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May. 10th, 2005 02:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicI've updated way more than I planned to today. But I just ran across something and I felt like commenting.
CNN online has little polls that change every few hours - kind of when the spirit moves them to ask another question, I guess. There was an article this morning that I didn't read about some illegal immigrants getting emergency medical care here in the US and I don't know what happened at all but the little poll says:
Should the US pay for emergency medical care for illegal immigrants? and then you could answer yes or no.
Here's my beef with that. Yes, I think they should. Well, first of all, I don't think medical care should be as expensive as it is, period. But I also believe that if you know what it takes to save a person's life, and you can do it, then you should, no matter the cost. The fact that these people are illegal aliens makes no difference. However, I don't think anyone should have to pay for health care. It's not fair to give it away to people who "can't" afford it and charge people who "can." I mean, I could afford health insurance, but then I wouldn't be able to afford other things, like having a house. So, can I afford health care? Eh...I'm not willing to make the sacrifices I'd have to in order to find the money. (I do intend to get health insurance as soon as I get a new job though). Do I feel like if I accepted free medical care that I'd be taking a handout from the government? NO! ALL PEOPLE DESERVE TO BE CARED FOR. But. What about smokers, for example? They bring about their own demise, then often can't afford to care for the problems they invited by smoking like lung cancer and respiratory disease. So do we exclude people who've made unhealthy decisions from free health care? Well, no, I don't think we should. It's too gray an area to start with. I mean, I got food poisoning once from Taco Bell. I knew the food was unhealthy, so should I be punished for eating it? (Well, I was). I think everyone makes "unhealthy" choices, so I guess we should all be treated as flawed but deserving human beings. Where the money for all this care comes from is a whole other story, but let's just say I believe the health care system needs a shitload of reform. (More reform than, say, Iraq). Just sayin'.
I welcome your thoughts but I'm not in the mood to debate so I may not respond. Maybe later. But feel free to chat amongst yourselves.
Peace.
CNN online has little polls that change every few hours - kind of when the spirit moves them to ask another question, I guess. There was an article this morning that I didn't read about some illegal immigrants getting emergency medical care here in the US and I don't know what happened at all but the little poll says:
Should the US pay for emergency medical care for illegal immigrants? and then you could answer yes or no.
Here's my beef with that. Yes, I think they should. Well, first of all, I don't think medical care should be as expensive as it is, period. But I also believe that if you know what it takes to save a person's life, and you can do it, then you should, no matter the cost. The fact that these people are illegal aliens makes no difference. However, I don't think anyone should have to pay for health care. It's not fair to give it away to people who "can't" afford it and charge people who "can." I mean, I could afford health insurance, but then I wouldn't be able to afford other things, like having a house. So, can I afford health care? Eh...I'm not willing to make the sacrifices I'd have to in order to find the money. (I do intend to get health insurance as soon as I get a new job though). Do I feel like if I accepted free medical care that I'd be taking a handout from the government? NO! ALL PEOPLE DESERVE TO BE CARED FOR. But. What about smokers, for example? They bring about their own demise, then often can't afford to care for the problems they invited by smoking like lung cancer and respiratory disease. So do we exclude people who've made unhealthy decisions from free health care? Well, no, I don't think we should. It's too gray an area to start with. I mean, I got food poisoning once from Taco Bell. I knew the food was unhealthy, so should I be punished for eating it? (Well, I was). I think everyone makes "unhealthy" choices, so I guess we should all be treated as flawed but deserving human beings. Where the money for all this care comes from is a whole other story, but let's just say I believe the health care system needs a shitload of reform. (More reform than, say, Iraq). Just sayin'.
I welcome your thoughts but I'm not in the mood to debate so I may not respond. Maybe later. But feel free to chat amongst yourselves.
Peace.
