May 26, 2009
O'Sullivan's Law and Outrageous Ingratitude
Before I get to the bone-crunching ingratitude part, I would like to offer a shout out to many friends who have raised money for MS on my behalf. ThreeSources own Boulder Refugee walked, a long time reader is training for a 100+ mile bike ride in the Texas summer sun, and I think I heard something about some young ladies in Minnesota. I am humbled by your thoughts and it has been an honor to toss in a few dollars to sponsor you.
O'Sullivan's law states that "All organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing." In a great column, John O'Sullivan provides the ACLU among other examples. Alert readers see where this is going.
I just received the following email from the MS Society. Your walking and biking and my money is buying this:
World MS Day GOAL:
50,000 letters to Congress
by midnight on
Wednesday, May 27th!Demand quality, affordable health care for Americans living with MS.
Click here to send a letter to your elected officials:
Rep. Jared Polis
Sen. Mark Udall
Sen. Michael Bennet
Dear John,May 27 marks the first-ever World MS Day and over 100 nations around the globe are joining together to build awareness for multiple sclerosis. One of the greatest overarching needs around the world is for quality, affordable health care to ensure all people with MS can lead a life of possibility, dignity and fulfillment.
Here in the United States, for the first time in nearly 17 years Washington leaders appear serious about fixing our broken health care system. Tell Congress that now is the time to fix health care. Help us reach our goal: 50,000 letters to Congress by midnight on May 27th!
We have an incredible opportunity to make our voices heard in support of accessible, affordable health care coverage for all. Our legislators need to know that it is time for the right reforms right now.
As I write this, National MS Society staff and volunteers are meeting with members of Congress about the Society's health care reforms principles. These principles need to be incorporated into new health care policies if people with MS are going to be able to move forward with their lives.
In honor of World MS Day, let us unite to support these efforts with a national wave of grassroots action. Will you help? Write your legislators and speak out for quality, affordable health care by midnight on World MS Day, May 27th.
Decisions your elected leaders are about to make will impact how we receive our health care for generations to come. We can't miss this opportunity!
Below is the set of health care reform principles developed by Society volunteers and activists. With your help, we can put these principles in front of our policymakers. They include:
Accessible health care coverage
Affordable health care services and coverage
Standards for coverage of specific treatments
Elimination of disparities in care
Comprehensive, quality health care available to all
Increased value of health care
Access to high-quality, long-term supports and services
Take action now - tell your legislators to create health care policies that work for people living with MS and their families.If we can deliver 50,000 letters to Congress by midnight on World MS Day, we will send the message that we are united on behalf of all people affected by MS.
Thank you for standing with me at this important moment,
Scott Hanson
MS Activist, diagnosed in 1998
What a complete and utter crock! MS patients need the innovation from a robust pharmaceutical sector. This will come with property rights and reduced government interference. Every single one of Mister Hanson's goals would be counter-productive to MS patients.
Thundering ingratitude time. Thanks everybody and enjoy your current plans; next year, don't. I do not suspect that any other "disease" group is much better. By O'Sullivan's Law, they won't be for long. And, to be fair, they do help families who are caring for MS patients and I have little doubt much of the money is well spent. But, thanks-but-no-thanks boys, I am not giving another dime to promote socialized medicine.
Hmmm, that is a conundrum. I recall that my father had a similar dilemma with AARP. They offer great benefits for seniors, but are one of the most liberal organizations on the planet and actively work to elect Democrats. Perhaps a better solution would be for those of us who have/do support the MS Society to have a letter campaign of our own to Mr. Hanson?
Beyond that, I'm intrigued by your idea of having an NRA-like org for free market ideas. How do we get started?
Posted by: Boulder Refugee at May 26, 2009 12:11 PMOn our freedom advocacy group, I was thinking that we apply for a government grant...
Glad you're still speaking to me, br. There are shades of gray in the MS Society but the AARP is evil incarnate. That discount hotel room requires too high a price in liberty -- you see their collectivist TV and magazine ads. One year from today I plan to mail them a shredded membership card and a very long letter.
I did have a thought of 500,000 letters to Hanson, but I have no doubt the sentiment runs through the entire organization. I surrender, sorry.
Perhaps I should start a "Gimps Against Government" group. I have what the media call "Moral Authority" on the issue. My single, non-joke, appearance on Best of the Web was on this topic.
Posted by: jk at May 26, 2009 12:40 PMI had a similar epiphany when I received an email from ConsumerReports.org asking me to write my congressman asking for credit card reform. (They want laws to regulate the revolving credit industry, thus diminishing market forces and competition.) This combined with my belief that Consumer Reports magazine is largely responsible for the false belief of the superior quality of Japanese cars to anything else on the planet may be enough for me to cancel my web membership with them.
Posted by: johngalt at May 26, 2009 1:42 PM | What do you think? [3]