In the last few weeks, former President Clinton, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and former Senator Bob Dole were each admitted to the hospital for treatable (and relatively minor in the grand scheme of things) problems. As former elected officials, they have the best of the best insurance and I'm sure they didn't even blink about whether or not they should seek treatment. 43 million people in our country could not have gone to the doctor for those ailments because they have no insurance. Millions more would have worried what the trip to the hospital would do to their insurance and would have skipped it.
It is reprehensible that we treat quality health care as a privilege and not as a right. If you ask me, and since you're reading Little Merry Sunshine, I'm assuming you are, I believe it falls under that pesky "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" thing we pride ourselves on, but that's just my opinion.
A blogger buddy of mine told me a story yesterday about her sister's sister-in-law who was just diagnosed with a very advanced stage of cancer. They could have caught it sooner, but she and her family didn't have insurance, and when she felt something wrong, she didn't say anything. At this point, they don't think there's anything that can be done for her because the cancer is too advanced. As a result, her young children will probably lose their mother way too soon. Oh, for the record, her husband works in construction. They just couldn't afford insurance.
Demand that our elected officials do the right thing. We not only need health care reform and lower rates, but it simply time provide universal health care for all.
Enjoy Keith.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Video and title from The Political Carnival.
