Health Care: Privilege or Right?
As the Supreme Court gets ready to rule on the Affordable Care Act, John Liming revisits the question which stands at the center of the health care debate.
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The Obama Administration seems to believe that affordable health care is a right that should be extended to all Americans regardless of their socio-economic status and the way I read it, many or perhaps even most of the Republicans, Conservatives and Far Righties think health care is a privilege that only those who have the financial means should be able to access.
Remember this if nothing else — It is President Obama who has fought for health care for everyone and it is his opponents who have, for the most part, fought against it. In my view, that should show everyone who cares and who may not care so much about what happens to us.
I tend to believe that if we are going to claim to be a “Christian Nation,” then we ought to be the kind of Nation that is united enough, caring enough, loving enough and giving enough to make sure that all our citizens have access to affordable health care — rich or poor — regardless of background or conviction — if we are going to be what we often say we are, then we need to step up to the plate and find a way for everyone who needs medical care to be able to get it without a lot of hassle or a lot of barriers.
Those “Opportunities” that some Americans often boast about having should include, among other things, the “Opportunity” to have the services of a physician when and if one is needed and for those who cannot afford to take advantage of the “Opportunity,” the rest of the country should use it’s vast store of resources to make some kind of provisions for such access. To me that is reasonable and fair — and the truly “Godly” thing to do.
I know what I am proposing would be expensive — very expensive — but America seems to have money to waste on all kinds of other things — I think it is time that America took better care of Americans in some of those areas that need a lot of attention such as affordable health care for everyone and not just those who happen to have a pot of gold stashed away somewhere.
Some troll who loves to haunt my blog will come on here and say something like, “Well that is all well and good until the money runs out and then what?”
To an idiot like that I would reply, “If The American People get their heads together, they are resourceful enough to create a situation where the money would never run out. America has faced greater challenges than that one and have come through with flying colors — every time.
Like someone suggested (The way I read it) in an article that was written in another blog — I do not understand how a nation as great as America can tolerate a situation where those who have the means to access health care (The 1%) can get away with constantly trying to crush access to affordable health care for the other 99% just for the sake of some lobbyists, special interest groups, greedy practitioners, some insurance companies and Big Pharma.
I mean doesn’t that “Pledge Of Allegiance” contain the words, “Liberty And Justice For All?” Does it say, “Liberty And Justice Only For Those Who Can Afford Them?”
America, as a nation, has vast resources at Her disposal. My question is “Doesn’t the Nation have some kind of responsibility as a Free and United People to use that vast store of resources for the good and benefit of the people who make up the nation? We send enough overseas in foreign aid often to countries who almost literally despise us, don’t we? How about keeping a little of that aid money here at home to help our own people when they need it? Is that being too unreasonable?
Of course Reichties love to complain and gripe and moan that whenever the government becomes involved in health care that some Liberty, Freedom or Right of theirs has been invaded or that The Constitution has been ignored or some such other Conservatist claptrap.
I do have to agree with them to some extent.
I have to agree that when government does nothing to get a program going to help people access affordable health care the right to a premature death for lack of care is sometimes assured —
I have to agree that when government does nothing to get involved in a program to help people obtain affordable health care the Right to pay sometimes unaffordable often seemingly exorbitant prices for needed medications is assured —
And let us not forget our “Right” to go bankrupt because of unaffordable exponentially high and ever-escalating medical bills. We need to protect the interests of all those Bankruptcy Lawyers, don’t we? Isn’t than an American obligation too?
In my view, these are all “Rights” that the Rightie-Tighties would love to see preserved for the 99% of Americans who cannot write big checks for their own health care needs.
So, the question remains as to whether affordable health care in America is a Privilege or a Right.
I guess it might be a “Moral” issue that could be addressed by the “Family Values, Religion and Morality Crowd” who are always and forever seemingly blowing the “America is a Christian Nation” horn.
But I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for some of these obstructionist intransigents to bend on the issue.
John Liming publishes The Liming Liberal Democrat.
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