I’m wondering if we will see many smiles this Christmas season. We have a bad economy. Many believe the country is going in the wrong political direction, and we have less—for the first time in our remembrance—than our parents had.
Having been a gloomy Gus, let’s turn our attention to why we should be smiling. Maybe it’s because we have more time with our families right now. Perhaps it’s because we are sure that our family get-together will be well attended this year. Or perhaps it’s just because of the season. Thinking about the aromas of the kitchen during Christmas, brings a smile to my face and yours too. What could be better than two holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, within just a month of each other? Maybe you will be celebrating Chanukah.
Maybe we should have the anticipation of little children looking for a visit that brings them a gift.
I’ve often thought about the Biblical story of the birth of Christ. Most of us have heard the story since childhood, but it still affects me and I bet you. I think about the shepherds looking after their sheep up in the hills near Bethlehem. Think about that dark night—no electric street lights in Bethlehem. Maybe there was a gentle glow off in the distance. Remember there were many people in Bethlehem on that night because of the Roman census procedure.
Shepherds settled down with their flocks were startled and scared when an angelic messenger appeared to announce God’s gift to people. Can you imagine the brilliance of that moment? Light like no living man had ever seen. Scared them out of their wits. God’s announcement came to men who were not well thought of by the people of Bethlehem because of their job. Why them and why an angelic announcement? I leave that thought to your understanding.
Some of us will be celebrating Christmas and some Chanukah. Chanukah is referred to as the Festival of Lights—it commemorates a miracle of light for the Jewish people. Our Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus—that same occasion announced to the shepherds by the angel and the angelic choir over 2000 years ago.
Our celebrations are religious in nature, but our good feelings ought not to stop at the church or synagogue door. Our smiles and our good feelings about each other should spread throughout the year so that we share the same feelings of warmth, compassion and charity all year long.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or Chanukah, or don’t celebrate the season at all, let me leave you with this thought: God uses your hands, feet and voice. A demonstration of charity and love is far better than a definition of them.
I’m smiling and I hope you are too because I can’t think of a better place to be for Christmas than Dacula, Georgia.
Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Health Care Debate
As the health care debate continues to heat up in Congress, we are beginning to hear the liberal drumbeat for health care rationing crescendo with calls for women to delay diagnostic mammograms until their 50s. Television’s 60 Minutes recently ran a piece on the high cost of dying.
Both of these issues are political nightmares. If a mom delays a mammogram and contracts breast cancer, who will be to blame? Who will comfort the family and the patient? Who will answer the question, “Did I do the right thing?”
The issue of end-time patient care is equally explosive. It is easy to talk in the abstract as Dr.s Byock and Fisher did on the 60 Minute’s show. It’s easy to talk about the money it costs to keep a patient in intensive care. It is an entirely different thing when you are dealing with a parent’s approaching death. I’ve recently experienced that. My mother decided, while she still was able to make informed decisions, to not accept any extraordinary measures to extend her life. She faced the fact that such measures might extend her physical life but not increase or give her any quality of life. When the time came for me to make that decision, it was terribly painful—but easier—because I knew I was doing what my mom wanted and had documented in her living will.
Why then would politicians box themselves into a situation where they can only face blame? Is it control? Is it a desire to save the public’s money? There is probably a little of all of that. Most liberal politicians see health care as a way of leaving a legacy with the country after they have been voted out of office. I’m afraid that the legacy they will leave will be similar to the telephone debacle that government got us into. We had the best telephone system in the world, but government couldn’t leave it alone. They broke it up, gave us inferior service, cost us billions of dollars, and now its coalescing back to what it was years ago. Take Medicare as an example. No checks and balances. Paying for new arms and legs for people who haven’t even been to the doctors. If that’s the way the government will run a new health care program in this country, I say we can’t afford it. Leave it alone!
What decisions are right about health care? I believe it should be between the patient and his doctor. The government has no place at the health care table. If the government does succeed in getting control of the health care system in this country, get ready for declining health in the US.
The Bible says that there is a time to be born and a time to die. I believe there is also a time to do something and a time not to do something. Let’s leave health care to the health care professionals and keep the insurance and government buffoons out of it.
Both of these issues are political nightmares. If a mom delays a mammogram and contracts breast cancer, who will be to blame? Who will comfort the family and the patient? Who will answer the question, “Did I do the right thing?”
The issue of end-time patient care is equally explosive. It is easy to talk in the abstract as Dr.s Byock and Fisher did on the 60 Minute’s show. It’s easy to talk about the money it costs to keep a patient in intensive care. It is an entirely different thing when you are dealing with a parent’s approaching death. I’ve recently experienced that. My mother decided, while she still was able to make informed decisions, to not accept any extraordinary measures to extend her life. She faced the fact that such measures might extend her physical life but not increase or give her any quality of life. When the time came for me to make that decision, it was terribly painful—but easier—because I knew I was doing what my mom wanted and had documented in her living will.
Why then would politicians box themselves into a situation where they can only face blame? Is it control? Is it a desire to save the public’s money? There is probably a little of all of that. Most liberal politicians see health care as a way of leaving a legacy with the country after they have been voted out of office. I’m afraid that the legacy they will leave will be similar to the telephone debacle that government got us into. We had the best telephone system in the world, but government couldn’t leave it alone. They broke it up, gave us inferior service, cost us billions of dollars, and now its coalescing back to what it was years ago. Take Medicare as an example. No checks and balances. Paying for new arms and legs for people who haven’t even been to the doctors. If that’s the way the government will run a new health care program in this country, I say we can’t afford it. Leave it alone!
What decisions are right about health care? I believe it should be between the patient and his doctor. The government has no place at the health care table. If the government does succeed in getting control of the health care system in this country, get ready for declining health in the US.
The Bible says that there is a time to be born and a time to die. I believe there is also a time to do something and a time not to do something. Let’s leave health care to the health care professionals and keep the insurance and government buffoons out of it.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thanks
Dacula Voters--thanks for your vote yesterday. I look forward to continue making Dacula the "best." I am humbled by your support and pledge to work for your interests.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Exercise your Voting Right
Today is the day you decide who will lead Dacula for the next, critically-important four years. Let's exercise our right to vote. The polls are open at City Hall from 7AM to 7PM.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Choice is Yours
This Tuesday, November 3rd, you have the opportunity to choose who will lead Dacula for the next four years.
You may choose to re-elect Jimmy Wilbanks, the candidate who has served as your mayor for the last 8 years. During this time I have consistently provided the leadership to keep our city tax rates low. I've helped save the Dacula Library Branch as a full-service library. I have expended the political capital to keep the library and fought for equitable county tax rates, and I'll be the one to face the political heat for those actions. I have encouraged private property rights. I started the Dacula Business Association, and I've made your City a more convenient, safe and family-friendly place to live by reconstructing some of our streets, improving our city park, and extending sidewalks and street lighting. You can look at my voting record.
Or, you may choose an inexperienced candidate who has no voting record.
When you elected me, I promised to do my best to make Dacula a better and more convenient City. I believe I have done that.
With your help, we can make Dacula the "best" for you and your family. The choice is yours. I am asking for your vote and support tomorrow at the Dacula City Hall.
Jimmy Wilbanks, Mayor of Dacula
You may choose to re-elect Jimmy Wilbanks, the candidate who has served as your mayor for the last 8 years. During this time I have consistently provided the leadership to keep our city tax rates low. I've helped save the Dacula Library Branch as a full-service library. I have expended the political capital to keep the library and fought for equitable county tax rates, and I'll be the one to face the political heat for those actions. I have encouraged private property rights. I started the Dacula Business Association, and I've made your City a more convenient, safe and family-friendly place to live by reconstructing some of our streets, improving our city park, and extending sidewalks and street lighting. You can look at my voting record.
Or, you may choose an inexperienced candidate who has no voting record.
When you elected me, I promised to do my best to make Dacula a better and more convenient City. I believe I have done that.
With your help, we can make Dacula the "best" for you and your family. The choice is yours. I am asking for your vote and support tomorrow at the Dacula City Hall.
Jimmy Wilbanks, Mayor of Dacula
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