Federal Court to void the Health Care Law because the individual mandate in blatantly unconstitutional. The new health care legislation mandates that individuals purchase health insurance. It matters not if the individual wishes to purchase health insurance; he must do so under penalty of law. Why doesn’t the Federal government help the auto industry by mandating that every American driver must purchase a new GM or Chrysler automobile? What’s the difference? If you can mandate one, you can mandate the other. Never before has the Federal government required that a person purchase any good or service as a condition of citizenship.

If truth be told, I don’t think the Federal government cares that you don’t purchase health insurance as long as you pay the fine for not purchasing it, which in most cases will be far less than the cost of the insurance. So let’s go back to our automobile example. You have a choice, buy a new car or pay a fine. The government sees that the fine will be far less than the price of a new car, so most people choose to pay the fine. This can become one heck of a revenue racket for the Federal government if allowed to stand.

In addition to the individual mandate, this new law drops a poison pill on private insurance companies by requiring that they cover pre-existing conditions. That’s like buying auto insurance after you wreck your car and then requiring the insurance company pay for the repairs. That is not insurance; it’s passing the buck. No way can they stay in business under these conditions. It is all a sinister plan; require everyone to purchase insurance, then drive private insurance companies out of business and soon people will be clamoring for government to do something. Can you say public option? Only now it won’t be an option; it will be the only game in town.
Many commentators have said the American people lost a battle but not the war. Understand that the American people did not lose anything; in fact we clearly won the argument. However, our win along with our will was ignored. Obama and the Democrats arrogantly stuck their nose in the air and spat in the face of the American people. My father fought in the Pacific during World War II. He did that so his children would not live under tyranny; and we won’t. These two-bit tyrants can celebrate now but they will get their comeuppance. The real work will be unraveling this mess and putting this Republic back on the road to limited, Constitutional Federal government.