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Free? What's so good about free? Have you read elsewhere in this site when many have to wait anywhere from several days to several weeks to be seen by a real doctor or critical needs specialist?
Granted, much of our system is jaundiced by pharmaceutical companies
Hey, it's better than how some Americans never see the doctor.
What would I do if I had the control of the billions, as President? I would scrap the reservations and quit paying for Custer's sins. There are better ways to help a nation than keep feeding it. Revise Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. People who are criminals in their country would not be allowed in this country, strengthen our borders, help those who sincerely need that boost to get them to self sufficiency (endorse education and work programs that teach people to provide for themselves).
People talk about gun control - it is not the gun that is at fault. It is the access to these weapons and the weapons themselves. There are laws on the books - another law is not going to change much. I could go out and buy a weapon without going through the right channels. Would I? No, but I could. Why is it that young people, at the first indication of anger, run home, get a gun and come back shooting? The gun gives them the control they lack in their life. Identify that root problem and then concentrate on honestly fixing it. The family in crisis. The school in crisis.
Nice cut and paste from Wiki Elliot. However you did seem to edit / leave out a few good arguments against what you wrote. Once again you only produced those arguments that suited you and not the entire article which also dealt with the arguments for.
"In 2007, researchers at the Australian National University reported "There were on average 250 fewer firearm deaths per year after the implementation of the National Firearms Agreement than would have been expected," There was a reduction in both murders and suicides."
Even Don Weahterburn who you cited in your post was quoted as saying that the reports against gun control are inconclusive. Did you miss that bit Elliot???
"Prominent Australian criminologist Don Weatherburn described the Baker & McPhedran article as "reputable" and "well-conducted" and stated that the available data are insufficient to draw stronger conclusions.[20] Weatherburn noted the importance of policing illegal firearm possession and argued that it should not be necessarily concluded that relaxing restrictions would not affect the homicide rate."
"A study co-authored by Professor Simon Chapman argued that the laws have prevented mass shootings, pointing out in the 18 years prior to the Port Arthur massacre there were 13 mass shootings and in the decade since 1996 there have been none."
This proves what i say Elliot about how you twist so called reports, statistics, facts etc. to suit your argument, while completely discounting the other point of view. You imply that your statistics and reports are to be taken as gospel while i have no evidence and am wrong. I have demonstrated above that you copied and pasted from a wiki article but failed to leave in the parts of that article that argued against your opinion. Is that what you call solid evidence???
Some more reading;
Has anything changed in Australia since the new laws went into effect? Homicides committed with firearms have been declining – from 21 percent of all homicides in 1997 to 16 percent in 2002-2003.
Along with the declining use of firearms in homicide, Australia saw a 44% decline in the use of firearms in armed robberies from 1993 to 2003.[6] From 1997 to 2003, the proportion of robberies committed with a firearm dropped from 10 to 6 percent.
Australian Institute of Criminology, “Facts and Figures: 1998."
Australian Institute of Criminology, “Facts and Figures: 2004.”
"Overall certainly the states with the loosest gun laws have high rates of gun deaths," says Rebecca Peters of the Open Society Institute, which conducted the study.
A foundation that promotes gun violence prevention surveyed state gun laws and found Massachusetts has the strictest. And, according to the federal government, Massachusetts also has the nation's lowest gun death rate.
While there are exceptions, there appears to be a pattern. Louisiana -- which researchers found to have virtually no gun laws -- has the highest gun death rate.
"The gun lobby is running a line at the moment that says there are thousands of gun laws out there not being enforced. This study really debunks that notion in terms of preventative gun laws, there are very few gun laws out there," says Peters.
All states must follow federal gun control laws, but 35 don't require licensing or registration of any firearm, including assault weapons. And only four states limit gun purchases to one a month. The National Rifle Association told CBS News, "This isn't a study. This is a piece of anti-gun propaganda," and declined to comment further on the report.
The director of the study does have anti-gun credentials. She led the charge against the gun lobby in Australia after a massacre there left 35 people dead. As a result, semiautomatic rifles and shotguns are now banned.
"I can tell you it was entirely too easy to purchase the guns. And I honestly believe something should be done," says Robyn Anderson, who bought guns for her friends Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The two then killed 13 people plus themselves at Columbine High School.
She says a state law requiring background checks at gun shows would have stopped her from buying three guns used by the Columbine killers.
"If I had to fill out paperwork with a private dealer I would not have done it," says Anderson.
Forty-four states have this so-called gun show loophole. In Colorado, legislators refused to close the loophole and voted down virtually every other gun control measure introduced since the Columbine massacre.
I hope you bother to read the above Elliot. And i hope you see the benefit of taking into regard both side of the argument. I constantly hear Americans acknowledge that yes there is a problem with Gun violence but it isnt the guns fault. Maybe, maybe not, but whatever it is that you are doing at the moment to try and stem this epidemic isnt working. Not even close. As youll see in my post above, you can argue all day that it hasnt worked in Australia and i can argue back with evidence that it does. Even a scholar that you quoted in your arguments admitted that the evidence suggesting that it hasnt worked is not solid. It doesnt hold completely true. If he isnt confident in his own finding how can anyone else be expected to???
So the fact is Elliot, im not wrong. Not even close. My historical and statistical data is as strong if not stronger than yours. Notice my links to Australian Institute of Criminology, “Facts and Figures: 2004". Fairly credible source there Elliot wouldnt you agree.
You present your arguments well and demean others with your defensive attitude Elliot but the facts are you're words are no more poignant or educated than mine. Im no fool, dont treat me like one! I will find holes in your arguments all day if you like just like you will with mine. Its never ending. You acknowlege a problem but offer no solution. Unless your solution is mandatory gun carrying by all. Is that it Elliot?
You want to tell me im wrong because im wrong and not because i simply disagree with you?? I dont believe you!
Immigration:
1.) Depot every non US citizen in prison right away. We should not be holding other countries prisoners exceptions made for certain prisoners of course but all regular Joe Blow prisoners back to your country of origin.
2.) Secure the border doesn't matter how but we will know if any non us citizen crosses our border.
3.) Address farmers issues with increased work permits only given out in to people that are not already in the US so if you want to work and your here illegally you need to move back and get your work permit.
The war in Iraq
1.) Give the government of Iraq a d-day that if they are not ready to take over their country by a certain date maybe a year or so out. Iraq is going to be broken down in to smaller pieces and given to local countries that are friendly to the US in that Middle East.
The war on drugs
The current method that the US is under taking is failing; we are trying to put a square peg through a round hole.
1.) Decimalize the small amounts of all drugs.
2.) Decriminalize all hemp
3.) Start using alternate treatment methods for criminal drug users (such as the cocaine vaccine)
4.) Increase school funding so kids are taught that although legal not a good idea
Gun control
1.) Bill of right is very clear we have the right to own guns. This is the right that allows the people to enforce the government giving us the other rights.
Health insurance
1.) Make sure the health insurance companies operate in a free market.
2.) Have the government work on things that have low too little profit like vaccines
Prisons
1.) Prisons need to be run more like being on the outside.
2.) Prisoners get a basic meal and shelter for free. Have various jobs and education classes that pay them in services and a small income for when they get out. 1 hour in a class room gets you enough credits to buy a dessert for dinner and maybe $1 to be put into a savings account so you have money when you get out. So you don’t have to go rob someone the day you get out in order to eat.
Taxes
1.) Move to a consumer tax system such as the fair tax system
Foreign Policy
1.) The majority of world feels that the US uses it’s military to often. So only use the US military when other nations put forth more than 51% of the troops. Unless there is going to be direct harm to the US otherwise.
2.) Scale back the majority of the US bases on foreign territory.
Energy
1.) Dramatically increase funding to alternate energy sources this money is not available to any company that makes more than 30% of its profit from oil or oil companies.
2.) Create solar cell mortgages starting in the southwest and increase if feasible. A solar cell mortgage would give people money to buy a solar power system for their house and be paid back at the rate that the system produces electricity. So if it makes $150 of electricity you pay $150 on the loan until it’s paid off then you get the electricity free.
I have more but I already have a long post so I'll stop.
I find it hard to accept that you think a document that was written in the 1700's is still necesarily applicable today! Dont you think that we have come a long way since then and perhaps the Second Amendment may be a little outdated. We are not talking about farmers owning a shotgun to defend themselves against some cattle rustlers. Guns are being used for much more than that today but you think that because it is in the Constitution it cant be tampered with. Please.....
The documents written way back, were long thought out. But even still, they can and are applied to today. Modified. I don't think we're talking about cattle rustling. Or keeping the neighbor's dog off my lawn. But I'd like to think that I can remain proficient with firearms, either for hunting or protection, real or imagined, and not have some entity tell me I'm irresponsible or delusioned.
Many documents have been modified and changed, interpretively, across time.
The U.S. Constitution is considered a living document.
I would use a portion of it to better education and programs to lower the drop out rates. I would analyze Medicaid and make changes where people would pay according to their income rather that just rewarding those who don't work or get pregnant. Basically I would try to spend it to save for the future. Lastly I would pay myself less money.
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