America’s Founding Fathers, in the Declaration of Independence, stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Let’s think about that. The Founding Fathers said all Americans have “certain unalienable Rights” – rights that cannot be taken away from the individual – and that one of these Rights is Life.
What does it mean that our country’s founding document states that We the People have a Right to Life? It can only mean we have a right to access those things that sustain life, and that we cannot be denied access to those things that sustain life. Let’s take an example: municipal water. I have a right to buy water from the city. I don’t have a right to steal it, but I have a right to buy it. Why? Because I need water to sustain my life. Access to water is my right. Access means that I have the same right to it as everyone else. I have the same right to buy water that you have.
But suppose your municipal water system was sold to private enterprise, and suppose the corporation running the water system decided to maximize profit by selling water only to the highest bidders. Furthermore, suppose they had the power to cut off your water at any time for any reason, or for no reason at all. How does that sound to you?
Suppose a significant number of people in your city were actually dying because they were denied the right to buy water. Suppose they had the money to buy water but the corporation running the water system said to them, “We don’t want your money. We’re not going to sell you water.” How does that sound to you? Is that the kind of water system you want for your city?
Well, until now, that’s the kind of healthcare system we’ve had in America. When I tried to buy health insurance a few years ago, every company turned me down. I was healthy, but I couldn’t buy health insurance. One insurance agent told me, “I can’t write you a policy. You’re too old.” (Too old to buy insurance, but too young for Medicare.)
How would you like to be told you can’t buy water because you’re too old? Just as water is essential for life, healthcare, at times, is also essential for life. Without health insurance, access to healthcare becomes very restricted. People in America die every day because they can’t access our healthcare system – either because they can’t afford health insurance, or because they can afford it but are not allowed to buy it.
Almost every first-world country provides access to health care to all of its citizens. That’s because almost every country recognizes that its citizens have an unalienable Right to Life. Only in America have people, until now, just mouthed the words.
