Presidential selfie video

[Debby - LB]

shorthorsemom I didn't say you or anyone here was a racist. I was simply stating facts as I see them. President Obama was our first black president and there are some people who do not like him nor will ever admit to him doing anything right simply because he is black.

If anyone is fortunate enough to live somewhere that the current presidents race has never been included in a conversation you are a very lucky individual. I wish I lived there.

to all.
I wasn't raised to be a racist or a bigot and it shocked me to the core later in life to realize that yes I am a racist. In my own opinion being racist is like being pregnant you either are or you aren't, there is absolutely no middle ground.

I took a quiz once about 10 years ago, some of the questions were how many people of another race have been guests in your home, another was how many close friends of different race do you have. Other questions were about would you ever date outside your race and would you encourage your children to date outside their race, do you believe black people are athletically superior (because attaching positive characteristics to a person because of racial considerations is still being a racist) and finally would your worst nightmare be being alone at night and a white or black man breaking into your home...BAM I felt like crap. Me the yankee who would explode with anger when my husband used the N word (I hate that word) I tried to make him understand that skin color doesn't matter.

It used to be that “racist” was simply someone who hated others for the color of their skin but it's much deeper, the definition is ingrained in all of us. Answers to some of the above questions popped in my mind immediately, a conscience judgement that happened so fast... It wasn't a good feeling to realize this.

 

[Debby - LB]

Sonya I don't know what state your friend lives in all I can say is what I know about being in the marketplace for Georgia. With a adjusted gross income of 19,000 there is no way she would have been forced to pay 385. for a health plan. I tell everyone to go into the marketplace and read, its all over the news so there is no reason to say "I didn't know" but the best place to understand is in your marketplace account. Anyone whose wages changes during the year has to update that information in the marketplace.

I will say one thing that was overlooked with the affordable health care act was the number of prior insurance policies that people had which did not comply with the new minimum requirements. This is the reason so many people had their policies dropped or premiums raised.

At least what we have now is a start. The health care industry was and still is a mess and big business health care is still fighting this. Now they are trying to make money through their drug plan tiers, changing the tiers so most important life saving drugs are too expensive.

I remember back in 1996 when I took out BCBS for my husband and myself. His was 78.00 per month. It went up every year, substantially increased in the years it was used. When he was put on medicare his BCBS premiums were 657.00 per month and due to be raised again on his birthday (by that time I'd raised the deductible to 7,500 a year). This increase was made in a 7 year time span. I thank God he was eligible for Medicare when he was because we couldn't pay over 700. a month.

I think once the bugs are worked out of universal health care it will be a blessing to many.

 

[Sonya]

She lives in FL...and that $385 was with subsidies. And because she took on a few extra shifts she went over her anticipated income so she had to pay the fine also. She never even 'used' the insurance because she never reached her deductable. She opted out this year and will just pay the fine because she can't afford it, she was putting most of her premium on a credit card last year so now she owes interest on that.

 

[tagalong]

I have just been reading a lot of the threads here - having left the forum for a while… and I just have to say that this new Back Yard can be very dismissive of anyone's thoughts if they are not extremely right, anti-Obama, pro-conspiracy kind of thinking. After getting skewered and shouted down and insulted here in the past, I simply walked away. But my curiosity got the better of me…

Not much has changed. If people are really only relying on conspiracy-flogger, self-promoter, say-ANYTHING-to-get-attention Alex Jones and infowars.com for their "facts" as has been stated in many threads here, it just makes me sigh.

I will say one thing that was overlooked with the affordable health care act was the number of insurance policies that did not comply with the new minimum requirements .This is the reason so many people had their policies dropped or premiums raised.

This. My insurance company pre-ACA was about to drop me anyway - they had already told me that as I had had "too many claims" (as if I could have avoided the emergency and a 5 day hospital stay) - but then they changed the reason to ACA which was complete bull and just a sudden and very handy CYA excuse. They could do as they pleased before and screw me over with claims and denials as they pleased even though said items were supposed to be covered - and when they had to stop doing that, they dumped me. But I forgot - that old system was supposedly perfect the way it was… I pay a slightly bigger premium at the moment but at least I now actually get what I am paying for…

You are right Debby, it is a start - and still has a long way to go.

****

Giuliani's pandering stunt this week bothered me. Just more presenting one's opinions as if they are fact - and using rhetoric to seem profound and important - the way ALL politicians do… and yet his act (and a planned way to get attention and get back in the spotlight) has been embraced and applauded. No one who has become or will ever become President does not love this country. No one. Even Bill O'Reilly disagreed with old Rudy about that. And yet somehow only Obama is held to task and vilified for things many other Presidents have also done or said - in the case of Executive Orders, even done more. But many do not want to bother to check the facts - I have found that facts do not matter time and time again - people would rather grasp at the rhetoric and embrace it.

And no - I am not a huge Obama fan - he, like many Presidents before him, overlooks people who have jumped through the burning hoops in order to move here legally and work at jobs they were offered and have had to put up with terrible treatment by immigration etc. along the way… only to offer amnesty and the fast track to green cards at those who have come here illegally… Bush suggested similar things before him - as have other Presidents… it is not just Obama...

 

[shorthorsemom]

delete

 

[Debby - LB]

I don't know anything about Florida's marketplace but it sounds like maybe she chose something other than the silver plan the subsidy would have saved her the most money on. I feel her pain with fluctuations in income, that's the same boat I'm in.

tag what you described is just like the old back yard was OMG. I always liked your input, we need a balance of opinions here so don't worry about getting skewered or insulted, you know what opinions are like.... we all have one so, please don't feel insulted to the point of being silenced.

 

[Carriage]

Debbie stated,

"sorry you feel that way but as stated "some people" are anti-Obama solely because he's a black man."

Ok, because it is "some people" and not all people, don't lead with that STRAW MAN. This is done to disarm your "opponent" and is a deceptive tactic. Again it is a soft form of attack and designed to put the opposing view on the defensive. The attack and it's form tells me everything I need to know about your position, spoken or not.

As it is, the Democrats would hate Ben Carson in general, because he is black, RIGHT? NO, they would hate him because he would be far more likely to "Uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and" (democrat) and Individual Liberty. They hate any form of freedom not under the thumb of gubiment.

 

[Sonya]

(applause) Carriage.

Guiliani can have his opinion just like anyone else. Certainly not the first (or last) time someone in the political spotlight has said a president doesn't love this country or is unpatriotic. First that comes to mine is one of Obama's campaign speeches about George W.



If you follow the logic of Obama in the above video then one can only come to the conclusion that Obama is unpatriotic also...his words!

 

[Minimor]

I suppose there are some that voted for Obama just because he is black? IMO skin color is a bad reason to vote either way, but I expect for some it is a reason.

I do not dislike him because he is black. I don't dislike him for his health care plan...though I admit I do not quite get that health plan. I just plain have serious concerns because of some of his policies and actions (or should I say inactions in some cases?). If he were white I would still have those same serious concerns. Not sure how that makes me racist?

 

[tagalong]

tag what you described is just like the old back yard was OMG. I always liked your input, we need a balance of opinions here so don't worry about getting skewered or insulted, you know what opinions are like.... we all have one so, please don't feel insulted to the point of being silenced.

Oh - that would not silence me and never has - no worries there!

I just grew weary of the same relentless stuff being said over and over - regardless of bothersome little things like facts. And when facts from a variety of sources (with links to back it up) were presented pro or con something, they were shot down if they did not come a specific source or website - like infowars.

I like debates and discussions as opposed to tirades and lectures (which there tended to be a lot of) - and I have always felt that one needs to explore many sources of info as opposed to one, stepping around conspiracy theories and paranoia put out there just to mess with people and get more hits for certain websites or appease advertisers for specific shows on radio and TV. Not JMO.

 

[Debby - LB]

alright Bob what the heck does this mean? --> "Ok, because it is "some people" and not all people, don't lead with that STRAW MAN."

Holly yes there were some that voted for him for only that reason. It sounds to me like you view him as a man As we all should. I have some concerns about polices and actions too but nothing due to his parentage.

like Tagalong I get tired of the conspiracy theories and paranoia as well and for most of the same reasons. Honestly they are not all about President Obama either, there are many others that the conspiracy theories are rampant about. I just don't understand the total lack of respect for this President and the things said and repeated about him even when provided with the facts that prove otherwise.

 

[Carriage]

Then lets state it that way. There is nobody conversing here that hates the O because he is black. Therefore that argument doesn't even belong in this conversation. Just like you would not hate Ben Carson for that reason either.

THAT is what I mean.

That we hate him because he is black is also a conspiracy theory. It is a provable lie. Racism among the common folk is FAR more rare than it is with the elites, both pub and DEM who perpetuate this needed division.

 

[Debby - LB]

I hope no one here dislikes him solely for that reason. I specifically stated " I didn't say you or anyone here was a racist. I was simply stating facts as I see them."

This conversation didn't begin about that you are correct but the conversation did evolve into a deeper conversation about this President and his administration, including but not limited to the remarks made about the Muslim faith, which after 2 pages of some more pro-conspiracy remarks led into me adding what I did on page 3. You have no business telling me what to inject into any conversation. Don't do it again Bob. I don't talk in riddles.

,,,, it's a conspiracy theory? a provable lie that people dislike him because he's black? racism among common folk is rare? OMG I can't even believe what I just read. I'm sorry that you don't want to open your eyes to the problem our U.S. still has with racism.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Thanks Bob

 

[shorthorsemom]

deleted

 

[shorthorsemom]

never mind.. I'm gone.

 

[Sonya]

I think the point is, why even bring race into it at all?

Does the US still have a problem with racism, absolutely, and it has only gotten worse over the past few years..and mainly because those who disagree with Obama are always labeled as racists. It was the first talking point in your post Debby.

Lack of respect for the president? Yes, I do not respect him, I can not respect someone who lacks integrity, I wish I could quote the many political posts that are no longer here talking about Bush, the lack of respect was rampant.

I think this forum has way more supporters of Obama than those who disagree with his policies so I really don't understand Tagalongs post.

I just can't wait to see Biden and Clinton run against each other in the primaries, it's going to be very interesting. I will make sure I have a stock of popcorn for that!

 

[Carriage]

So censorship is still the rule, eh? And further you instruct me to "not do it again"? Not do what again, speak truth? Very well, I leave the floor of misinformation to you. I have always been right in what I speak and have been polite if pressing. Some folk cannot handle correction. This was my problem with you originally if you recall. You may lie and rewrite history to your hearts content.

Very curious that you must curtail speech on a board that "prides" itself on being thicker skinned and telling you to stay out if you "can't handle it"

I have been watching for some time now, folk just walking away from LB and most of my folk are long gone. So, do what you will Debbie, I am done with the lies. This message will not just appear here and I will be very public about this behavior and the responses.

Hey Mom, see me on FB by co name

 

[Debby - LB]

My first paragraph was that he has faced opposition from day one and that he has changed the country for the better. The second point was about all the ridiculous claims made against him. To add in there the trials he has faced being of mixed race seemed appropriate (to me). What I said is true there are some people, many people, who have not accepted him because of that. At no time did I say if one disagrees or criticizes Obama it's because they are racist.
I do remember the posts about Bush, not just on here, I just don't remember them being as nasty or as personal..didn't mean to make it sound like this President was the only one ever trashed.

Bob no, there is no censorship here. Don't do it again was in regard to you telling me what I could say and accusing me of using a deceptive tactic to attack someone. I don't have opponents, I'm sitting in the back yard talking. I'm not smart enough or educated enough to be underhanded. I say what I feel and like I said before I don't talk in riddles.

I am very curious as to whose speech has been curtailed?

 

[Debby - LB]

ps not only am I curious as to whose speech has been curtailed? shorthorsemom I'm wondering why you've started so many posts here and then put the word "deleted" in them? I totally understand you wanting to go back and edit a post, if available it's your prerogative, although not something that is encouraged. I just don't know why you keep adding new empty ones?