It has been a while.

So there was this big debate on facebook. My aunt copy and pasted a video about healthcare that if you did any research at all you could find out that it was complete bull $&^%. I am not for government healthcare at all, I am for reform but not government run care. I responded to her video and the other relative that posted it blindly. I said I was against Government run, but I am also against spreading lies and scare-tactics that we needed to be smarter about what we post. The fire storm then begun. I was messaged by several of her friends and other people how I was wrong, mean, evil, without morals etc. I was told not to mess with there freedom of speech but when I responded my comments were deleted. I don't understand people with a one track mind, that think if you don't fit in there moral compass you are wrong and going to hell.

Here is what transpired(as shown on my aunts blog) Post thoughts below I wont delete them ;-)

I posted the following youtube video on facebook and then my comments following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBaSP31Be8

Doesn't this sound like good, solid healthcare reform. NOT! This doesn't even sound like the United State of America. If you value choosing your doctors and having your doctors work for you and not the government, please oppose this bill. I honestly doubt that the government will submit to the conditions in this bill. ...They will use our taxes to pay privately. Those with enough money will do the same. Healthcare has already been stifled by government programs and rising costs of licenses and insurance due to so many lawsuits. Everyone should let the healthcare professionals be the professionals. They are the ones with the training in healthcare after all.

I was so annoyed at my nephew's responses to my post, that I just deleted them, but then I thought better of it and a send him a note. He left the same comments on my cousin's post (whom I originally got the video from) so that is what I will work from here; after that I will copy my note to him.

Paul: If that was a real bill I might be worried, but since that video is a complete lie im not worried. Might want to check your stories before you post crap like this. o to factcheck.com this video is a total lie. I am not for universal heathcare, but im not for spewing lies either. PEOPLE WE NEED TO BE SMARTER THEN THIS!

Paul: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/twenty-six-lies-about-hr-3200/

Andy: What everyone needs to understand is that this video is about the PROPOSED original House bill, not the one that passed the house, it was cut down substantially.

Paul: Incorect again, some of the language in that video is a complete fabrication.

Andy: At this point it doesn't matter, the bill that passed was not what was proposed.

Paul: It does mannner because people are using scare tactics like this. It makes it so partisan, everyone needs to do the research themselves not just spew lies.

Wendy: The original proposal was 2,000 pages long!! Why can't they put it in a simpler form for us to understand? Why does the government have to be involved? Medicare is bankrupt and Medicaid is bankrupt let the government fix that and then let them talk to us about healthcare!

Paul: I agree I agree I agree, But still makes no sense to post a video that just spreads scare tactics, and doesnt help the issue at all.

Now my note to Paul:

Heidi Sommerfeld Stevenson:
Every single presentation anyone watches or report anyone reads will carry some biases. That's always a given. If you read my comments, you would understand my biases...which have nothing to do with any partisan issue. My husband is in health care. He has worked hard for years and years, and he would have made more money teaching school or something. After selling his practice, we still had as much debt as his sell price. This is before paying taxes on the sell. And this is before we are looking at so called reforms. So in essense, he's been working for the government already. There's all the stupid Osha regulations and all the extra licenses and malpractice insurances you have to pay, and this because of government and lawyers sticking in their noses where they don't belong.
The so-called lies are that people can't receive health care currently, because they can. Bob has seen many patients who couldn't pay and so have many other doctors. Plus, there are already so many programs that help those who need it. The reform that the government is after will not improve health care; it will bring the quality way down across the board.
Back to every view having a bias. I feel like it's okay if Wendy or I want to post something that carries a bias. It shouldn't matter so much to you if we do. Yes, I believe that people should build on what they have in common, but I don't believe that it's okay to call someone stupid because they have a different view than you do. Just because we posted a video, it doesn't mean that we think that it's the gospel truth, or that you need to hurry and reform us. You carry your own biases in doing so. It seems to me that you care about standing up for people, issues, and ideas that you really don't even agree with. I agree with the sentiments of the video, and I have the right to do so. Yes, I know that it is biased: there is no such thing as unbiased media. Health care is a doctor to patient issue. The doctors are the ones with the training to know what care is needed, but they are already stifled by what insurances will allow (or not allow). If the government pushes through socialized medicine, there will be many other doctors, dentists, etc. who will switch professions. Small businesses struggle enough as it is; that coupled with private practice is tough enough; but making these professionals work for the government is criminal in my view. Such are my biases.

Paul:
Biased it diffrent the posting a video that is blatantly false. I agree wiht you on healthcare. It would be like me posting a video saying looky here the mormons practice polagamy today, GBH once said the book of mormon is not true it is made up we just like the money it pulls in. Mormons believe god is white & hates black people.

Paul:
you wrote "It seems to me that you care about standing up for people, issues, and ideas that you really don't even agree with. "

It doesnt matter if I believe in the content. I stand up for what I think is right and wrong plain and simple.

I stand up against Goverment healthcare because I think it is wrong.

I dont personally agree with gay marriage. I stand up for any consetting adults to be married becasue I think in witholding these rights is wrong.

I stand up for not posting blatant lies on the internet & using false scare-tactics because I believe it is wrong.

Me again:

To be fair here, I did look at Paul's link as well. It doesn't offer any proof that what I posted was a lie or that what he posted is the truth. The thing about following after truth is that we all need to be allowed to follow the dictates of our own conscience and that we should never feel bullied into changing our view because some person thinks his logic is more sophisticated than ours. Bogus, I say.

I hope for the sake of America that we will all be willing to make the sacrifices that we need to make this a better country than it currently is. I hope that we will be able to return to time tested values. I hope that there will be less greed and more brotherly love. But those things need to come from the heart, one individual at a time. I believe in a Zion community; I believe that the United Order is a heavenly thing; I do not believe that government mandated and imposed inequality will ever work. No one can be coerced into equality. It just won't work.

I hope for the sake of families and friends that we can be more respectful of one another's opinions and beliefs. It doesn't really matter who is right or wrong. It does matter how we treat each other.

New facebook status:

Heidi: I support the freedom of speech and the freedom of belief. I post what I want to post. I don't seek to be offensive, but I do have opinions. If you do not like my posts, you certainly have the freedom to disagree. But if you feel that you need to rudely correct or reform me, you may kindly remove me from your list of friends. There is actually nothing more partisan than not respecting another's right to his own view.

P.S. I resisted editing anyone elses comments. :-)

Replies to my status:

Maggie: You go Heidi!!!!

Paul commented on your status:


"You must be talking about me, why don;t you just man up and call me out if thats the way you feel. I also believe in freedom of speech, I dont believing in sending out lies to promote ones cause. I would never remove someone or ignore them because of there post that would be childish.

(Here Paul repeated his last note to me with a little extra.)

You wrote "It seems to me that you care about standing up for people, issues, and ideas that you really don't even agree with. "

It doesnt matter if I believe in the content. I stand up for what I think is right and wrong plain and simple.

I stand up against Goverment healthcare because I think it is wrong.


I dont personally agree with gay marriage. I stand up for any consetting adults to be married becasue I think in witholding these rights is wrong.(I do believe though if the people vote to ban it it should stand, power to the people, I just would not vote that way)


I stand up for not posting blatant lies on the internet & using false scare-tactics because I believe it is wrong.

Heidi: I deleted the above comment.

Paul commented on your status:


"You must be talking about me, why don;t you just man up and call me out if thats the way you feel. I also believe in freedom of speech, I dont believing in sending out lies to promote ones cause. I would never remove someone or ignore them because of there post that would be childish.

(Paul then posted the exact same message as above for a third time.)

Maggie: Marriage isn't a right. Maybe you should read the Bill of Rights before you start spouting off on Facebook and being mean to Heidi who is one of the sweetest most moral people on the planet.

Kitty: "wow,Heidi! What did you post about? That guy is really angry!"

Kitty and Kathy liked my status. Now I am going to delete my status post. Too many comments already.