Letter To Those Against Healthcare Reform

This was written to a healthcare opponent in an effort to explain the argument for reform. I found it to be moving and well written. Since I know both parties involved, I thought I should share it with those who read my blog.

These are not necessarily the views held by me, but......well, screw it! This is pretty much in line with my thinking. I do have several questions regarding details of the proposed plans but I refuse to let these healthcare companies and the Republican politicians who they have in their pockets scare me away with their propaganda.

Here is the piece:

How do we protect and respect the right to life if we let the sickest and most vulnerable (the poor) among us die or receive lesser care or put them (and middle class people as well) into more debt or into the emergency room in the middle of the night for non-emergency care?

Those of us who were privileged enough to grow up with food, shelter, safety and health care (long before we could "earn" it ourselves) should hesitate before we make sweeping statements about the constitutional rights - let alone the human rights - of others. Such rights should never be denied to those in need by those in a place of comfort. (Those of us who claim to follow Jesus should be ESPECIALLY hesitant to do so.)

Human rights aren't spelled out in the constitution, but our understanding of them has grown since a bunch of white propertied men decided that a slave wasn't a person (okay, maybe 3/5 of a person) and women did not have a right to vote.

The people who want to reform health care truly want to make sure it's accessible to all (who are you going to turn down?). Many have family members who can't get the tests they need because they have a serious pre-existing condition that makes them uninsurable. Think of that.

I guess I have a right to those tests and they don't? I don't think so.

Do old people have a right to be supported? it's not in the constitution, but we have Social Security, thank goodness - a government-run program about which ignorant Americans are saying, "Keep the government's hands off my Social Security!" (read Medicare, etc.)

If the government is so bad at doing things, let's get it out of the business of declaring war and supporting an obscene bloated arms industry. Where's the human rights in that? (and what would Jesus say?)

I bring up Jesus even though I believe in the separation of church and state, because so many people who are yelling against health care reform (which is indeed degenerating into health insurance reform) - and they are indeed yelling, in an ugly and cold-hearted way - claim to be Christians. My, my.

I know you're in a field where you want to help people have better mental health. I hope you are moved to such depths of compassion that you will seek the good of all of God's children, not just the ones who can afford the services available in our supposedly advanced country, but ALL of God's children.

And I hope you will want to share out of the great abundance in which you have always lived so that others will have what they need.

I hope the resources will be allocated so that those who need your services will be able to get them, and that you won't have to work for nothing. That wouldn't be fair.

I was very conservative at your age and have moved to the left as I've witnessed the kind of suffering I was shielded against as I grew up.

What's that thing that someone said - when you're young, if you're liberal, you need to grow your mind, but if you're conservative, you need to grow your heart. I wish conservatives - both young and old -had as much sympathy and compassion for sick children, adults, elderly, etc., as they do for zygotes.

By the way, as much as I am in awe of conception and birth, I'm appalled at the way right-wingers go immediately to the abortion question (demonizing everyone who doesn't agree with them, just as the opposite side demonizes them) in every conversation.

Finally, I wish all conservatives would have spent the first year of Obama's valiant effort to salvage our economy, our morals, our stature in the world, and our integrity (not to mention our safety) by cooperating with these efforts.

Conservatives LOVE to talk about patriotism, for example, in a sentimental or militaristic way. How about getting down to basics, and considering taxes an exercise in responsible citizenship? Greed has grasped the Republicans, and they (my former party) stir up irrational opposition to things like health care reform - because they're in the pockets of the insurance industry, which is spending a million dollars a day to disrupt our national discourse.

Should we trust the party that took us into an immoral, unnecessary, poorly executed (to the point of criminality), and expensive war? I don't think so. I wish we could have a bipartisan, cooperative effort here. But I don't think the party of Gingrich/Palin (shame on them) will let that happen.

Just a few thoughts from one who is sick and tired of this debate.

For the record, I am not keen on diminishing our arms. I would like to have them just in case (hands and fingers too for that matter). Even though we are the only country to actually drop a nuclear bomb...

Healthcare

I have a feeling it was "meant to be" that I write this post. I was thinking the other day about writing something in regards to universal healthcare. Then I read my cousin's note on facebook that ignited a rather heated debate with an extremely conservative, priestly colleague of his. My cousin, sister and I joined in this "conversation" regarding universal healthcare or socialized healthcare as this priest in training put it.

My original intention was to write about my observations and thoughts regarding a student of mine who has been out of school for a bit due to her sibling's recent health issue that is identical to what I have been through with my daughter. While I don't want to get into their private matters in a public post like this, I am certain they don't have the same insurance that I am lucky enough to have. But for the sake of discussion, let us just say that there are families in their position who are not insured because we know there are. So here I go in a stream of consciousness style of writing because I have very little substance to share.

How do families liek the one I spoke of above pay for the care they need? I recall being in that very same position in terms of health and all the emotions and thoughts running through my head WITH insurance. No matter how scared I was, I knew my daughter would receive care and I could afford my portion. Despite that I was stressed out and almost in a panic. This poor family. These poor families that must experience that, or worse, and not know where the money is going to come from.

I am speaking from ignorance, but do they even receive the same service? Do they get shortchanged because the doctors and nurses know they can't pay for it? Is this ethical or common? Is this where medicare or medicaid come in?

I realize this post isn't giving answers or opinions as much as asking questions. This is where I am with this right now. I feel horrible for this family and others families like them. Thinking about this makes me think we need to find some way to create viable healthcare for all. But I have no idea where to begin.

There is still part of me that gets frustrated when my tax money meant to help people like these in situations like these gets abused by these people. Or gets abused by the government in charge of passing it out appropriately. So I don't know exactly where I stand. I get tired of standing behind people in line at the corner grocery store across from my school watching them use food stamps ad then using cash to buy 40 ounce malt liquor and cigarettes. Or the food they buy is doughnuts and chips and other junk food. I am not speaking in stereotypes, this is what I see frequently. Am I wrong to judge like this?

Boy oh boy, just looking back on my experience in the healthcare system makes me count my blessings for how lucky I am.