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Healthcare and Tyranny
It’s ironic that a little more than 235 years ago our forefathers waged a war for the right to make the decisions that would affect them. They fought for the right reasons because who better could know what the type and extent of the problems they faced were than the ones who had to live with them. Although I recognize it is hollywood and dramatic at the very least, I feel this holds a truth to it, so I borrow a quote from the movie The Patriot: “Would you tell me please, Mr. Howard...why should I trade one tyrant 3,000 miles away for 3,000 tyrants one mile away?” I do not seek to say that our leaders today (The Supreme Court, Congress and the White House) are tyrants comparable to the ones the country faced during the Revolutionary War, but I am saying that there is an underlying issue here that goes beyond anything reported on by the media. Who are any of these leaders in our government to proclaim that they know what is best for America anymore than we do? Our healthcare, the right for all of us to receive readily available medical attention whatever the cost, was in the hands of nine justices who themselves get government care very similar to what is being proposed now.
Many have shouted and become outraged over the Affordable Care Act throughout the last two years since it has been passed. Prior to it’s signing into law in 2010 many more voiced their concerns and opinions on the law. There has never really been anything as pressing of an issue during our time, at least not domestically, as our debt and deficit. Currently, and this is not new to the Obama Administration, we are spending more than we are taking in. Most of our tax dollars goes to the Defense, Healthcare, and Social Security. From there it breaks down into other areas but these are the biggest. The Obama administration chose in 2008 when they first set up shop to tackle one of the three as it’s signature issue: Healthcare. By extension taking on healthcare would also in a way take on the deficit and the debt. The costs of healthcare are going out of control and I doubt any party can argue otherwise. It costs $80.00 for two aspirin, and $100,000 dollars for a two week stay in the hospital. That is outrageous. So too is the lack of coverage and care we as consumers get even though we pay so much. Before the Affordable Care Act one could pay literally thousands upon thousands of dollars into insurance programs and preventative measures and still at the end of the day whether or not you were covered and the manner in which the services could be provided were up in the air. This law seeks to stop that.
We’ve all heard the talking points. Nobody can be denied because of a pre-existing condition. Young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance until they are 26 years of age. Prescription costs for seniors will be lowered. Insurance Companies can no longer drop you from coverage or refuse to provide service without being held accountable. Etc etc etc. One other point we’ve also heard was the Individual Mandate. If you do not get insurance, you must pay a penalty amounting to about 665.00 in the first year, and attached to the CPI for inflation thereafter or about 2%. This mandate was the center of the constitutionality challenge that the Supreme Court ruled on. On June 28th 2012 the Supreme Court decided that the Individual Mandate could stand as a tax and thereby the entire law would be upheld. The lesser known fact about the law and the mandate is this: You are not legally required under any provision in this law to pay that mandate to the Federal Government.
This all brings me back to my opening point: 235 years ago my ancestors fought for rights they considered inherent and unalienable. Today I fight for rights I consider inherent and unalienable. A tyrant then (The British Parliament) and a tyrant now (The Government) sought and respectively continues to seek jurisdiction to tell me what I can and cannot do and receive. I say no more. There is a lot in this law that is good, and some that is bad and must be removed and addressed. But it is the only step we have taken as a nation to get the rights we deserve. Times change, and the manner in which we seek to bring about freedom also changes. We fight a war today, not with guns and fists but with words. I implore you, read this law, learn the truth, recognize its many benefits and identify its downfalls. Take action from there and elect the type of people that will not distract and cover this issue but that will take steps to fix the issue. President Obama has a phrase he likes to use a lot: “They must rise to meet their obligations.” This country can no longer afford to deny it’s own obligations to the future generations. Our mounting debt is and should be a cause for concern. However just because we have such a high amount of debt does not mean that we should stop growing as a nation. In times of struggle we have a history of not quitting and punting the issue further down the road, we have a history of improvising and innovating to meet the challenge. That’ what we must do today and in the future.
Many have shouted and become outraged over the Affordable Care Act throughout the last two years since it has been passed. Prior to it’s signing into law in 2010 many more voiced their concerns and opinions on the law. There has never really been anything as pressing of an issue during our time, at least not domestically, as our debt and deficit. Currently, and this is not new to the Obama Administration, we are spending more than we are taking in. Most of our tax dollars goes to the Defense, Healthcare, and Social Security. From there it breaks down into other areas but these are the biggest. The Obama administration chose in 2008 when they first set up shop to tackle one of the three as it’s signature issue: Healthcare. By extension taking on healthcare would also in a way take on the deficit and the debt. The costs of healthcare are going out of control and I doubt any party can argue otherwise. It costs $80.00 for two aspirin, and $100,000 dollars for a two week stay in the hospital. That is outrageous. So too is the lack of coverage and care we as consumers get even though we pay so much. Before the Affordable Care Act one could pay literally thousands upon thousands of dollars into insurance programs and preventative measures and still at the end of the day whether or not you were covered and the manner in which the services could be provided were up in the air. This law seeks to stop that.
We’ve all heard the talking points. Nobody can be denied because of a pre-existing condition. Young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance until they are 26 years of age. Prescription costs for seniors will be lowered. Insurance Companies can no longer drop you from coverage or refuse to provide service without being held accountable. Etc etc etc. One other point we’ve also heard was the Individual Mandate. If you do not get insurance, you must pay a penalty amounting to about 665.00 in the first year, and attached to the CPI for inflation thereafter or about 2%. This mandate was the center of the constitutionality challenge that the Supreme Court ruled on. On June 28th 2012 the Supreme Court decided that the Individual Mandate could stand as a tax and thereby the entire law would be upheld. The lesser known fact about the law and the mandate is this: You are not legally required under any provision in this law to pay that mandate to the Federal Government.
This all brings me back to my opening point: 235 years ago my ancestors fought for rights they considered inherent and unalienable. Today I fight for rights I consider inherent and unalienable. A tyrant then (The British Parliament) and a tyrant now (The Government) sought and respectively continues to seek jurisdiction to tell me what I can and cannot do and receive. I say no more. There is a lot in this law that is good, and some that is bad and must be removed and addressed. But it is the only step we have taken as a nation to get the rights we deserve. Times change, and the manner in which we seek to bring about freedom also changes. We fight a war today, not with guns and fists but with words. I implore you, read this law, learn the truth, recognize its many benefits and identify its downfalls. Take action from there and elect the type of people that will not distract and cover this issue but that will take steps to fix the issue. President Obama has a phrase he likes to use a lot: “They must rise to meet their obligations.” This country can no longer afford to deny it’s own obligations to the future generations. Our mounting debt is and should be a cause for concern. However just because we have such a high amount of debt does not mean that we should stop growing as a nation. In times of struggle we have a history of not quitting and punting the issue further down the road, we have a history of improvising and innovating to meet the challenge. That’ what we must do today and in the future.
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