“If they overdose and kill themselves, it just removes them from the gene pool." -Republican MO Rep

[usregimechange]

JEFFERSON CITY -- A Missouri senator who is a family physician succeeded Thursday in scuttling legislation that would have authorized a government database to track people's prescription drug purchases...

The result is that Missouri will remain one of just two states lacking the authorization for a prescription drug database. It's possible that lawmakers in New Hampshire, the other state without such a law, could pass such a measure this year.

The government databases are intended to stop “doctor shopping,” in which people get prescriptions from multiple physicians to feed their addictions or sell the medicines on the black market.

As he embarked on his filibuster, Schaaf turned to state Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, for help in talking about the bill. Lager obliged for a while but asked Schaaf how the prescription database infringed on liberties any more than a proposal that would allow police to pull over motorists for not wearing seatbelts. Schaaf, a supporter of stricter seat belt laws, responded that people injured because they fail to wear seatbelts infringe on others' liberties. Sometimes, their medical bills are covered by the government's Medicaid health care program or the poor.

Schaaf appeared to dispute the notion that people who abuse prescription drugs similarly infringe on others' freedoms.

“If they overdose and kill themselves, it just removes them from the gene pool,” Schaaf said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/04/3592795/state-senator-from-st-joe-blocks.html#storylink=cpy


And that was what Obama was talking about when he mentioned Social Darwinism the other day.



http://www.senate.mo.gov/11info/Members/d34/bio.htm

Contact:
http://www.senate.mo.gov/webmail/mail_form.aspx
[e-mail]
Capitol Office:
201 W Capitol Ave., Rm. 331
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
[phone]
Toll-free: 855-663-3883

[usregimechange]

1. Guys, forward this to the media, this guy needs national attention.

[DevonRex]

7. Okay.

I'll do Chicago, Denver and Memphis.

[usregimechange]

10. I e-mail Colbert, Daily show, and Rachel Madow.

[DevonRex]

13. You're going big time.

I'm doing the major newspapers and the liberal weeklies that I can find like Westword.

[DevonRex]

15. Okay, I'll add The Talk and Ellen. nt

[usregimechange]

20. Perfect!

[DevonRex]

21. I figured some daytime coverage couldn't hurt.

And that other show is the pits. So, we have late night, some daytime and some newspapers. We can regroup tomorrow evening and see what we can do from there.

[Historic NY]

2. He is protecting the drug prescription mills his Dr buddies operate....

people like them cause much misery. I don't see how they can get around the Controlled Substances Act.

[usregimechange]

3. Still can't believe he told a report that, or even said it outloud.

[RZM]

4. I'll bet he got that line from the movie 'Traffic'

For those who haven't seen it, Michael Douglas plays the US Drug Czar. In one scene he meets with his counterpart in the Mexican government and asks him about his policy regarding treatment. The Mexican official basically says the same same thing that this state senator did.

Later in the film we find out this same Mexican official is actually in bed with one of the cartels and is using his position to go after its rivals.

Sadly that type of official corruption is still going on today in Mexico.

[Archae]

5. This "government database" is a farce.

It doesn't do a damn thing to stop prescription drug abuse, and a good friend of mine was on one of them, seems someone stole his identity and got multiple oxy prescriptions.

Took weeks to clear up the mess, and my friend was in agony because of that damn database.
He could only get samples from the doctor to treat his multiple fractures. (Car accident)

[DeSwiss]

9. Just what we need.....

...another ''government database.''

- Yeah, that'll solve all our problems......

[usregimechange]

11. I agree, but this was about what he said not the position he took, one is reasonable and the other..

should result in his immediate resignation.

[DeSwiss]

14. I disagree.

I think government database expansion into our lives is a much, much greater threat.

Jerks like this prick are a dime a dozen. They come and they go.

However, once obtained, governments never give up power willingly.

We argue and fuss and hack away at the branches and cut them down as we can.

Until another one pops up in its place.

Meanwhile, the root of the evil remains untouched and ignored.

Until the next jackass says some more jackassery -- and then here we go again.

- Meanwhile the databases grow.........

[usregimechange]

19. Sounds like we agree but I would guess both of us haven't read the bill yet either

[dixiegrrrrl]

32. Nice graphic.

Chris Hedges says the same thing, btw.

[Archae]

17. Exactly.

This database does zilch to stop any of the doctor shopping, and does nothing to actually help the addict.

At most the addict ends up in jail.

[spanone]

6. per his bio...' Senator Schaaf is also a devout Christian'...bwahahahahahaaaa

http://www.senate.mo.gov/12info/Members/D34/bio.htm

[razorman]

8. Even if this got widespread coverage, I am not sure it would damage him.

It would not surprise me if most Americans (or others) more or less agreed with him. As Tommy Lee Jones said in 'Men In Black', "A person is smart. People are stupid."

[usregimechange]

12. I think it would, that district is purple.

[gratuitous]

16. Simple solution: Make the doctor who wrote the scrip an accessory to murder

Someone overdoses due to doctor shopping, the last doctor in line goes on trial as an accessory to murder. If the doctor didn't do a thorough check on the patient, off to jail for five to seven, and loss of license.

Think that might tighten up a few practices?

[Fumesucker]

23. I think it will make people in intractable pain have to jump through even more hoops..

Untreated pain is a major problem in this country, as big a problem as drug overdoses..

It's very difficult to do something about one of those two problems without negatively effecting the other..

[LeftyMom]

25. THANK YOU.

A friend couldn't get adequate pain control for her TERMINAL CANCER because she might overdose or become addicted. What sort of heartless person does that to somebody with maybe a few months to live?

Junkies find a way. Restrictions just destroy the lives of honest people.

[snpsmom]

31. It is illegal

to withhold pain medication from terminal patients. It is also not standard practice, even if the dosage needed to control the pain might be lethal. The family should be pursuing that doctor to make sure no other patients have to endure what your friend endured.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

[RegieRocker]

18. Although this statement is completely wrong and inhumane

We do not need more government intrusion in our lives. There should only be a database for Doctors and Hospitals. Not the government. They should not be allowed this information. Only by court order.

[patrice]

22. Someone tell me what is conserve -ative about throwing people and other

behavioral possibilities away?

Assuming there is nothing in any of those whom Schaaf would not help, nothing in helping them, that would be of any salutary effect upon anyone or anything else, throwing value away is not conservative. Not only may you/we need it, not only do you/we lose what could contain the seeds of new and nourishing beauties, our own potentialities for fuller being are limited by disposing of others.

[Marrah_G]

24. There is already a database that track prescription drugs, but it's a private company

There is also one that tracks medical history.

Insurance companies use them.

[Tsiyu]

26. And then Missouri became the most populous state in the nation n/t

[tammywammy]

27. I don't want a government database tracking my prescriptions n/t

[brentspeak]

28. Reader comment summed it up well:

Thanks Dr. Schaaf "If they overdose and kill themselves, it just removes them from the gene pool" is my favorite part of the hippocratic oath.

[usregimechange]

34. +1

[DevonRex]

29. The point of this was the horrible statement and drawing attention to it, not

the value of these databases. I, for one, use pain medication regularly. I have chronic severe pain from several conditions. I can't even begin to describe the worst pain I experience on occasion. I don't particularly like the databases.

But what this guy said smacks of eugenics, which isn't that far fetched, considering it came from a right winger. People like this must not be re-elected. That is why usregimechange posted this thread and that is why I support him in his effort. There are probably a lot of medical conditions people like this Senator would rather not treat and thus remove from from the gene pool if he had his way.

[bluestateguy]

30. He said something stupid, but the proposed law is Big Government bullshit

I do not feel I should have to give my name and address whenever I buy cold medicine. Then the next time a meth lab is busted the local police have a nice list of everybody who bought cold medicine in the neighborhood. Lovely.

Several years ago one store asked for my name and phone number when I was buying razor blades. I slammed them down on the counter and never came back to that store again.

[Bake]

33. So what can be done to remove Teabaggers from the gene pool?

Because that would be a good thing ...

Bake