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Many years ago, before I kept up with current affairs; before I had any political opinions; before I embraced the ideology by which I live my life; I knew that there are some basic privileges, rights, and responsibilities to which all American citizens are permitted. I believed that all American citizens are entitled to live in a free society of which they can voice their beliefs, ideas, and opinions; practice any law abiding religion; and protect their families and property without fear of government repercussions. I believed all American citizens are equal and as such, are guaranteed uniformed protection; public education; opportunities to pursue a successful life; and to endow the benefits of their labor regardless of race, gender, culture, religion, or income. Furthermore, I believed that all American citizens are responsible and accountable for their actions, successes, failures, and lives. I also believed in the fundamental rights to which all humans should be entitled. I believed that all humans should have access and capability to meet their basic physical needs (food, water, shelter, and clothing). I believed that all people are entitled to keep their children in a safe and warm environment; have the ability to cook and refrigerate food; and have the right to receive care when they are sick or physically harmed. Though I’ve altered some of my political opinions over the years, I still embrace these basic humanitarian beliefs.
While I believe that the United States of America most likely, secures these humanitarian rights to its citizens better than any country in the world, many Americans still lack the fundamental provisions that are needed to merely survive. No, I’m not talking about the irresponsible people who choose not to work for a living. I’m not referring to people who do nothing to contribute to society or to their own survival—people who clothe themselves with expectancy attitudes while they sit back and suckles off of America’s social bosom. After all, most of these people knows the ends and outs of the social programs and as a result, they are cared for well. I’m talking about law abiding citizens who work one or more low skill—low paying jobs and citizens who have middle range incomes. I’m talking about people who are faced with incredible circumstances and still have chosen to use his/her skills, talents, level of education, and intelligence to the best of his or her ability. I’m talking about people who have too much pride to ask for a handout even though they sometimes have to choose between eating and paying the rent. I’m talking about working class Americans. These people are the first to feel the impact of a recession and they are the last to recover from it. They are the first to go hungry and the last to be fed. They are the first to become ill and last to receive adequate treatment.
Although millions of Americans are faced with health care and pharmaceutical crises each day, some extreme conservatives believe that health care insurances, medical practitioners, and pharmaceutical companies offer the best feasible care to most Americans. They believe that health care should remain in its current state. They insist that medical and pharmaceutical companies should be free of or have minimum governmental regulations (under the disguise of capitalism); leaving millions of Americans uninsured and without hope of receiving adequate care. On the other side of the isle, the extreme liberals believe that government should meet and pay for all of the people’s medical and pharmaceutical expenses (funded by American tax dollars); leaving working Americans with a lower net income which creates lower discretionary income and in turn, causes a reduction in market spending; minimum or poor health care due to decrease in incentives for medical practitioners; and longer lines to receive medical care because there aren’t enough doctors and nurses to meet the needs of the public (supply and demand). While the leftists call it “pubic-option”, the rightist say public-option is just a synonym of socialized medicine. And while both sides clumsily attempt to perform brain transplants by changing their opponents’ political ideology; while both sides suppress criticism or evaluation by demonizing with whom they disagree by accusing the challenger of being raciest, another Hitler, “tea-bagger”, Anti-Christ, or of “living in a cracker society”; while they use scare tactics and intimidation methods to stifle American’s opinions; and while they discourage fair debate through media manipulation; the voices of the rational Blue Dogs, Independents, Centrists, Libertarians, and moderate Republicans are pitched against a impaired ear.
Health care reform doesn’t need a brain transplant. That is, we don’t need a piece of legislation that is representative of a particular ideology. Health care reform needs a heart transplant! We need legislation that is representative of the needs and desires of the people! As an opinionated American, I’m voicing what I believe health care reform should include. I believe that health care reform needs to be based on capitalism because capitalism motivates growth. At the same time, it needs to be strictly regulated because power corrupts. The health care reform should allow health insurance companies to compete in a competitive market and encourage lucrative success all while it ensures protection to the policy holder. In other words, the policy holder cannot be dropped because he or she becomes ill. The legislations should make it illegal to deny anyone based on preexisting conditions. It needs to allow these businesses to engage in out-of-state commerce because competition inspires a free market and it helps maintain low prices. The bill needs to have a ceiling on all health care insurance, medical practitioners, and pharmaceutical prices and it needs to be affordable to most Americans. Just as Medicare is available to senior citizens, “public-option” should only be available to the working poverty and the working people whose income is on the low side of the middle-class scale. In addition, the program should only be available to those whose household annual discretionary income is lower than the average annual estimate of health care insurance. Public-option should be treated as a supplemental program for low income and the low side of middle-class workers and their children—similar to FADC (Federal Aid for Dependent Children) except the program is intended to meet the health needs of people whose income can’t afford any health insurance due to maintaining a substantially low incomes comparable to the cost of living in their area. Everyone who opts for public-option will have to buy into the program (based on their household income) just as they would if they purchased a health care policy on the free market. The program shouldn’t be available to any cooperation, small business, or individuals whose income is greater than the minimum requirement of the public-option eligibility. Also, pharmaceutical concerns need to be addressed in the health care reform bill. For example, co pays need to be affordable to most Americans and all medicines or a generic form thereof, needs to be covered in the policy. After all, if a doctor prescribes certain medicines, why shouldn’t it be available? Finally, the bill needs to make it illegal for any medical practitioners to deny care to anyone due to concerns regarding an insurance provider.
America, it’s time to put an end to all of this nonsense. Let’s put an end to political strategies that only benefit the politicians and media elite. Let’s demand respect from our government officials by making them listen to our concerns, act on the behalf of the people, and carry out legislation that fosters the wants and needs of the community that he or she represents. Let us not become a so complainant that we give the government too much power. Remember; American citizens encompass the power. Through election, we give congress its power; and through election, we can remove it. Do not empower congress so much that the citizens for whom they are supposed to represent become insignificant. Insist that our representatives truly represent us; else rid them of their duties in the following election. We need health care legislation to embrace the best concepts regardless of whose party from which it came. Let’s put aside all political ideology and examine the real issues of health care reform. America, it’s time to stop making health care about policy and make it about the people. It’s time to put compassion, empathy, and common sense back into health care. America, let your views be know.
Sandie RH Hart
Beaumont, Texas
