Prescription Drugs

Imagine a primitive society. Despite its backwards views on many issues, this civilization had an amazing knowledge of various herbs, and their medicinal qualities. These herbs had led to a dramatic increase in quality of life and longevity for the citizens of said community. But over time, a group of elders emerged as “The Keepers of the Herbs.” This group of elders, highly prized for their wisdom, often recommended particular herbs to citizens. But over time, the elders became so powerful, that they took control of all herbs, refusing access to private citizens. The only way citizens could access these remedies, was to go to the elders, and ask for permission. At first a citizen would offer a chicken, or a bushel of wheat in exchange for a few minutes with the elders, to ask permission to treat his/her ailment. But over time, the cost increased, and citizens had to pay 3 or 4 chickens, and wait up to half a day in order to meet with the council of elders for a few seconds. A few citizens tried to circumvent the elders, as the herbs themselves were quite cheap, and readily available. To prevent the downfall of their monopoly, the elders had these individuals imprisoned. Despite the fact that many citizens could no longer afford enough chickens to seek council with the elders, this elite group maintained its authority as the gatekeepers of life and death remedies to the people.

The current US requirement that a citizen go to a doctor to get a prescription forces one man to get permission from another man to treat his own body. Think about that for a second. In the United States, one man must get permission from another man to treat his own body. You can not accept that fact, and truly believe in freedom. The two are mutually exclusive. “Yeah, but without consulting a doctor, you could take the wrong drug, and possibly hurt yourself.” Congratulations. You’re absolutely right. You believe we are so stupid, that we need the government to protect us from ourselves. You’re also the reason the silica gel packet says “DO NOT EAT” all over it. You’re the reason McDonalds has to put “CAUTION! MAY BE HOT!” on their coffee cups. The reason the flight attendant has to teach you how to buckle a seatbelt. And the reason the TV channel has to tell you “Warning. Do not try this at home” before a guy lights his hair on fire and jumps over a football field on his motorcycle. You are responsible for the collective dumbing down of society. By shifting the responsibility for common sense from citizens to the government, ours is the first society (possibly in history) to almost completely eradicate social Darwinism. We vehemently protect our idiots, and by so doing, allow them to further dilute the collective gene-pool.

Amy and I recently tried to buy sea-sick patches before a cruise. Apparently there are two types. An over the counter product that causes severe drowsiness, and a far superior “Prescription Only” version without the side-effects. So $80 in co-pays, and 3 hours in a waiting room later, we finally got signed permission from one of the “elders” to avoid nausea on a boat. Seriously?! You’re OK with that? I can purchase enough tobacco and alcohol to kill an elephant, yet I can’t be trusted to make the oh so crucial “anti-nausea” decision without a clinical consult? The government deems me a responsible enough citizen to carry a loaded firearm into a crowded building. Yet I’m unqualified to wield the weapon of amoxicillin against my strep-throat?

Remember, by repealing oppressive prescription laws, you’re not taking away someone’s right to see a doctor- just the obligation. A wise individual will still see a doctor most of the time. The same way we seek professional help in every other aspect of life, without a government mandate. But when your child’s got their 4^th ear infection of the year, and they’ve been prescribed the same dose of antibiotics every time, you know exactly what the doctor’s going to recommend. And when your child’s in agony on a Friday night, you have a choice. You can pay $500 to sit in an ER/Urgent care for 5 hours waiting to speak to “the elders”, or you can let your child writhe in pain all weekend.

Just because “That’s the way it’s always been” doesn’t mean it ever made sense.

Yes, Again

In early January, Ryan sighed and said, "I miss Disneyland." Well, that's too bad, I thought because we didn't have any intention of going for a long time. Until...we got one of those infamous emails from Royce that persuades you to do things you never thought that you would do. He asked us to go with them. We said no.  And then he mentions that he can make this particular trip very affordable, so well...of course we couldn't say no!
I'm afraid the kids have gotten the wrong idea though because every so often when Rachel gets particularly bored she will give me that sly look of hers and ask, "Can I go on Peter Pan again?" When I tell her it's too far away she just looks at me like, "Well, we were there last week and the month before that, so what's the big deal guys?" Can you blame her?

He inherited his Buzz Lightyear cape from his cousins. He loved it!

Ah, what a nice "godfather"

We endured the Tiki Room just for you Lori :)

These guys were perfect the whole trip. They deserved to zone out in front of the tv :)

My favorite part of the whole trip was when we saw Ariel briskly walking by. I exclaimed that my daughter would love to see her and she princessly waved me away in a hurry. But Heather didn't take no for an answer. She ran to the stroller, scooped Rach up, ran to where Ariel was and cornered her. They had taken 3 pictures and had an entire conversation before I had even known what happened. Then Rach came walking back to me in her stocking feet covered in rain water. Her shoes had fallen off during the escapade, but she was so happy that she didn't care. I have the pictures somewhere, but I couldn't find them...can you send them again Heath?

Treehouse

This is why they like Dad better...

Watching Toy Story

March for Babies

It's been nearly four years since my babies were born at 29 weeks. We are grateful everyday that they are alive and healthy. We want to help other families avoid the scariness that is premature birth. So we are raising money and walking for March for Babies. Please go here to either walk with us, or donate. Believe me, we hate asking you, so no pressure, but if you feel so inclined it would be awesome!

Alcohol

I hate Alcohol. Hate it. Alcohol is a factor in more traffic deaths, domestic abuse, job firings, moral regrets, life altering addictions, and destroyed dreams than any other substance on Earth.

Before I continue, I should point out that my argument against alcohol is based solely on logic, not morality. Jesus drank. And coming from a Christian, I trust that assuages any presumption that I’m speaking from a perceived position of moral superiority. Drinking doesn’t make you a bad person. In fact, some of the best people I know drink.

That said,… I still hate alcohol. I’ve seen far too many lives altered or destroyed to keep silent on the issue. Alcohol is a drug, and far more dangerous than many illicit drugs. But because the government says it’s OK, people do it. Like other drugs, drinking is a form of self-medication. In small quantities, inhibitions are dulled, worries are forgotten, there’s a mild sense of euphoria… But consider the side effects. What if liquor had the same warning labels as other medications/drugs? “Caution: Flammable. Highly addictive. May cause inability to stand, slurred speech, altered personality, decreased mental capacity, violence, STDs, unwanted pregnancy, severe vomiting, unconsciousness, memory loss, inability to function at work, liver damage, and death to yourself or others while driving.” I don’t care if a drug cured cancer- with side-effects like that, you’d still think twice before taking it. Of course, alcohol doesn’t cure anything. So what does it offer in exchange for all these potential side-effects? A slightly better time at the party, or a short-lived procrastination of grief.

At its worst, alcohol kills approximately 75,000 people in the US each year. At its best, it temporarily changes who you are, how you think, and how you act. I believe in embracing who you are, not trying to mask it with mind-altering chemicals. I’d never consume anything that would dull my mind or cause me to act differently than I’d normally act.

I’m sick of our hypocritical society condemning tobacco, while celebrating alcohol. It disappoints me that people fall in line just because one’s more socially acceptable than the other. Multi-million dollar ad campaigns, policy changes, and even legislation have all simultaneously converged to inconvenience, ostracize, and humiliate smokers. Say what you will about the possible dangers of secondhand smoke. All I know is my family’s a lot more likely to be killed driving home tonight by the guy who had a few beers after work, than the guy who smoked a few cigarettes.

Are there a lot of people who will drink “responsibly,” never drink and drive, never hurt anyone, and never get addicted? Absolutely. But why risk it? When there’s a multi-million member organization (Alcoholics Anonymous) dedicated to overcoming a substance abuse problem, why would you voluntarily ingest that substance? Everyone should have the privilege of attending an AA meeting. When you’ve looked into the tear-filled eyes of individuals whose lives have been torn apart by booze, you think twice before taking it into your body. Many AA members proudly carry their 1 year, 5 year, or 10 year sober chips as a badge of honor. As well they should. They’ve succeeded in suppressing a monstrous vice. I recently hit 30 years sober. Though, I admittedly did it the easy way. And highly recommend it. I wonder how many AA members wish they could go back and take the easy path of never taking that first drink? I’d always wondered “If I were in their shoes, would I have the willpower to overcome that type of addiction?” Many years ago, when my missionary companion and I took a gun away from a suicidal man who’d lost everything to alcoholism, I thanked my lucky stars I’d never have to find out.