Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Health Care: A Right or a Privilege?

While listening to Neil Boortz the other day, he stated quite categorically that "Health care isn't a right, it's a privilege".

I don't know about you, but I was brought up to believe that an essential tenet of morality is that anyone who is sick or injured deserves medical treatment, no matter who they are and regardless of their ability to pay.

Indeed, when I worked in law enforcement it was considered cruel and unusual punishment to deny sick or injured arrestees and jail inmates medical care. Access to medical care most certainly is a right in this instance.

Providing health care to anyone who needs it is part of living in a civilized, humane society. It's not just for those who can afford comprehensive health care, Nor should it be limited to those whom the powers-that-be in this country consider as "worthy"; no one should have their character judged prior to being deemed eligible to see a doctor.

To deny someone health care because they are poor or, as Boortz would have it, lazy and don't want to work, is nothing less than repugnant in my book.. No one should have to work hard to earn the right to see a doctor when sick or injured.

Driving a car is a privilege. Getting medical assistance to maintain health and to live life free of pain and debility is not. It's a basic human right.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Boortz is an idiot radio personality. He could not win an election if he tried because he is so far right. He's not a libertarian. He's more of an objectivist. An objectivist is just a selfish bastard who only helps himself.

If "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are our goals as a society, then good health care is a right to achieve life.