John F. Kennedy remarked in his inaugural address that “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
Half a century later, the President’s words ring truer than ever as we look into the crisis of healthcare.
The primary objection of the most vocal concerning universal health care is that hardworking Americans should not be forced to pay for those who are not working and cannot pay for themselves. This seems all well and good when we’re talking about things like paying for your car or your college education. But does anyone realize how callous we sound when we use the same argument concerning healthcare? Imagine that you were stranded in a desert for several days.
You come to an oasis. Except, at this oasis, water costs $10 for a cup. Since you’re not able to pay for it, those working at the oasis refuse you water.
You are told that it is your own fault that you can’t pay, and as you die in front of their eyes from dehydration, they pat themselves on the back in the name of personalresponsibility.
This nation currently refuses to save the lives of its weakest citizens because we demand they pay for themselves with money they clearly don’t have.
As it stands now, our generation will likely not be remembered for much in the way of virtue.
When we were attacked on September 11th, we abandoned all value of liberty in the name of national security.
We tortured other people for information, abused prisoners of war in Abu Ghraib, removed a sovereign leader from power and had him promptly executed after a sham trial by a kangaroo court on ex post facto charges, and open the mail and tap the phones of our own citizens without warrants.
For all the bad we’ve done, the least we can do isspend our tax dollars to save the lives of those who cannot save themselves.