Login | Site Map | Archives | Electronic Edition | Mobile Edition | Alerts | RSS | Contact Us | Submit News & Photos | Subscriber Services

Home2008 ElectionsOpinions

Calling for healthcare for all Americans

STORY TOOLS

People in the U.S. have a choice in the election in November. We can continue the injustice with a $93 billion profit-driven, private-insurance healthcare system that leaves many millions to languish without care and many millions more to face the frustrations of systemic delays in care delivery, service diminishment and denials of promised benefits. We need to build a healthcare system that provides necessary care to everyone.

The belief in healthcare for all is deeply embedded in American conscience and culture. Across America, local communities regularly hold fund-raising events for children and adults without health insurance who are faced with expensive medical needs. This belief in health care as a human right requires us to remove the private health insurance companies from the system and institute single-payer, national healthcare for all Americans.

In times of crisis, the American people have joined social movements to demand justice and government action. The progressive movement in the early 20th century resulted in stronger regulations on medicines, medical education and healthcare delivery systems. During the Depression, the labor movement won the Social Security Act with the expansion of disability and health care benefits for employees. The Civil Rights movement and the war on poverty led to Medicare and Medicaid. It is time for the American people to collectively stand on the belief that healthcare is a basic human right, the healthcare system can be changed to provide necessary benefits for all.

Michael C. Deanhardt, Anderson

Comments

There are 3 responses to this article.

Comments are meant to offer our readers a forum for thoughtful, robust debate about local issues.

Comments are moderated, but you may find the content of the conversations offensive, objectionable or factually disputable.

Click here for our user-contributions policy.

Comments

IndependentMail.com does not necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post or respond to every suggestion for a comment to be removed.

Before you post, consider this:

  1. Keep it clean. Comments containing obscene, profane, vulgar, lewd or sexually-oriented language -- including creative spelling and typographical representations of foul language -- will be removed.
  2. Be truthful. Don't lie or spread rumors about anyone or anything. Stick to discussing what is factually known.
  3. Be nice. Don't threaten anyone, and do not post any comments that involve racism, sexism or any other sort of -ism that degrades another person. Hateful or offensive comments will not be tolerated.
  4. Police yourselves. Hit the "Suggest Removal" button to alert us to objectionable comments. Do not respond to trolls or those who seek to harass another poster.
  5. Stay focused. Keep on the story's topic.
  6. Help us get it right. If you have information to add to the story or you find a factual error or misspelling send us an email or call the newsroom at 864-260-1274.

Please read our official user-contributions policy.

Mr. Deanhardt.....you say....remove the private health insurance companies from the system and institute single-payer, national healthcare for all Americans.
Although this may sound like a good solution, I really do not want to see America turned into a government of socialism. There could be adjustments made in the insurance industry without being government run. America should help provide medical coverage for our elderly and young children. Before handing out social checks (welfare) I say lets do a drug test. If you fail the first one, you loose half your check...if you fail the second drug test...your benefits stop and any children you have become wards of the state if you can't properly provide for them. Before the government pays housing expenses to those too lazy to work....do a drug test....if it is positive....checks stop and you are on your own, again with your children becoming wards of the state if you can't properly provide for them. If you receive food stamps...same thing...drug test and if it is positive...you get the picture. I am tired of paying for other people's laziness and I do not want to pay for other people's medical bills. I work hard to pay for my own insurance, but I would rather take care of my own affairs than depend on the government to do so.


The government already forces on the public, an expensive retirement system, that isn't adequate to do the job, an expensive education system that, in some cases, isn't adequate to do the job and now you want the government to provide healthcare. What makes anyone think the government will be able to get this one right? If I had to predict the outcome, I'd say the government will force a system on us all that isn't adequate. A system that we will be able to supplement, but only after paying for the inadequate system that the government will provide.

Why we need another inadequate over-priced system that all of us are forced to pay for is beyond me.


Sounds like a page out of the communist manifesto to me.




Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)

Username:

Password:
(Forgotten your password?)

Comment:

  Want the editors to know how you feel? Click here to say it privately.

Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.