Healthcare Reform

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ron Hicks, from the Operational Support Hospital Unit, Great Lakes, Ill., examines a baby for possible illness in Santa Lucia, El Salvador.

Yes, healthcare reform is still the subject of the day, and will be for some time to come. I just finished writing to all of the so-called Blue Dog Democrats in the Senate. The letter I sent, less a few personal comments where I thought they fit, is shown below. I hope it speaks for itself.

Dear Senator  _________________

Now that the debate over health care reform is a fact in the Senate, I wanted to write and share some thoughts.

I understand that, not being one of your constituents, I shouldn’t expect an answer to my questions, but I hope you will give them some thought.

I keep trying to understand how conservative, and moderate politicians of which I assume you see yourself, can be opposed to the idea of delivering health care, and specifically a government financed program, to all the people living in this great country regardless of their station in life. I keep trying to find out why health care should be different than other services provided by our government to insure the health and safety of our residents.

We have the CDC that works to prevent epidemics and pandemics, as well as working to prevent injuries and death from numerous causes.

We have the FDA monitoring industries to insure that both the food we eat and the drugs we take, whether over-the-counter or prescription, are safe and affective.

We have the FAA working to make our aircraft and airports safe for travelers.

We have the NTSB charged with keeping our automobiles and highways, railroads, and marine traffic safe for everyone in the country.

Of course we have a military to protect us from foreign powers bent on doing us harm, and at the local level we have police, fire, and medical rescue operations for every person in the community regardless of their income level.

All of these services are deemed too important to our safety and wellbeing, as well as the stability and prosperity, to be place in the hands of private, for-profit enterprises that risk a conflict of interest between an obligation to their stockholders, executive bonuses, and their duty to protect and serve the citizens under their care.

All of the services mentioned above, and more, are government entities funded by tax dollars, and under the purview of the government at different levels.

I keep asking, and I ask again, why should the delivery of babies into this world, the treatment of diseases, and insuring the general good health of all our people be any different from the above, and shouldn’t the rationale the congress applied to the creation of those government agencies be the same with health care? We cannot have life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness living in a country where, if we fall ill, we are either denied care for lack of insurance, or forced into bankruptcy in order to survive.

Finally, can we stop labeling our government as evil? I would remind any of you who may have a tendency toward such rhetoric that you are part of that government. And like you, I’m convinced the vast majority of people working in our government are good people trying to do the very best job they can for the good of the entire country.

I hope and trust that you will see the coming debate in the light of history, humanity, and democracy at its best, which means among other things, the principles of social equality in all things, including access to health care.

Thank you for your time and attention.