Opponents
of universal health care shout down any attempt at a civil discussion
about reforming the health care system
in America. They accuse supporters of universal health care of being “closet
socialists” with a secret agenda to abolish the basic rights of
Americans. Just the thought of universal health care has morphed into
an alarming threat to our Bill of Rights, and especially to gun ownership;
so soldiers of the Second Amendment roar into town on their hogs packin’ heat,
just in case the town meeting veers away from socialism, gun control,
and government paid abortions.
To these extremists, any proposed program with government participation
is a pact with the devil. Universal health care supporters are ridiculed
as "evil" and "un-American,” unworthy of participating
in the American dream. Assuming they believe this sincerely, then it
stands to reason that these extremists must endorse the opposite: Health
care is not a basic right for Americans. It is simply another product
available on the free market. “Let the free market prevail.” The
fittest shall survive. This is "good," the "all-American” approach,
and the only way to preserve sacred American values and keep “Big
Brother” out of Americans’ lives.
These fanatics charge the dozens of nations around the world who offer
universal health care restrain humans freedoms by reducing individual
choice. Therefore, these nations must be part of an “axis-of-evil” that
threatens the very nucleus of American values. These libertarian views
appeal to Second Amendment militia. Perhaps they will form their own
private company that the government can hire to invade new “axis-of-evil,” nations
that practice some form of single payer, government supervised national
health care plan. At least their rhetoric seems to encourage this hard-core
stand against “socialists” from far-away-lands. Apparently,
the radicals of the right are convinced that “socialists” at
home and abroad are infiltrating the air waves and hob-knobbing with
liberal members of Congress to push them toward universal health care.
Beware, Canada! Touché, France! On Guard, Great Britain! And as
for you Cubans . . . .
In fact, these extremists do not represent “the better angels of
our nature.” Most Americans want a calm, respectful discussion
of our nation’s core values. And ultimately, the debate about essence
of the American spirit will continue long past this generation or the
next. Tens of millions of Americans support pro-life or anti-abortion
positions based on what they consider a core value. Tens of millions
also declare their position on gun ownership as a basic core value.
And in spite of the raucous opposition to universal health care, tens
of millions of Americans have concluded that universal health care is
a core value. These supporters interpret history as a story of progress.
And as citizens of the most economically developed nation in history,
most Americans have decided that we bear a moral responsibility to extend
basic health care to everyone.
Disease and illness is an insidious enemy that never relents, an enemy
that can dishearten an entire nation. And Americans are a better people
than the belligerent opponents of universal health care take us for.
We exhibit our “better angel” every time we pour money, medicine,
and supplies into helping foreign nations in their troubled times.
Now it is time to release this “better angel” at home to
guarantee universal health care as a basic right for all Americans. Anyone
still wavering on this issue might want to recall one of the best known
core value that has guided the Western world for two thousand years: “What
you do for the least of my people, you do for me.”
Tony Zurlo's Op-eds and reviews have appeared in many
newspapers and journals, including the Houston Chronicle, the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram, Democrats.US, Online Journal, Dissident Voice, Peace Corps
Writers, and Writers Against the War. He has published books on Vietnam,
China, Hong Kong, Japan, Japanese Americans, West Africa, Algeria, Syria,
and the United States Congress.
