From Les's text: "Edwards, in an interview with the Web site Beliefnet.com..."

Personally, I don't find it odd that Edwards framed his comments this way, given his target audience. It sounds as if he just chose a context for his assertions that this particular audience could best understand and appreciate.

I don't understand the comments about prayer in schools, though. It's a widespread misconception that students cannot pray in schools--they can, and they do, every day. Middle and high schools everywhere offer oodles of before- and after-school clubs relating to students' religions, too.

The conflicts arise when students (or sometimes teachers and administrators) mistakenly assert a right to lead others in prayer, or to engage in religious studies during the school hours designated by state policies to be used in other endeavors.

I sure wish Edwards, or somebody, would just explain that.

Les: "Telling a jury that you're channeling the voice of a brain-damaged child? That's disgusting."

Yeah, I'm with ya on that...

Randy: "Apparently he was an effective advocate for his client, who was able to get compensation for a needed lifetime of care..."

Yes, Randy, and my admitted bias in the question of whether these malpractice settlements are "too large" is that I bring some personal life experience WRT to costs, financial and emotional, of caring for an invalid family member.

For the last two years, until my younger sister and I placed Mom in Hillcrest North on December 18, 2006, I've shared in providing care for an 80 year-old final stage Alzheimers patient, who also suffers from a plethora of other health problems.

Until we've delivered in-home care to an invalid loved one, it's impossible to understand the crushing burden of feeding, bathing, dressing, and attending his or her every need--personal, household, and financial. Caring for an *adult* invalid is all the more difficult (just one stark reality is pottying, which requires *two* assistants--one to steady the invalid on his/her feet, and another to pull down the adult Depend; given that we sometimes had to call on neighbors for help, Mom's Alzheimers was a blessing to her sense of personal pride...).

Neither Medicare nor the vast majority of private insurance policies covers the sitter care truly necessary to allow family members the peace of mind to leave such a home-bound invalid in any outsider's care. At $20 per hour, the cost of hiring someone to oversee the invalid during 16 waking hours daily runs around $320 daily, over $80,000 annually. Add to this cost the cost of extensive out-of-pocket medical charges, insurance premiums, drugs, and even renovations to the invalid's home to afford him/her mobility there, and we get a glimpse of the frightening cost of trying to keep our loved ones close by.

Elder care, of course, is actually cheaper than the more specialized care required by younger invalids, and family members will likely bear elder care costs for a shorter period of time.

Nevertheless, even in the context I offer of my mom's lesser costs, we will absorb $4050 per month, $48,600 annually, in payments just to Hillcrest North--until the money's gone. It will be gone in months.

WRT families in this position due to the irresponsibility of someone else, and facing this financial and emotional responsibility to loved ones for their complete lifetimes and beyond, I fully support their demands that the responsibile party ante up. Punitive damages are in order, too, if medical providers' irresponsiblity is to be stopped.

Go, Edwards.

So you're saying Bill Frist is a creep who shouldn't be president? I agree.

No, Bill Frist is a creep who shouldn't practice medicine again. Bill Frist shouldn't diagnose brain-damaged women who he's never met on the Senate floor.

He shouldn't take on the mantle of moral authority and act as proxy for God in public office.

____________________________

Recursive blogwhore.