Haaaaappppppy birrrrrthdaaaaaay, dear Obamacare. Yeah, I don’t think so.
This is the fourth anniversary of Obamacare. I guess we could mark the occasion by singing and cake, or probably not. Or we could be talking about how the UN-Affordable Care Act is causing more people to lose access to their doctors and hospitals, even though President Obama promised that would never happen …
Here’s an example of a recent story about that with a great headline — “Got Obamacare, can’t find doctors,” from CNN no less.
Or we could talk about how insurance premiums are skyrocketing, even though President Obama promised we’d all save money.
Or maybe we could share a few horror stories, like the guy in Las Vegas who got stuck with a $407,000 hospital bill after having triple bypass surgery, because a glitch in Obamacare left him without coverage even though he bought and paid for an insurance policy.
But no, I don’t want do any of that. It’s a bad anniversary. People are hurting because of the UN-Affordable Care Act, people who did anything wrong — people who “worked hard and played by the rules,” as the president likes to say. There’s a lot of fear and confusion out there, especially with the individual mandate deadline bearing down hard, and Tax Day coming soon after that.
But there’s also plenty of good news out there, stories about people doing wonderful things for each other without bureaucrats or the government threatening them into compliance.
Remember abortion monster Kermit Gosnell, convicted of first-degree murder for activities in his horrifying clinics? A nonprofit group called Lutheran Community Services just purchased one of his abandoned clinics in Wilmington, Del., and announced plans to turn it into a community center where they’ll provide food, clothes, and housing assistance to people in need.
A spokeswoman said, “We’re taking this negative and turning it into a positive for the community there.” What a great way to erase evil! There is no place in the world so dark that brave and kind people cannot find a way to make it bright again.
Or what about teenager Adrionna Harris of Virginia Beach, who stopped a classmate from hurting, or maybe even killing, himself with a razor blade? Okay, this story has a less-than-happy ending, because after she threw the razor blade away and reported the incident to administrators, the lunatics who run the school actually suspended her for 10 days, because they said she violated a zero-tolerance policy against dangerous objects. They might even expel her!
But you know what? Even though that school is being run by what appears to be unimaginable stupidity, we must celebrate the heroism of this young lady, who did not hesitate to step up and help a classmate in trouble. She even says she’d do it all over again, even knowing she would get suspended. That’s the kind of leader we need today and it’s nice to know we have some young folks ready to step in tomorrow.
Good people fighting Big Government and our crazy systems, that’s a big story in America today … And it’s what The Rusty Humphries Rebellion is all about. Don’t let your disgust over the current state of the system dilute your appreciation for good people.
Here’s my favorite one of the week. I’m a guy whose father didn’t come home from war, so this one hit me pretty hard on an emotional level. Ten-year-old Josh Shreck getting a surprise reunion with his father, Air Force Master Sgt. Scott Shreck, while he was touring the Duck Commander headquarters. Turns out Willie Robertson — you know, one of those evil “Duck Dynasty” guys you’re supposed to hate — met Master Sgt. Shreck while he was in Afghanistan, and got the idea to set up the surprise for Josh. Watch this and tell me your heart doesn’t melt.
Rebellions aren’t just about resistance. It’s important to think about what we are fighting for. One thing we really need to fight for is our faith in ourselves and in each other — the presumption of innocence, the assumption of benevolence. We need the government to stop bad people from doing awful things, and get rid of incentives for moochers from taking advantage of the good-hearted generosity of the American public.
Good people — young and old, rich and poor, famous and ordinary — do incredible things if you give them half a chance. We need to stop assuming the worst about each other and start expecting the best out of ourselves. And if we can win that battle, the war will be won with generations of peace and prosperity for all.
Agree or disagree, your thoughts and comments are always welcome here at The Washington Times website. Until our next briefing, THIS is The Rusty Humphries Rebellion.
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