One Person's Perspective on Health and Politics

Today, health and politics are almost synonymous.  Some would say that it’s about time!  It’s hard to turn on a television broadcast about politics and not hear headlines about healthcare. 

However, talk is cheap, as they say.  It’s easy to sit around and talk about health insurance, but everyone knows that something needs to be done about the system. 

When there are millions upon millions of people who do not have healthcare in The Land of the Free, something is desperately wrong with that picture.  Clearly, that is why universal healthcare (also called socialized medicine) is a core issue in politics news today. 

Why is universal healthcare so important?  Think about it:  our government has been taxing us for centuries and spending some of the money on things that are supposed to benefit and enrich our country, to keep it running smoothly.  Tax dollars are used for infrastructure (such as maintaining city roads and interstates), lawmaking and regulation, employment assistance, and so on. 

Our system of government here in the United States has allowed us to be free and have many liberties and luxuries not found in other countries; even in what we call “tough economic times” here, we are still considered prosperous in comparison to many, many areas of the world. 

However, that raises the question: if we have such a prosperous society here, and we do so much to provide for ourselves, then why can’t our system take care of the most basic and crucial need that a citizen can have:  their health?  Good question! 

Anyone who believes that we should not be providing universal healthcare (especially to those who cannot afford it, even those who work every day but are not offered insurance benefits at work) needs to think again.  It’s time for us to come together and recognize how ridiculous it is not to take care of the health and well-being of our own citizens on the most fundamental level. 

Universal healthcare is working in other countries.  Although it’s not perfect (nothing is), it’s better than our current system.  Hopefully we will elect a president who can address this concern!