Opinions to make you think or make you mad

By Jeff Orvis

These winter days when you don't feel like going outside, there's plenty of time to think. Admittedly, I often turn off the deep thought process with a TV show or a hot game of Bejeweled on the computer. But sometimes the thoughts return and are stored in my little brain until it's time to unload. You won't agree with everything you read below, but I hope there are enough pronouncements to make you stop and think.

I'm convinced that Facebook is a wonderful invention. Twenty years ago, if you had told me that there would come a time when I could reach over from my recliner, type a few characters on my computer and instantly be in contact with over 200 friends and family, I'd have been a bit skeptical.

One thing I've learned from gaining and communicating with folks on my friends list is that there is a wide array of beliefs, especially political beliefs. I have one good friend who is convinced that "Republicans are evil." I also have friends who routinely post that Obama is the "worst president ever." Full disclosure here, I registered as a Democrat when I transferred my voter registration to Benton County. But since several of the people on my friends list clearly lean to the right and I know these are otherwise good people, I would never call them "evil." On the other side, those who believe that Obama is the "worst president ever," have very short memories. They somehow have magically forgotten all about the guy that Obama replaced.

I can only hope that those who hate our current president don't have those feelings out of racial motivation. But I fear that at least some of them won't be comfortable until a Protestant male is back in the Oval Office. That thought comes from from the fact that many of these same people have already jumped on the bandwagon who think Hillary Clinton would be even worse than Obama. So maybe a few who hate our current president are also afraid that one day we will elect a female president.

Health care - The hot topic of the day is the government's attempt to insure that everyone has health coverage. The pitfalls and accompanying critics have been well documented.

I had a conversation with a friend who traveled throughout Europe several years ago. She said the residents of some of those countries couldn't believe we have the health care system we do. They receive government-sponsored health care and the people she spoke with were very satisfied.

The way we deliver health care in this country and the way we pay for it is out of control. Those that detest Obamacare have listened to the for-profit insurance companies far too long.

I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. I also believe that we need tighter control over malpractice awards. Young men and women who wish to enter the health care profession should be able to receive free education. Their income would ultimately be lower than it is now for many physicians, but they would no longer be liable for malpractice insurance or college loans.

Once again, when we  need to go to the hospital for appendicitis, we aren't shopping for a new car. Health care is a right, not a privilege or luxury.

On to lighter topics - We are right in the middle of the basketball season. Every night, we have a choice of several college or pro games on the tube. Many of these players are covered with tattoos. I've noticed that when some players have great games, they are interviewed right after the game. Has anyone noticed that those players with few or no tattoos are often more articulate than their heavily-inked teammates?

In a few weeks, the NCAA tourney will begin. During the early rounds, we will have a chance to watch teams such as Stanford, Northwestern and some of the Ivy League schools, schools with higher academic entrance standards. You won't see many tattoos on these players and most of them speak in literate, complete sentences. Coincidence? I don't think so.

One more sports thought - Most of us have at one time or another heard the phrase, "He's just a big dumb football player." From what I've observed over the years, nothing could be further from the truth. While I never played the game, I've been around plenty of high school players over the years and have seen and heard thousands of college and pro players perform and interviewed.

The game of football seems more complicated than ever before, especially on the college and pro level. There's plenty of pressure on college players to maintain an academic eligibility while honing their skills on the practice field and trying to have time for at least a little social life. The pro players have to study complicated playbooks and compete on a weekly basis for playing time or just for a spot on the active roster for the next game.

The biggest guys on the field are usually offensive linemen. They're the ones who the uneducated fan might think aren't too smart. In reality, they're often some of the smartest players on the field. They have a tough job, knowing who and how to block depending on the play. Some of the top offensive linemen went to schools like Stanford, Northwestern, etc. Some of them are the most articulate when being interviewed and and some even forego the temptation to plaster tattoos over their bodies. Coincidence? I wonder...