
I am a stage-four cancer survivor. No, that's wrong. I'm not a survivor. I beat cancer's ass into the ground, dusted myself off, and proceeded on with life. I don't consider myself, or the millions of other people who deal with life-threatening or chronic conditions, a victim. We are not. But surely, patients have enough to manage already without the idiocy rattling through Attorney General Jeff Sessions' teeth every time he opines on opiods, cannabis, and pain management.
That's right, I said it. Someone had to. Jeff Sessions is an idiot. The problem is plain for anyone who has had an experience like mine to see: Our top federal law enforcement officer has no idea what real pain is really like, or what doctors do to manage it.
Sessions recently told the surely apocryphal story about current White House Chief of Staff, and former four-star general, John Kelly refusing pain killers during hand surgery. I have no doubt that the general is one bad ass individual. But really? Did he wash the wound with tequila before the first incision, while grinding his teeth on a stick?
Watch Sessions tell the story here. It is itself quite painful. It's like your crazy great uncle's circa-1950s-liquor-fueled rants you are subjected to once every year at Thanksgiving dinner. The difference is that your crazy great uncle is kind of endearing when he's drunk, and his opinions are harmless. This crazy uncle is the Attorney General of the United States, and he has all the power to act on his feelings, and he clearly intends to do so.
"The plain fact, I believe, and I am operating on the assumption that this country prescribes too many opioids," Sessions told a gathering in Tampa a few weeks ago. "I mean, people need to take some, uh, aspirin sometimes, and tough it out a little."
"Believe." "Assumption." "Too many." Forget the fact he doesn't have the slightest notion of the difference between acute pain, like when a surgical scalpel cuts into your flesh, and chronic pain, that can last indefinitely. And I wonder what exactly "Dr." Sessions means by too many? Which patients, with what conditions, under what circumstances will be determined by the federal government to be deserving of pain relief? And who, exactly, is just going to have to "tough it out a little bit?"
The Attorney General probably doesn't have any specific patient in mind. He doesn't exactly appear to be focused on individual patients. He just wants to make sure that fewer patients are prescribed opioids to manage their painand he is weaponizing the federal government in order to accomplish this goal.
The Associate Press reported last month that, according to Sessions, "the Drug Enforcement Agency is now asking medical practitioners whether they have received continuing medical education on prescribing or dispensing opioids when they apply for a license or renew."
Sessions is forcing doctors to make an ugly choice: Either do best by their patients and adhere to their Hippocratic Oathor suffer the bureaucratic harassment from the powerful Drug Enforcement Agency, and risk the loss of their license to practice medicine. If incentives matter, and they do, expect doctors to start making bad choices for their patients.
I remember a time, not too long ago, when Republicans and conservatives proclaimed loudly and often that health care choices should be between patients and doctors, and the federal government should keep its nose out. But those well-worn talking points have been shelved, replaced with a new form of medical authoritarianism.
For me, it's personal. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. I have been injected with aggressive chemotherapy cocktails that leave you feeling like you have the worst hangover ever, except that it goes on for months. And there's extensive nerve damage. If you are a masochist, you can read more gory details here.
I have undergone multiple surgeries that sliced me open from stem to stern, each time leaving dozens of surgical staples in my belly, making my torso look like I big zipper. Years later, I still deal with collateral damage from the battle, including scar tissue in my abdomen that can generate significant pain. With all due respect to tough guy John Kelly, I doubt he has felt real pain, the kind that makes you wish you were dead, until scar tissue from past surgeries manages to strangle your intestines closed.
And, yes, it irritates me to retell these stories. I'm not nearly old enough yet to be spending my waning days on the porch, telling my octogenarian friends about all the parts of my body that are broken. I was hoping to save the good stuff for when my wife finally sends me away to a geezer farm in the country.
Of course opioid addicition is a real problem, and opioid abuse is indeed dangerous. I have friends who have told their stories about managing pain, and addiction. They all sought other forms of treatment, settling on medical cannabis as a safer, more effective treatment for debilitating pain, and other chronic conditions.
I can recount countless stories of patients using cannabis to get off of opioids. But here comes the idiocy again. Jeff Sessions has said that "good people don't smoke marijuana," and that he believes that cannabis is the gateway drug that leads to opioid abuse. "We think a lot of this is starting with marijuana," he says at that same piece of performance art in Tampa. The research, of course, says the opposite.
So with traditional pharmaceuticals and cannabis off the table, I guess I really will have to "tough it out a bit."
When I sat down to write this piece, I debated using the word idiot. It's intemperate, you might say. So I Googled it. "Idiot: A stupid person. Synonyms: fool, jackass, knucklehead, numbskull, nitwit, asshat." It might as well have just said "Jeff Sessions."
#17: Gatlin To: Deckard (#14)
Then you posted your own interpretation, or one that you copied and pasted from the Web. Thats fine with me. As I said before, opinions are like assholes .everyone has one.
But you cant tell me me interpretation was false when I never gave an interpretation.
I posted ONLY scripture and NO interpretations.
How in the world did you get to be so stupid?
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 03:57:44 Reply Private Reply
#18: Hondo68 To: Deckard (#13)
Gatlin is a Subverted Nation neo-Nazi.
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 03:58:14 Reply Private Reply
#19: Gatlin To: Deckard (#14)
I cannot find anywhere in the scripture in you link that Paul says anything about a righteous government.
Can you please point out to me where that word is appears in the scripture?
Its not there and you KNOW damned well it isnt there.
STOP MAKING SHIT UP.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 04:13:27 Reply Private Reply
#20: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#18)
Show me where I was lying when all I did was post the scripture exactly as it appears in the Bible without changing one thing.
Show me
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 04:18:51 Reply Private Reply
#21: Gatlin To: Deckard (#12)
Show me where I was lying when all I did was post the scripture exactly as it appears in the Bible without changing one thing.
Show me
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 04:21:05 Reply Private Reply
#22: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#12)
You may disagree with Gatlin. That is fine. Question is why do you dishonor yourself by saying he worships the government. We both know that isn't true. Making you a liar. Come on deckard have some honor.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 08:09:06 Reply Private Reply
#23: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#13)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 08:11:45 Reply Private Reply
#24: A K A Stone To: Gatlin (#11)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 08:22:42 Reply Private Reply
#25: GrandIsland To: A K A Stone (#22)
Unfortunately for Dickard, he can't just buy that on a shelf. One must be born with those qualities... and keep honor at the top of his priorities. The unfortunate part is, legal drugs are at the top of his priority list. They outweigh "honor". So this is why, with a big fat smile, Dickard will post yella propaganda to sell his priorities.
In my line of work, once you've been proven dishonorable, you can never come back from the dark side.
GrandIsland posted on 2018-03-04 11:04:31 Reply Private Reply
#26: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#23)
All I did in the beginning was to simply post the sacred writings of Christianity contained in the English Standard Version of the Bible. I never made any comment to say that I either agreed with the scripture I posted or disagreed with the scripture I posted. I simply posted it verbatim.
I was then attacked by the two of the three forum pit bulls. One said I was lying about the Bible and the other said my interpretation of the Bible is false. In reality, the truth be known, I was neither lying nor misinterpreting ....I only posted scripture verbatim for consideration to be given to it. I never said what I believe the scripture meant and I was never asked.
The fallacy oftentimes, more often than not, is that some posters already know what they are going to say in response to my posts before they even read my posts. They continually overuse the same trite remarks that consequently have little import and lack any originality or freshness. It would be far easier if they just assigned numbers to their personal attack statements. Then when I post something for consideration, their simple response could be: #13, #5, #6, #1 (and the best one of all) #666.
Continuing on point which was:
I never set out with the intention to prove Brother Ken to be incorrect. I merely posted a study. I never said it would prove Brother Ken wrong and neither did I say I believed the study was correct. I simply said: Of course, there are other places to start, I just happened on that one in my first google. Remember, I emphasize, I specifically said that was a place to start. I never said it was a place to end and form a conclusion....and I definitelky never said, or even suggested, it would prove Brother Ken to be wrong. Again: That was never my intent. I have no desire to prove Brother Ken wrong and I could not even attempted to do so. Brother Ken MERELY stated his opinion. You said it made sense and I posted to you: I considered that sage advice. It was never meant to offend you, if it did I apologize.Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 11:25:41 Reply Private Reply
#27: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#24)
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 11:31:08 Reply Private Reply
#28: A K A Stone To: Gatlin (#26)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 11:31:28 Reply Private Reply
#29: A K A Stone To: Gatlin (#27)
Anyway this is a good topic. Do we have to obey the government according to Roman's chapter 13?
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 11:34:22 Reply Private Reply
#30: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#28)
You must excuse me, I am an old man with extremely bad eyesight.
Thanks for putting up with me
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 11:36:09 Reply Private Reply
#31: A K A Stone To: Gatlin (#30)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 11:41:17 Reply Private Reply
#32: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#29)
I think what you really want ot know is my understanding of Chapter 13. I can prepare a short [wink-wink] dissertation on that when I have time and get back to you. I promise to do so.
But as a prelude, I will give a teaser and say that I personally believe the intent of Chapter 13 was never to instruct people to become obedient slaves to the government. I find too many people foolishly get raised bristles and defensively believe that was the intent. If you have ever been around a sow with raised bristles, you can truly understand the danger in that.
So sayeth the son born unto an Evangelical preacher-man in an Assembly of God Church.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 11:54:26 Reply Private Reply
#33: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#29)
I only posted them to show both sides, as I always try to do .and not to prove Brother Ken wrong.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 12:02:25 Reply Private Reply
#34: Hondo68 To: Gatlin (#20)
I posted a video which apparently went over your head with nothing sinking in.
Yes, you quoted from the Bible. You also gave your Satanic interpretation. You worshiped LBJ, Jimmy Carter, both Bush's, Clinton, and Obama because.... Romans 13, you claim.
You're too stupid to understand the Bible. That's giving you the benefit of the doubt.
You probably need an exorcism.
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 12:06:15 Reply Private Reply
#35: Gatlin To: hondo68, A K A Stone (#18)
I use strong language in my posts from time to time in order to stress a point or ask a question and I condone that by everyone.
But to call me a neo-Nazi [Post #18] and refer to me as Satan [Post #7] are both malicious accusations by you that is way over the top and exceeds any bounds to human decency and civility.
It transcends all the barriers and bridges to effective dialogue and the reason I must place you on bozo quite often. I just tire of reading your incongruous and irrational crap.
Your post stands as a perfect symbol to reflect your troubled mentality and low moral character.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 12:35:48 Reply Private Reply
#36: A K A Stone To: Gatlin (#35)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 12:45:42 Reply Private Reply
#37: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#34)
If by not sinking in you mean that I did not agree with him....then you are absolutely correct.
That is all that I did....ALL. I asked you once before to show me where.I now ask you again to show me where....and add PLEASE to the request.
That is a maliciously false accusation and has absolutely no correlation with your associated reference to Romans 13, you claim.You are making no sense.
Sonny Boy, the son of an Evangelical preacher-man in an Assembly of God Church may be called stupid but it can never be said that he doesnt understand the Bible.That's giving you the benefit of the truth.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 12:59:45 Reply Private Reply
#38: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, those that are, are ordained of God, A K A Stone (#6)
ESV is a bad translation, crappy new wave spin of the Bible. Even the KJV is somewhat better in not saying "governing authorities" but adding some light spin. "Higher Powers" is NOT necessarily Jeff Sessions, or even President Trump. "ordained of God"? That's the question.
KJV - less spin, but it was approved by the King of England.
Romans 13 King James Version (KJV)
13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Romans 13 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
13 Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God.
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 13:05:18 Reply Private Reply
#39: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#38)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 13:21:09 Reply Private Reply
#40: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#38)
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 13:28:06 Reply Private Reply
#41: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, yukon approved, tater (#40)
Your ESV version is fake, approved by the Queen of the Yukon!
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 13:40:30 Reply Private Reply
#42: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#38)
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 13:41:58 Reply Private Reply
#43: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#41)
You of course can provide proof of your claim....right?
Then please do so NOW ...
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 13:45:47 Reply Private Reply
#44: Deckard To: Gatlin, hondo68 (#40)
Hmmm...
Deckard posted on 2018-03-04 13:49:35 Reply Private Reply
#45: Gatlin To: Deckard (#44)
I never said I was a practicing Christian....did I?
I know the song well .thanks for posting it.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 14:17:54 Reply Private Reply
#46: A K A Stone To: Gatlin (#45)
Did you give up your faith?
Do you no longer believe?
What does that even mean?
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 14:19:46 Reply Private Reply
#47: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#46)
It simply means that in my statement to Deckard, I merely pointed out to Deckard that he once again made another quick-fire assumption.
Nothing else was intended....and nothing else should be assumed. I simply shot-down his gross assumption.
Deckard had absolutely no basis from which to make the snide remark in his attempt to judge me by casting dispersions on my use of profanity.
If Deckard does not choose to use profanity, then that is fine with me. If however, Deckard sees something wrong with my using profanity and objects to it....they he should bozo me and butt out.
I will not discuss my religious beliefs on an open forum. I expect you to fully respect that.
Although, I will be pleased to continue the ongoing discussion on Romans 3:1-7 if you so desire.
You let me know .please.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 15:12:10 Reply Private Reply
#48: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, Jack Chick, Texas Militia (#45)
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 15:52:22 Reply Private Reply
#49: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#43)
Hows that going for you?
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 18:10:34 Reply Private Reply
#50: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#48)
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 18:15:45 Reply Private Reply
#51: Hondo68 To: Gatlin (#50)
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 19:57:14 Reply Private Reply
#52: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#29)
To see where this has happened, we need to look no further and consider Adolph Hitlers opprobrious regime. It produced massive destruction and merciless huge numbers of deaths. We can understand that was never an authority in Gods service and therefore it was not necessary to submit to the authorities. (Romans13:5).
Whenever a government or any authority is no longer a force for the good of people and established order, but does become a power of evil and death, then it is no longer a Christians duty to follow and obey their authority. (Acts 5:29).
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 21:22:42 Reply Private Reply
#53: A K A Stone To: Gatlin, deckard (#52)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 21:37:09 Reply Private Reply
#54: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, A K A Stone, Fred Mertz, buckeroo, Deckard (#42)
Thank you for admitting that you were Cherry Picking, and lying about the Bible.
Why are we supposed to misinterpret the Bible, and sin until the retard Gatlin figures it out?
You can if you want, but I'm NOT!
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 21:47:52 Reply Private Reply
#55: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#54)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 21:52:39 Reply Private Reply
#56: Gatlin To: A K A Stone (#53)
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 21:55:28 Reply Private Reply
#57: Gatlin To: hondo68, A K A Stone, Fred Mertz, buckeroo, Deckard (#54)
Ephesians 4:31 ESV
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 22:03:30 Reply Private Reply
#58: buckeroo To: Gatlin, A K A Stone (#56)
buckeroo posted on 2018-03-04 22:05:58 Reply Private Reply
#59: Hondo68 To: Gatlin (#56)
Some tough love was necessary to get you to pull your head out of your rear, even if only temporarily.
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 22:06:13 Reply Private Reply
#60: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#59)
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 22:13:18 Reply Private Reply
#61: Gatlin To: hondo68 (#59)
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-04 23:13:58 Reply Private Reply
#62: Hondo68 To: Gatlin (#61)
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-04 23:26:32 Reply Private Reply
#63: Fred Mertz To: hondo68 (#62)
Fred Mertz posted on 2018-03-04 23:30:43 Reply Private Reply
#64: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#62)
The Catholic sex abuse will Outlast us all. It never ends.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-catholic-church-pays-clergy-sex- abuse-victims/
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-04 23:42:26 Reply Private Reply
#65: Gatlin To: hondo68, Fred Mertz (#62)
This is a most interesting pronouncement you make here. However, the reason why you make this historical statement and how it relates to anything is a puzzlement.
It appears that among your other avenues of expertise, you are also now a self-declared authority on the subject of the Catholic Churchs survival for centuries. At least you seem to be proclaiming yourself to be as strongly evidenced by the posting of this meme.
With you being so highly knowledgeable on the matter of the Catholic Churchs survival since 33 AD, you can of course enlighten us lay people without professional or specialized knowledge on this particular subject....as to how the Catholic Church was able to survive the oppressive governments of Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
Begin first by showing how the catholic church survived Nazi Germany and explain the Vatican Concordat With Hitler's Reich: The Concordat of 1933. Feel free to start whenever you feel like it and take all the time you need. Should you have any trouble with this undertaking, perhaps your valiantly dedicated cheerleader, Good one hondopeFred can assist you.
Gatlin posted on 2018-03-05 07:43:47 Reply Private Reply
#66: buckeroo To: Gatlin, hondo68, Fred Mertz (#65)
He was referring to the Roman Empire or governments during the Christian Church Reconciliation.
As always, you are off on a tangent using your nearly 2000 year later facts as a method of subduing relevant discussion.
buckeroo posted on 2018-03-05 21:17:32 Reply Private Reply