Since the earthquake there, the American people have contributed at least one billion dollars worth of aid to Haiti. That is an amazing show of generosity to those with great and immediate needs. I think it’s wonderful when those who have, help those who are in dire need, and can see no way out of their misery.
But I see this fine show of generosity to be a strange and ugly contradiction in a people that apparently do not believe that their fellow Americans in similar circumstances deserve access to decent health care.
At least 45,000 Americans die every year, one every 12 minutes, because we as a people do not offer health care to every American who needs it. If those of you who dutifully sent your money away to Haiti would instead offer financial support to your fellow countrymen, these 45,000 Americans wouldn’t need to die alone, feeling like nobody cares about them.
Roughly 46.3 million people in the United States lacked coverage in 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau reported last week, up from 45.7 million in 2007. There are fewer places for the uninsured to get good care. Public hospitals and clinics are shuttering or scaling back across the country in cities like New Orleans, Detroit and others. Without proper care, uninsured Americans are more likely to die from complications associated with preventable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Do we offer health care to those who have recently lost a job or are too ill or disabled to work, as well as the rest of the world? You decide! The American people need to take back control over their own Congress, and change this embarrassing and despicable situation.
Shouldn’t we show the world we choose to offer proper health care and compassion to ourselves BEFORE we try to save everybody else?
“Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato
