Equal Rights Now!!!

Rationing

One of the big talking points opponents of health care reform bring up is the fear of rationing. They claim health care rationing exists in Britain's and Canada's health care system. A British doctor speaks out:

Among the inflammatory charges, Sen. Edward Kennedy wouldn't have received state-of-the-art care for his brain tumor in a place like Great Britain because health overseers would have found extending the life of the 77-year-old unworthy of the expense.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that's the most ludicrous thing that I've heard," Ara Darzi, a surgeon and former minister of health, tells Steve Inskeep on Tuesday's Morning Edition. It's an example, Darzi says, of the "lies that have been used to set fear against reform."
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"Americans fear that countries such as Britain and Canada ration care -- and that such rationing could and should never be tolerated in the United States," the Post editorial says. "Yet 47 million uninsured is quite an extreme form of rationing. So at this moment, the burden of proof falls upon those who oppose change -- for they stand in defense of fear.

All the Rage

Our founders were not godlike men. They had their faults like everybody. Most of the Southerners who signed the Declaration of Independence were heavily in debt. Thomas Jefferson eventually lost his beloved Monticello because of his debt. Benjamin Franklin was the 1770's Bill Clinton.

When the American Revolution was fought, we were in heavy debt. It was to the point that many other countries thought for sure the new country would totter over the brink and exist no more. France was our China back then. We borrowed mostly from them in the 1770's just as we borrow heavily from China today.

Our Founders had a great deal of courage. Throughout our country's history, we've met hardships before. There have been wars, recessions, depressions, natural disasters, and other obstacles to struggle through.

And even as our country struggled through this, we still welcomed our doors to the poor wretched huddled masses yearning to be free. Today, we tend to try to slam the doors.

Are we to be frightened of helping our neighbors? In the video, Ms. Abram states their insurance deductible if $5,000. Her family is lucky to have any coverage at all. But like many Americans, their family is going to be struggling with mounting debt as her son goes through his surgeries. Health care reform is to help her and yet she fears it because of the bugaboo word socialism.

Her and so many others should be directing their rage at the real culprits in this mess: The insurance companies.

Health care reform is needed and badly. Premiums have gone up and along side those premium increases, deductibles have gone up as have co-pays. People are being dropped from insurance as soon as they become sick.

Insurance reform is not just needed in health care. It is also needed in property insurance. I'm hoping Congressman Gene Taylor supports health care reform. By doing so, he can garner interest in the insurance reforms he has been proposing since Hurricane Katrina.

We need debate on this issue not blind rage. Screaming at your Congressman and throwing a temper tantrum doesn't alleviate the problem.