by Art Smith
This week, once again, I will be hosting the internet rafio show The Bean Walker Live at Des Moines Local Live! The show airs Tuesday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. During the first hour we will be talking about the Iowa Gubernatorial Candidate Forum this past weekend, the situation with the Iowa state budget, and Friday's CBO report on the benefits of Tort Reform. During the second hour, we will have Pastors Quintin Stieff and Dan Wentworth from Valley Church in West Des Moines to talk about a new program at Valley Church called "Love You Des Moines!".
Join us!
by Art Smith
Update! Link to podcast of today's show!
Last Tuesday (September 29), I hosted the second half of Tim Albrecht's program "The Bean Walker Live!" on Des Moines Local Live, and today begins 3 weeks of hosting the program in full while Tim concentrates on getting married!
On today's show, during the first hour I will have Shane Vander Hart from Serve Our Youth Network to share about the volunteer opportunities they have and how they cooperate with local government to impact the lives of high-risk kids in the Des Moines Metro area.
During the second hour [...]
![Christian Doctors and Healthcare Reform]()
by
We've had a number of great opportunities to interact with our Congressmen in townhalls, the President speaking anytime he gets within 50 feet of a camera, and Kathleen Sebelius criticizing a reporter for not sneezing into his elbow. What's really interesting is that none of these folks really know anything about providing medical care for, well, anybody.
Here's an opportunity for those of you that are interested in the perspective of a (Christian) Physician's organization with regard to the Healthcare Reform currently being discussed in Congress. Granted, the world view of Christians in the medical field will be skewed toward Christ's admonitions to feed the poor and heal the sick, but perhaps we can put up with that kind of crazy talk (wry smile).
BRISTOL, Tenn., Sept. 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA, www.cmda.org), the nation's largest faith-based organization of doctors announced they will hold a free Webcast on healthcare reform, "Health Care Reform - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 at 8:30 PM/EDT. The Webcast can be accessed by going to www.livestream.com/cmda. Freedom2Care, an ad-hoc coalition of conscience-affirming organizations is a sponsor of the event.
Dr. Gene Rudd, Sr. VP for CMDA will moderate the event. New Jersey Congressman Christopher Smith; David [...]
![Christian Doctors and Healthcare Reform]()
by Art Smith
Term limits have lately become a popular topic of conversation. When a lot of folks start getting fed up with what's happening in Washington, term limits are sometimes becomes strategy #1 for solving the problem. But it's like the idea of a flat tax or domestic drilling... it sounds good as a sound bite, but what does it really end up meaning, and why do we really think it's going to help?
Frankly, I was a big supporter of the idea some years ago (back when Neal Smith represented my US House district in Congress), but I have figured out that the reason I was such a big supporter was specifically because of Neal Smith. That is, I wanted him out of office, and term limits sounded like an easy way to accomplish it. It was a specific, tactical, selfish reason.
I certainly recognize that there are other reasons, some of which are compelling. Let's make a list, shall we?
I don't like the person who's currently my (legislator, governor, etc.). From my own party, I've heard activists actually say "How else do we get rid of Tom Harkin (Senator from Iowa)?". Wow, so then what happens when we get someone in office who we actually like? You can't have it both ways... implementing term limits is not the way to move your agenda forward. Term limits will likely cause us more difficulty in moving the agenda forward. What you need is to bring candidates who can win elections.
Two terms (or one, or three, whatever the number of the month is) are enough for anyone to accomplish what they need to accomplish. If the purpose of sending someone to represent us in Washington or our state capital is to accomplish some singular thing, this might actually make sense. But the purpose of the legislatures includes doing a good deal of work that must be [...]
![Christian Doctors and Healthcare Reform]()
by Art Smith
The Des Moines Register, one of the two printed dailies that I read, has done some work to revamp the Politics section of their web site. As part of that effort, they have added "Featured Political Bloggers", providing perspectives from the Right, the Left, and Across the Spectrum. Yours truly is one of the "From the Right" bloggers. More information about these changes will be included in the Sun
Although I'm pleased to be included in this project, more importantly I'm impressed that the Register is providing a forum that allows more established bloggers an opportunity to present opinions on topics that are important to everyone from such a variety of perspectives. Most people in Central Iowa recognize that the Register's editorial positions tend to lean to the Left (although they occasionally surprise us). It is an exceptional publication that works with people from an opposing perspective as actively as The Des Moines Register is at this time.
Bloggers featured include:
From the Left:
From the Right [...]
![Christian Doctors and Healthcare Reform]()
by Art Smith
It was eight years ago today, as many days into George W. Bush's Presidency then as we are now in Barack Obama's, that we were viciously attached by an enemy that seeks only to terrorize and devastate us. They have less honor than the Japanese ever did, no apparent desire to take control of our land, and no official standing with the U.N. or any western nation that could provide even a modicum of legitimacy to their actions.
And they attacked a civilian target.
It is not enough to move on from this. Moving on has become a weary forgetfulness that leaves us emotionally and physically unprepared for the reality of a difficult world and the evil intents of those who hate us. Moving on from Hitler's Germany has left us so dreadfully unscarred that when we see the rise of leaders like Saddam Hussein, we still think we can negotiate our way from the risk of land-grabbing military campaigns, or can turn a blind eye to genocide in places like Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. We may not be the world's police, but we can and should be part of the the conscience and leadership that makes this world free. And perhaps there will be times when we must stand alone for what is right.
It is not enough to move on and yet forget the fortitude it took to work together to emerge from the rubble intact. That fortitude, the wise watching that followed, and the integrity to face head-on the military and political attacks on our nation and all people who long to be free across the world, are what we will need to continue as a strong nation.
Let's remember those who fell as innocent victims and as rescuers. Remember the price they paid, that we paid in losing them, and the vision of freedom that stirs in every human heart.
