Sue's Wonderful Letter to Martha re Health Care

[Lorraine Watkins]

Hi Martha,

I was listening in to your show the other day when you were discussing Health Care and wondered if you were aware of this story:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111066576

The link for RAM is here:  http://www.ramusa.org/ 

I think this is just one example of the real need that is out there and the fact that the current profit-motivated health care system does not address the needs of many of our citizens because it simply isn't profitable to do so.  We've had 40 years of profit-motivated health care and we still have so many citizens that either cannot afford care or cannot access care because of their location.  It just isn't acceptable in a great nation like ours with as much wealth and resources as we have.  Until the profit motive is removed and replaced with a wellness-motive and universal access, our health care system will continue to actually promote illness and cost more and more - more sick folks needing more and more drugs in order to make more and more money.

RAM is a great example of something that I know is near and dear to your heart - how individual citizens can get together to take care of fellow citizens through private charity....the Golden Rule in action.

I, too, believe in private charity and salute all those groups that provide these kinds of services for others in need, but there comes a point when, as a collective society, we have to pull together in a united way, through our government, which is after all US, and provide for each other in a fair and reasonable way...you know...that old Golden Rule thing again.  To me our health care situation calls for this kind of government action because we can no longer afford our broken profit-motivated system. A public option health care system could be the way to make things more efficient, more accessible and wellness-centered.  I am not afraid of my government getting between me and my doctor because right now the insurance company is between me and my doctor anyway!

I know my government can get unwieldy and bureaucratic and wasteful and yet I know that my government is FOR and BY the PEOPLE and it is my duty and responsibility to stay aware and use my vote to bring in leaders that will do a better job of running my government, should it fail to meet my expectations.  We get the government that we allow.  It will never be perfect but we can always work towards a more perfect union - a government that works FOR and BY the people to provide for basic rights, regardless of wealth. 

After all, we are all in this together. As long as we follow and elect those who believe we must each fend for ourselves without government interference and that it is perfectly moral to make huge profits off the illness of others, then we will fail to realize our fullest potential as a grateful and generous people.

Thanks, as always, for listening.  I hope you'll consider sharing my letter, in it's entirety, on your show, although I know it is a bit long. There has been so little exposure of this point of view in our community and I know you value the civil exchange of ideas.

To good health and better health care for all of America!

Sue

[Tayl...@aol.com]

great letter

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[Alma Bowen]

Sue, your letter to Martha Zoller states the case so well. I love the statement about the government being US, and to think that some of us don’t want to change a system that blocks healthcare to our citizens is almost unbelievable. Of course, if a person has time to view the two links you provided, he or she will begin to understand the enormity of this problem. Not only is our healthcare system atrocious, it truly is an embarrassment to all of us and what we’ve always said this country stands for.