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10th September 2009

The moral imperative of health care reform

Posted by Jackie on September 10, 2009
posted in National issues |

I recently got into a battle over semantics with a Republican friend who questioned my use of the word “right” to describe health care for all (which is also how I feel about public education by the way). Anyway, this friend corrected my word choice, preferring the words “moral imperative,” which I allowed. During President Obama’s speech on health care last night, he referenced this letter from Senator Ted Kennedy that he received after the senator’s death. You can follow the link to read Kennedy’s entire letter, but here’s one paragraph that resonates for me (my bold): “And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.”

Maybe it is a core philosophical difference–the notion that everyone is entitled to quality health care–or maybe it is more about the details of how to make it happen without crippling our economy. But as we go forward to solve this complex issue, the discussion must center around how to make it happen as a goal worthy of our nation rather than a debatable premise. Whether you call it a moral imperative or a right, quality health care must be available to all Americans or we are not fulfilling the dreams of our founders.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 12:04 pm and is filed under National issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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  1. 1 On September 11th, 2009, Cliff Krieger said:

    I have to agree with your friend.  It is important to distinguish between “rights” and “entitlements.”  it is also important to distinguish between what is desirable and what is morally required.

    In my mind, rights are against the Government.  We state “Rights” to show what it is we don’t want the Government, whichis our creature, messing with.  Thus the Bill of Rights and Free Speech and all that.  A Right defines something the Government could deprive us of, if we let it.  Thus the big issue about NSA tapping into phone conversations that originate overseas, but have one end in the US.  Is the Government illegally, unconstitutionally, taking away our rigth to privacy.

    Unless it is about pollution or illegal drug tests, the Government doesn’t take away anyone’s health.  Nature does that and there is no one to sue in “nature.”

    Entitlements are what we provide to all our citizens, either in toto or for a segment.  Often this is done because we see it as a moral principle or we see it as an economic advantage.  For example, providing housing to the homeless reduces the medical costs of threating them and thus there is a net savings to the taxpayer and a sense of moral good for the rest of us.

    Rights have a limit.  You don’t pass a law messing with my right to blog and then that is it.  Health care is without limit.  It is an entitlement.

    These are important distinctions.

    On the other hand, if there is a “Right” to healthcare, then perhaps the Government can be sued for any action that would get in the way of me obtaining health care.

    Humbly  —  Cliff

  2. 2 On September 14th, 2009, Jackie said:

    Cliff, of course you agree with my friend. I am referring to you and our conversation at the Move Lowell Forward event a few weeks ago! Yes, there are important distinctions between a right and an entitlement, but I guess when I consider someone lying in the street bleeding–medical care for that person is a human right as well as the right thing to do. As you mention, the moral principle and the economic advantage often do work together. (Imagine all those people receiving health care via emergency room and the unnecessary costs involved.)We all lose when we do not extend basic human rights to our neighbors because these people are part of our communities.

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