Obama orders same-sex hospital visits

Originally posted by hippomchippo

Originally posted by sos37
Damage control. That's all this is. I'm sure you don't care as it benefits you, personally, but this is nothing more than a bit of damage control to his political reputation.

Is everything good Obama does now going to be blamed on this?

Well of course, what else have they got besides the stuff Fox makes up that gets disproven?

Originally posted by Masterjaden

How can people not see the dictatorial implications in something like this???

Are you people insane????

I know, it's almost like forcing schools to integrate different races...

I hate dictators! Their always forcing people to treat others like they are people too!

are you super paranoid?? You are over reacting. I am glad Obama did this. I am hetero as well and everyone should be able to have this choice in the hospitals. We are all humans.

for those who say (marriage between man and woman) "it says in the bible", well there is alot in the bible that we don't follow, but why is it always the marriage one that gets singled out??

[edit on 16-4-2010 by research100]

This is just common sense.

I just hope now that he has passed healthcare reform (kind of) that we don't have to spend the next year talking about gay rights.

At the pace he is going he will only do two things in office, well three if you count spending massive amounts of money, before he has to hit the campaign trail again.

Again, this is a good thing, I just don't want this to be the beginning of a year long debate like health care was.

Originally posted by sos37
reply to post by sos37

 

Well of course YOU say that - you've openly admitted to being gay. So what else are you going to say but "hey he might well be throwing kibble at us but I don't care, we're lapdogs and we'll eat it right up so long as it tastes good!!!"

Sorry, but some of us have a bit more dignity than to accept ANY good will from a man that still scowls at us and wants us to fail as a nation.

Well I accept this is a good move and a darn smart one regardless of how much he has screwed up...and I have plenty of dignity

oh...btw I should mentioned I am a FLAMING heterosexual

-Kyo

To be brief, this is not a step in the right direction, it's a revelation of how backwards a society is that it has such discrimination against people, who have different sexual orientation, and are treated as if they are a different specie or something. Yeah, it's nice that Obama is making up for the crap he has done, but this should never have had to be done because if the U.S. is "the land of the free" as it claims to be, then gay rights should not be an issue at all. You let the cult Scientology exist in the U.S. and yet you have a problem with gays? Get real. It kinda reflects how religious beliefs, perhaps, crosses over into our government (how many times must we hear "it's in the Bible!" when talking about gays and gay marriage), but anyway....

Originally posted by Masterjaden
The POTUS does NOT have the authority to issue demands on private institutions....

From the original article:

Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation's health-care institutions.

Further, the Constitution stipulates that all ALL citizens be treated equally under the law. He is defending the Constitution and not only has every right to do that, but is obligated to do so as well.

Ninth Amendment
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Fourteenth Amendment
All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

US Constitution

Originally posted by Miracle Man
I just hope now that he has passed healthcare reform (kind of) that we don't have to spend the next year talking about gay rights.

I wish I hadn't had to spend the last thirty years talking about gay rights and I hope I don't have to spend the next twenty doing the same.

But alas, this wheel will continue to squeak until it gets some oil.

Originally posted by hippomchippo
Good lord, I didn't even know gay people didn't have these rights.
Nice one Obama, another point for you!

They don't. When my daughter had her hysterectomy (fibromyalgia) her lover couldn't come and stay with her in the hospital. It would have been so much easier if she could have come and stayed with my daughter overnight, sleeping in the chair they provided (I stayed, but wished she could have had her lover there.)

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Good for him!



Loved ones come in many forms. I don't see why if someone is gay they can't have their loved ones visit them.

I'm amazed that this is even an issue. I guess I haven't seen how discriminant the world has been towards gays and lesbians. I live in the DFW area, and homosexuality is pretty common. You don't really hear about gay issues around here. Everyone accepts them.

First,
Those that think this is a dictatorial move seriously needs to get their heads examined as this is NOT A MASSIVE GRAB FOR POWER but protecting the rights of the citizens. You know, something Govt should be doing instead of protecting Wall Street or foreign companies.

Second,
Anyone or any groups who will use this as an opportunity to trash, demonize the homosexual and lesbian members of our society show not only your arrogance, but your hate and racism as no one should be denied Power of Attorney rights just because they are not a blood relative.

Third,
This grants YOU the authourity to divest anyone you wish as your Power of attorney. This grants you the authourity to have anyone you select make your medical decisions. No future Congress or President can EVER take this away as this has been made PERMANENT!!!!

[edit on 16-4-2010 by TheImmaculateD1]

OK, So since I am a straight, single male with no family, this discriminates against me, so why can't my Girlfriend, best friend visit me? they are not family, but only Gays can have non family visitors?.....pretty stupid.

Everyone should be able to have whoever they want to visit them, friends, family significant others, etc....It's just that the whole Gay/Lesbo community always wants special treatment.. they are never happy with just having things equal...same with most of the minorities, equal isnt good enough, they want special treatment..just like Affirmative Action, etc..

Originally posted by clownsroundhere
OK, So since I am a straight, single male with no family, this discriminates against me, so why can't my Girlfriend, best friend visit me? they are not family, but only Gays can have non family visitors?.....pretty stupid.

Everyone should be able to have whoever they want to visit them, friends, family significant others, etc....It's just that the whole Gay/Lesbo community always wants special treatment.. they are never happy with just having things equal...same with most of the minorities, equal isnt good enough, they want special treatment..just like Affirmative Action, etc..

I wasn't aware a girlfriend is the same as a civil partner that is effectively as close to marriage as a homosexual can have.

Yeah, how DARE they!

reply to post by Masterjaden

The POTUS does NOT have the authority to issue demands on private institutions....

Actually, he does to a point.

Hospitals first of all receive government funding, especially those who are designated as 'community' hospitals.... you know, the ones who have to treat a patient regardless of ability to pay? If you take the cash from the government, then you agree to play by the government's rules. It's the old "Golden Rule": He who has the gold makes the rules.

Secondly, there is an issue of fairness here. If a hospital can unilaterally decide who does and who does not get to visit their patients, then it is akin to placing those patients in a prison (as has already been pointed out). No, there are guidelines that must be followed. Next of kin always receive the primary visitation rights. And as far as I am concerned, if a legally recognized spouse is considered next of kin (as they are), then a non-legally recognized but still apparent and known lifetime partnership should be considered the same. I also extend this train of thought to extremely close lifetime friendships.

Government does indeed have a role to play in our lives. It is not mandating insurance requirements or examining every aspect of our lives to make sure we don't somehow hurt ourselves. Rather, it is about maintaining fairness and equity throughout the economic infrastructure. You have rights when you deal with a company: the right to complain, the right to receive usable merchandise, the right to not be 'price-gouged', etc. When you go to a car lot you have the right to see an invoice from the manufacturer, or to have any derogatory information about a potential purchase divulged to you (I know this well; I bought a 1986 Riviera new which had been dropped at the factory, and I was required to sign a statement indicating I had been told about the incident. I also got an unlimited replacement warranty should any damage ever be found that was overlooked).

So what exactly is wrong with a requirement that a patient in a hospital can have the visitors their life would indicate to be proper for their mental peace of mind?

As much as I normally come down on the side of anti-regulation, this is one case where I see no downside, as long as the proposed rules being considered act in accord with the (apparent) intent of this directive.

TheRedneck


[edit on 4/16/2010 by TheRedneck]

Originally posted by clownsroundhere
Everyone should be able to have whoever they want to visit them, friends, family significant others, etc....It's just that the whole Gay/Lesbo community always wants special treatment.. they are never happy with just having things equal...same with most of the minorities, equal isnt good enough, they want special treatment..just like Affirmative Action, etc..

Boy, are you going to feel stupid after you read this.

Obama's memo to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius orders the development of new rules to ensure that hospitals "respect the rights of patients to designate visitors" and to choose the people who will make medical decisions on their behalf.
...
The new rules will not apply only to gays. They also will affect widows and widowers who have been unable to receive visits from a friend or companion. And they would allow members of some religious orders to designate someone other than a family member to make medical decisions.

Washington Post

Now, what was that you were whining about "special treatment"?

Originally posted by clownsroundhere
OK, So since I am a straight, single male with no family, this discriminates against me, so why can't my Girlfriend, best friend visit me? they are not family, but only Gays can have non family visitors?.....pretty stupid.

Everyone should be able to have whoever they want to visit them, friends, family significant others, etc....It's just that the whole Gay/Lesbo community always wants special treatment.. they are never happy with just having things equal...same with most of the minorities, equal isnt good enough, they want special treatment..just like Affirmative Action, etc.. [/quote

]If your girlfriend's visit is so important, do what most Gays and Lesbos can't, marry her.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


When you go to the hospital they don't ask you if your gay or not. This is about the dumbest crap i've heard of so far.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Maybe you should read what you quoted first!!

That is still special treatment, widowers and religious groups, still seems special to me...

People get so caught up in the rights of special groups, they fail to see how this affects the average Joe!!

This is my point, the patient should have the right to have whoever they want to visit them, I can see them limiting the number of people at a time, etc...but for the POTUS to get involved in this is ridiculous, he has more important things to do..Oh wait, I am talking about Obama..he probably doesn't, unless it involves spending more of our money!!

reply to post by Alien Mind


But they DO only allow "family" to visit under certain circumstances. Since gay people can't marry in most states, their partner is not considered their "family" and therefore aren't allowed to visit the hospitalized.