From my son's fifth grade democracy field trip where we learned that "pursuit of Happiness" allowed you to ignore the rule of law to Thom Hartmann's idea that "Life" equates to socialized medicine we have it exactly wrong. Fortunately I was able to have a reasonable heart to heart with my son and explain how the pursuit of Happiness works, but there were probably 4 or 5 folks listening Thom that may have bought into his views.
If we start with the point made in the Declaration that Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are inalienable rights. These are rights that the government neither grant nor take away. But wait, it gets better. The Declaration of Independence was a letter to King George letting him know that his approach for ruling the colonies wasn't acceptable. As you scan through the Declaration there are a number of complaints and concerns raised but not once in the document does Thomas Jefferson assert or complain that the right of health care is not being provided.
There may be valid reasons that we should look at revising the health care delivery system in the United States but the word Life in the Declaration of Independence isn't one of them.
2 comments:
Hey now, Barack says he'll make us happy. I have that right. Barack says so. Get with the times!
We likely agree that the health care system needs help, and we also agree that health care is not a right.
Rights are things within us that are protected from the government removing, not external things that must be provided by the government. Furthermore, if the government provides it, it will require financing...which comes from tax-payers...which I would consider an infringement of my right to pursue happiness (the happiness of getting to keep my money).
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