see: http://byu.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2246535328&topic=3331
#1 - why ought we avoid the argument about poor little children? it seems perfectly valid to me. as far as the US having the "greatest health care system in the world", i think it ought to be obvious that any statement that absolute is bound to be false.
#2 - wise to have phrased this as a question if you're going to go ahead and start making broad statements like that without substantial evidence
#3 - of course they have a tax for health care. but it's instead of paying health insurance premiums. theoretically, you could be paying the same amount, but instead of the excess going to the pockets of the insurance companies it will actually be used for health care. AND interesting choice of terms... "they" and "us"...i was under the impression that we had a government of the people, for the people, and by the people... if the "they" and "us" you are referring to actually exist the "us" are only the people who choose to be uninvolved
#4 - see ryan's #5 which i think is a great point...
#6 - mexico, huh?... i don't think working for the gov't wears away at a person's humanity any more than plenty of other jobs or employers do. i've felt that way lots of places doing lots of things. and most people probably shudder at the thought of insurance agents no matter who employs them.
#7 - well, when the people who can afford better care chip in to build that safety net of their own free will then i suppose everything will be great, so let's just sit around and wait for them to do it, okay? (yes, that was sarcasm) besides, that's what medicare and medicaid are supposed to be - safety nets for people who need it, but those are underfunded because the people who can afford to support those programs don't want to. they might donate when there's a disaster, or around the holidays, but the everyday poor and sick or dying people just aren't special enough i guess.
#10 - well, if persons rights are in conflict, then i suppose value judgments of the situation would depend on what type of right infringement is "worse". maybe "forcing" a health care program on you isn't protecting your "right" to choose better care than other people, but what if in doing so you're denying them a "right" to any care at all? i suppose some people would say that it isn't a "right" to have health care, but frankly i don't think it's a "right" to get better care just becuase you have more money. my property law professor has pointed out multiple times this semester that the constitution specifically protects the rights of "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" but purposely left out rights of ownership, because ownership is a privilege and responsibility, not a right. by extension, this means that, in a currency-based economic system, having money is a privilege and responsibility, not a right. perhaps this is a lengthy extrapolation, but one could argue that it's more important to protect a dying person's right to life by offering them necessary medical care than it is to protect a rich man's right to spend his money how he wants. in fact, an illegal or tortious act, if committed with the intent to protect life, is protected by the defense of necessity under both civil and criminal law, so as far as policy goes, our society has already shown that it is right and proper to value rights to life over rights to personal property.
#13-17 - see ryan's # 18-19
#22 - self-respect? pride in one's work? human dignity? caring about patients more than money? knowing that your life has meaning and purpose? a sense of personal accomplishment? those aren't motivators?
#23 - i almost took you seriously there, until that crack about the middle class being the largest sector of society. haha! what a great joke! i bet 20 years from now you'll be referring to caucasians as the largest ethnic group in the US too, won't you?
#25 - stellar. three cheers.
#27 - most conservatives run around screaming like crazy when you start talking about welfare for people below the poverty line. in fact, medicare and medicaid are, nowadays, the largest form of public welfare we have. so, your point was what?
#28 - wow, so giving a starving person food isn't generous unless it's better than liver. well, i hope that all the people collecting food for shelters during the holidays know this so that they can make sure and reject all donations that don't meet your standards, since obviously all the poor people would rather go hungry than be insulted when you donate a can of tuna instead of caviar.
(skipping...blah...blah...)
#48 - whatever, liar. you're paying for their time, not for them to fix you. plenty of other people do the same thing. laywers, plumbers, auto mechanics... they charge you by the hour, and if they can't figure out what's wrong or if they can't fix it, a lot of the time you end up paying anyway. one of those perks of capitalism that make it so much better than every other possible system.
#53-54 - heck yes. and this didn't end the argument because why?
#55 - government involvement and regulation does not equal government control and dictatorship
(skipping...blah...blah...)
#71 - oh, wait, you mean a democratic rebublic form of government where every citizen is a participant is a SMALL government...oh, i see now. yes, the founding fathers were definitely interested in keeping government as small as possible... (rolls eyes)
health care for everyone creates social damage? welfare creates a feeling of entitlement? wow. go take SOC 422 on social stratification like i did and then come talk to me again...or i guess they have a less intensive (non-major?) option now 322 on class inequality... i think Dr. Heaton probably teaches both of them and i'm sure he'd be much more persuasive authority than i.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
being nice and doing the "right" thing
wow...so, in law school we often talk about "the relationship of the parties" meaning do the two parties in the lawsuit have some type of special ongoing social or business relationship that is worth being protected. it's one reason that parents have tort immunity from suits by their children, and why amicable settlements are preferred when dealing with long-term business relationships: if you sue somebody and get in a big fight, and the court starts making orders and forcing people to do things, chances are it's going to ruin the relationship. but at the same time, sometimes you just have to sue them anyway. sometimes the reason for the fight is, at least from the point of view of one of the parties, worth fighting about.
so, are you ready for me to tie this in with everyday non-lawyer-like life? here goes...
sometimes someone asks if they can come over and you say yes because you can't come up with a good reason to say no, even though that's what you want to say. sometimes you might say it because you know the person needs friends, or because you just don't want to be mean or rude. other times it might be because it's your best friend, or your girlfriend or something and you feel like it's your duty to say yes; because of the relationship you feel that person has a right to come over. but in the long run you being nice and saying yes when you feel like saying no might not really be the best thing. if you're really worried about the relationship and the rights of the other person don't they deserve your honesty about what you think and how you feel? especially if it's directly pertaining to them? if the relationship really ends up ending just because you felt trapped in it, wouldn't it maybe have been better to say no once in a while and have saved the relationship? maybe not. maybe it wasn't a relationship worth saving. but maybe a little honesty could have at least saved someone's feelings, even if the honest things weren't nice.
in law school they say that knowing the "right" thing to do isn't always easy. luckily, a lot of the time knowing how to be nice and do what's best is easy. smile at someone who looks sad, be nice to the person who needs a friend. but at some point "niceness" just isn't enough. maybe little things that seem not as nice sometimes can save you from having to do really big outright mean things in the end. if you talk to someone and are open and honest, you might never have a misunderstanding that you need to sue them over.
and maybe no matter what you do people will get hurt, so just do whatever you want...
so, are you ready for me to tie this in with everyday non-lawyer-like life? here goes...
sometimes someone asks if they can come over and you say yes because you can't come up with a good reason to say no, even though that's what you want to say. sometimes you might say it because you know the person needs friends, or because you just don't want to be mean or rude. other times it might be because it's your best friend, or your girlfriend or something and you feel like it's your duty to say yes; because of the relationship you feel that person has a right to come over. but in the long run you being nice and saying yes when you feel like saying no might not really be the best thing. if you're really worried about the relationship and the rights of the other person don't they deserve your honesty about what you think and how you feel? especially if it's directly pertaining to them? if the relationship really ends up ending just because you felt trapped in it, wouldn't it maybe have been better to say no once in a while and have saved the relationship? maybe not. maybe it wasn't a relationship worth saving. but maybe a little honesty could have at least saved someone's feelings, even if the honest things weren't nice.
in law school they say that knowing the "right" thing to do isn't always easy. luckily, a lot of the time knowing how to be nice and do what's best is easy. smile at someone who looks sad, be nice to the person who needs a friend. but at some point "niceness" just isn't enough. maybe little things that seem not as nice sometimes can save you from having to do really big outright mean things in the end. if you talk to someone and are open and honest, you might never have a misunderstanding that you need to sue them over.
and maybe no matter what you do people will get hurt, so just do whatever you want...
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
"Your relationship will be canceled on save."
[*warning* the following content is a serious pity party. i'm talking crazy emotional ranting and venting. continue at your own discretion]
nothing says goodbye quite like a computer...thank you facebook for making my life so much more real...that's an oxymoron isn't it...oh well...
yesterday i got a text that said i was strong. i almost texted back, "is that way of saying you won't feel bad when you break up with me?" i didn't. it didn't seem very nice...and i was afraid that the answer was yes.
i hardly ever cry in front of people. tonight was the first time that i've actually cried in front of the person who was making me cry (well, excluding immediate family, but that's different). of course that was really just a warm up. as soon as he was gone it started in for real...the heaving sobs that turn into screams...for the first time in my life i think i know what the word "keening" really means...the dictionary is great [keen: A loud, wailing lament for the dead.] no one is dead, except in a way maybe me.
just a week ago i was telling my friend that sometimes my now cancelled relationship seemed too good to be true. funny that it turned out i was right. i gave a talk on hope in church a few weeks ago. strange how at the time i felt really great...and now that word seems like a joke. hope. hope is what you think you have when you're ignoring reality. not that i deny that there's a "bigger picture" - eternity and whatnot - but if eternity is anything like life i think i'd rather cease to exist. we were talking in torts today about "wrongful life" claims. if you could sue God, he'd be getting a complaint alleging that from me right now. instead i'm typing away here, knowing that with my limited blog readership this probably won't make much difference in the world, but what else can i be expected to do when i feel this awful. that word isn't even bad enough... what do i feel... anguish... angst... confusion... regret... self-loathing... frustration. i think that's it. frustration. coupled with some severely disgusting self-loathing. i've said it before and i'll say it again... no matter what i do or how hard i try i'm never enough for anyone. why is that? why do people say those horrible words: "it's not you, it's me"? all it really means is "there isn't anything you can do that will make you good enough for me, so don't waste your time trying." why am i always the not good enough person? why do guys always tell me, while rejecting me, that they feel awful because usually they're the ones being rejected? that kind of adds insult to injury doesn't it? "hi, i'm crap and no one wants me, but what made you think that meant i'd settle for you?"
people make a big deal of saying "i love you" and for good reason i suppose. telling someone you love them is only telling them that they have the power to hurt you, and then inevitably they will. i've only said it once, and i didn't say it until i started to get really scared because i realized that i really didn't want to lose that person.
why is it that when someone breaks your heart they tell you to go home and pray? i suppose because they probably know that if there's anyone you're angrier at right then than yourself and that person, it's probably God. i suppose i'm a horrible person. i spent the whole past month thanking Him for something that apparently He never meant to give me, and now that it didn't work out i wish i could blame God, but i know that really i'm the only one i can be mad at. i should know better than to think that things could work out so nice and beautifully. i shouldn't have let myself slack off on school so much. when i lose my scholarship i'll have no one to blame but myself.
last week my dad said: "i'm so happy for you bridgette. it's about time someone recognized what a great girl you are. i haven't met this guy, but i know that he must be really great." i told him then that he was right. "this guy" was really great, and i was really happy. i really don't know what to tell people, i hate disappointing them. i suppose none of them will be as disappointed as i am. but crying on your daddy's shoulder is nice sometimes. i was going to get my plane ticket so that i could be gone for as little as possible. i was excited because for the first time in my life i wasn't going to be single for the holidays. haha. guess i was expecting a bit too much. maybe i should get a one-way ticket instead.
oh, yeah, in case you missed it, yes we're broken up, and no it wasn't "mutual" and please don't ask me about it unless you want to be included in the wrongful death suit which my parents will be bringing when i die of dehydration from crying too much. or on second thought, go ahead and ask because God can't punish me for committing suicide if i die of something else first.
in case you thought (like i did) that pessimistic, sarcastic, emo bridgette was gone...haha! she's back!
Dream, when you're feelin' blue.
Dream, that's the thing to do. ...
Dream, when the day is through.
Dream, and they might come true.
Things never are as bad as they seem;
So, dream, dream dream.
what a pack of lies. who writes these songs? why am i listening to them?
i don't think i'm going to get any sleep tonight, so homework time i guess...
nothing says goodbye quite like a computer...thank you facebook for making my life so much more real...that's an oxymoron isn't it...oh well...
yesterday i got a text that said i was strong. i almost texted back, "is that way of saying you won't feel bad when you break up with me?" i didn't. it didn't seem very nice...and i was afraid that the answer was yes.
i hardly ever cry in front of people. tonight was the first time that i've actually cried in front of the person who was making me cry (well, excluding immediate family, but that's different). of course that was really just a warm up. as soon as he was gone it started in for real...the heaving sobs that turn into screams...for the first time in my life i think i know what the word "keening" really means...the dictionary is great [keen: A loud, wailing lament for the dead.] no one is dead, except in a way maybe me.
just a week ago i was telling my friend that sometimes my now cancelled relationship seemed too good to be true. funny that it turned out i was right. i gave a talk on hope in church a few weeks ago. strange how at the time i felt really great...and now that word seems like a joke. hope. hope is what you think you have when you're ignoring reality. not that i deny that there's a "bigger picture" - eternity and whatnot - but if eternity is anything like life i think i'd rather cease to exist. we were talking in torts today about "wrongful life" claims. if you could sue God, he'd be getting a complaint alleging that from me right now. instead i'm typing away here, knowing that with my limited blog readership this probably won't make much difference in the world, but what else can i be expected to do when i feel this awful. that word isn't even bad enough... what do i feel... anguish... angst... confusion... regret... self-loathing... frustration. i think that's it. frustration. coupled with some severely disgusting self-loathing. i've said it before and i'll say it again... no matter what i do or how hard i try i'm never enough for anyone. why is that? why do people say those horrible words: "it's not you, it's me"? all it really means is "there isn't anything you can do that will make you good enough for me, so don't waste your time trying." why am i always the not good enough person? why do guys always tell me, while rejecting me, that they feel awful because usually they're the ones being rejected? that kind of adds insult to injury doesn't it? "hi, i'm crap and no one wants me, but what made you think that meant i'd settle for you?"
people make a big deal of saying "i love you" and for good reason i suppose. telling someone you love them is only telling them that they have the power to hurt you, and then inevitably they will. i've only said it once, and i didn't say it until i started to get really scared because i realized that i really didn't want to lose that person.
why is it that when someone breaks your heart they tell you to go home and pray? i suppose because they probably know that if there's anyone you're angrier at right then than yourself and that person, it's probably God. i suppose i'm a horrible person. i spent the whole past month thanking Him for something that apparently He never meant to give me, and now that it didn't work out i wish i could blame God, but i know that really i'm the only one i can be mad at. i should know better than to think that things could work out so nice and beautifully. i shouldn't have let myself slack off on school so much. when i lose my scholarship i'll have no one to blame but myself.
last week my dad said: "i'm so happy for you bridgette. it's about time someone recognized what a great girl you are. i haven't met this guy, but i know that he must be really great." i told him then that he was right. "this guy" was really great, and i was really happy. i really don't know what to tell people, i hate disappointing them. i suppose none of them will be as disappointed as i am. but crying on your daddy's shoulder is nice sometimes. i was going to get my plane ticket so that i could be gone for as little as possible. i was excited because for the first time in my life i wasn't going to be single for the holidays. haha. guess i was expecting a bit too much. maybe i should get a one-way ticket instead.
oh, yeah, in case you missed it, yes we're broken up, and no it wasn't "mutual" and please don't ask me about it unless you want to be included in the wrongful death suit which my parents will be bringing when i die of dehydration from crying too much. or on second thought, go ahead and ask because God can't punish me for committing suicide if i die of something else first.
in case you thought (like i did) that pessimistic, sarcastic, emo bridgette was gone...haha! she's back!
Dream, when you're feelin' blue.
Dream, that's the thing to do. ...
Dream, when the day is through.
Dream, and they might come true.
Things never are as bad as they seem;
So, dream, dream dream.
what a pack of lies. who writes these songs? why am i listening to them?
i don't think i'm going to get any sleep tonight, so homework time i guess...
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Jaq's mission call
those of you know know my li'l sister probably know that she didn't come back to utah this semester since she was putting in her mission papers. after they got sent back because of some medical stuff she started to get a little worried, but last week she finally got her call! and, since a lot of people probably don't hear from her very often i thought i'd give you the details:
D.C. south mission, spanish speaking; reporting to the MTC on december 19
bit of a bummer that she won't be home for christmas. this will actually be the first year ever that we haven't all been home for christmas, also b/c nicole and david are having christmas with david's family in california (not that i blame them...closer and better weather). but i am excited because my finals are over on the 14th so i can come down to provo for the weekend and see jacque before she leaves, and then head on home after that. so...if you guys wanna see her maybe we can set something up...little goodbye party or whatnot...i'll have to talk to her and find out how early she's planning on coming down... :D
D.C. south mission, spanish speaking; reporting to the MTC on december 19
bit of a bummer that she won't be home for christmas. this will actually be the first year ever that we haven't all been home for christmas, also b/c nicole and david are having christmas with david's family in california (not that i blame them...closer and better weather). but i am excited because my finals are over on the 14th so i can come down to provo for the weekend and see jacque before she leaves, and then head on home after that. so...if you guys wanna see her maybe we can set something up...little goodbye party or whatnot...i'll have to talk to her and find out how early she's planning on coming down... :D
Friday, November 2, 2007
3 months...
this kid at school yesterday was talking about planning his career, and i said something about not wanting to do that... he suggested that i just quit school and get my "M.R.S." degree, like his fiancee. i heard that plenty at byu, but figured that my failure to get it during my seven years in provo showed that it wasn't a very realistic option for me. that's why i'm in law school to begin with, right?
someone told me when i moved here that i'd be engaged in three months... only a couple weeks until that deadline... possible, but not likely... give it another three and we'll see... sometimes the way travis talks makes me wonder... you might all be invited to a big party this summer... ha! ridiculous...
of course, that kid at school got a D on our contracts midterm, and i got a B... if you can get a B with a bell curve you're doing pretty well i'd say... so maybe the whole "quit school and get married" suggestion just means he's trying to get rid of some of the competition...
someone told me when i moved here that i'd be engaged in three months... only a couple weeks until that deadline... possible, but not likely... give it another three and we'll see... sometimes the way travis talks makes me wonder... you might all be invited to a big party this summer... ha! ridiculous...
of course, that kid at school got a D on our contracts midterm, and i got a B... if you can get a B with a bell curve you're doing pretty well i'd say... so maybe the whole "quit school and get married" suggestion just means he's trying to get rid of some of the competition...
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