And, as a liberal Democrat, I have to correct your assertion that “It’s Democrats who seek to cripple minorities by making them completely dependent on the government.” I assure you that we seek no such thing. We just want to provide a basic safety net for our fellow citizens. We want this out of a sense of morality and decency. It’s how we express our patriotism. And yes, if ever you were in need, we would want to help you.

Glad I stumbled upon your blog today. Talk to ya later.

I agree and disagree with your remarks about the “right” to Health Care. Here’s why.

Not everything can be “looked up” in the constitution to see if the founders considered it a “right” or not. There are strict constructionists in religion as well, and they have not served the people well by insisting that everything must agree with their word-for-word interpretation of the Bible. And since 9/11, when Cheney said to Bush “George, we’ve just hit the trifecta”, what do you think he meant by that? That soon became obvious with the passage of the Homeland Security Act, which virtually destroyed YOUR long-term Constitutional rights, deregulated every big business in the country, including the banks, wall street and mortgage lenders. How well did that work out?

Now we’re in the hole to the tune of over $70 trillion, and climbing rapidly, thanks to the needless mid-east wars and reckless tax cuts for the already filthy rich. yet, Universal Health Care will cost only 10% of the yearly price these wars. Rooting out and arresting the terrorists should have been a job for Interpol, the CIA, and every other police agency in the world – not our military. That’s like working on a watch with a sledgehammer. These wars are the work of War Profiteers and other cynical people who value the dollar more than human life.

Let’s look at one thing that IS in the Constitution and see how well it served the people without additional legislation. I refer to the part that says “all men are created equal”. How long did it take women and black people to get equal rights and at what cost?

The Constitution does not say that Social Security is a right either because it wasn’t even a glimmer in their minds in the late 17-hundreds. The founders had no idea that one day the people (you are also included) would be able to look forward to a fairly secure retirement, regardless of bad financial luck or poor planning for their retirement. Read Oliver Twist to see how bad things were for Widows, Orphans, and old people back then.

Right now, you see an “immortal” when you look in the mirror, or at least that’s how young folks feel. You won’t look so good or feel so good 50 years down the pike. If you doubt this, just talk with Grandma and Grandpa. Also, volunteer to work in a Nursing Home for a while. Pretend you’re doing research for a book on what old age brings, if that helps you volunteer.

If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he would be very likely to agree with the concepts behind Social Security, Medicare, the VA Hospital System and other government programs designed to make life bearable for veterans, the old and the sick. Why? Because he died virtually penniless. Don’t take my word for it – go visit Monticello and pay attention to the tour guide. He was a brilliant man, but he made some lousy business decisions.

I started out life as a right-winger, even voting for Barry Goldwater, and I didn’t like Kennedy and the Democrats! I scorned people who were on welfare or who were jobless. That picture changed when I discovered the real reason the two Kennedys were assassinated, and it’s kept changing even more with age and experience. There’s an old Pennsylvania Dutch saying that covers it: “Ve get too soon oldt und too late Schmart”.

To close, I DO agree that Universal Health Care is NOT in the Constitution, but I disagree that it isn’t a HUMAN RIGHT (put the bad on the Liberals who call it a “right” without the word “human” in front of it). As the old saying goes, “there are no atheists in foxholes” when the bombs and bullets fly. Just try to think of old age and sickness in that light. Keep up with your website, and keep on learning by thinking all the time. Let history be your constant companion! It takes courage to expose your personal opinions to public scrutiny!

Best wishes, Herb

/Erenesto343