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I Can't Believe Someone Really Said This

What do these three events have in common?

(1) December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor was attacked. 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 were wounded. Eight battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer were either damaged or sunk.

(2) September 11, 2001: Four suicide attacks against the United States resulted in almost 3,000 deaths. The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were destroyed and a section of the Pentagon was demolished. The attackers intended to crash a fourth plane into the United States Capitol, but crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa.

(3) August 1, 2012: The Affordable Healthcare Act required new health insurance policies to include FDA-approved contraceptives, an annual well woman preventive care visit with her doctor, and screening for gestational diabetes, STIs, HIV/AIDS and HPV. Also required are screening and counseling for domestic violence, and breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling, all without cost to the patient.

I am sure almost everyone will agree that the first two events were, as FDR put it, days that will live in infamy. But GOP Rep. Mike Kelly, who, I am ashamed to say, represents Pennsylvania, said, “I want you to remember Aug. 1, 2012, the attack on our religious freedom. That is a day that will live in infamy, along with those other dates.”
Mike has a perfect right not to like the requirements of August 1, but to place them on a par with the loss of lives and property of the other two is absolutely stupid. I am having a hard time getting my head around the fact that someone thinks such a thing, especially someone elected to represent us.

On a lesser note, GOP Rep. Bill Young of Florida recently displayed his understanding of the problems of low-wage workers in a 4th of July discussion with a voter in St. Petersburg. The subject was a bill in Congress to raise the minimum wage to $10.

Citizen: Do you support that?
Young: Probably not.
Citizen: Ten bucks. That would give us a living wage.
Young: How about getting a job?
Citizen: I do have one.
Young: Well, why do you want that benefit? Get a job.

Perhaps the conversation was a bit too complex for Young to understand.
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My books, “There Are Only Seven Jokes” and “The Spirit Runs Through It” are available in paperback or Kindle at Amazon.
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