I am pro life. Like most of my conservative friends and family members, I am opposed to elective abortions and I believe that it is morally abhorrent to take the life of human being even if that person is still in development. I believe that policy should make abortion more rare and support abstinence, birth control, and adoption rather than taking a human life. I am pro-life because I believe that life is a sacred gift from our creator and that no one can take a human life but god. But being pro-life means so much more to me than the abortion issue. I'm also pro-life after birth. I am strongly opposed to the death penalty. I disagree with euthanasia. I oppose any form of offensive or preemptive war.
Being pro-life, I strongly support universal health care. According to the Institute of Medicine, lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. If a terrorist attack or a natural disaster killed everyone residing in the town the size of Brigham City, Utah we wouldn't stop talking about it. We would to do something. It would have been the worst attack on US soil or the worst natural disaster in US history. This happens every year at the hands of our private health care system. Many of these deaths are children. A new study, which was conducted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, concluded that children without health insurance are twice as likely to die from injuries as insured children. I believe that life is too sacred to leave in the hands of corporate profits.
I can already hear the argument. "But Keith, what about all of the people in countries with socialized medicine who die waiting for life saving medical care." This is a myth sold by people making a fortune in private health care. The numbers actually show that we wait as long or longer for health care than any other industrialized country. Business Week, no great fan of a national healthcare system, reported in late June that "as several surveys and numerous anecdotes show, waiting times in the U.S. are often as bad or worse as those in other industrialized nations -- despite the fact that the U.S. spends considerably more per capita on health care than any other country." A study of six highly industrialized countries, the U.S., and five nations with national health systems, Britain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, found waiting times were worse in the U.S. than in all the other countries except Canada. Our life expectancy and highest infant mortality rates are worse than most other industrial nations.
One of government's roles is to protect the lives of the people. That's why we have a military. That's why we have a national guard. That's why we have the FDA. How is health care so different? We need health care reform. I challenge anyone who calls themselves pro-life to stand behind universal health care. Lets come together and take one more step in supporting and defending the sanctity and value of every human life.
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Keith, have to spoken to any doctors about this? Have you gotten their personal opinions on this matter on health care. A member of our bishopric and a member of our old bishopric (as in 3 weeks old) are both doctors and they say the quality or care will in fact decline. Why would they have any desire to specialize, stay updated on all new technology. They wouldn't that is the problem. One on the members of my current bishopric said that the only only only reason he would ever ever ever want the universal health care is that then he would be a government employ and he would get the financial benefit for working for them and then he would retire and get more from the government then than he would as is. Granted I have only talked with 2 doctors on this matter but, when darrell was on him mission they had universal health care there and they were so far behind in technology, why would the doctors car to do more if it didn't make a difference in their pay or anything else! We have spent the past couple of weeks with a guy that was a foriegn exchange student that lived with Don (darrell's uncle) and he said that they way that his country does the universal health care is awefull and he said that there has got to be some major change where he lives soon! Ya the idea of being able to help more people would be nice, the kid I dated in Cedar, his grandma died of cancer because they refused to offer her treatments because she didn't have insurance. So ya something needs done but, I just don't think that full on universal health care is the way to do it!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of misconceptions about the plan for reform in Washington. Your bishops comments have a lot more to do with his political views than the reality of the proposals. No one is arguing that we should make all doctors government employees or that hospitals should be run by the government. We will still have private hospitals with the technologies and incentives that we have always had. Let pretend though that we did not. I work at the VA. The VA (where I work) was recently given a number of awards from private medical associations for being the best health care in America. It far less expensive to run than health care is the private sector with better heath outcomes and less waiting times. In addition some of the best research in the medical field these days is actually coming out the VA. It's ran by the government. Is is socialism? When I lived in Austria, they loved their health care system. Even when Europeans and Canadians complain about their systems, no of them are proposing something like ours. They could not afford our system if they wanted it. It is one of the worst quality health care systems in the worlds when ranked in terms of health statistics, well being, mortality rates and consumer satisfaction. The world health organization ranked it number 39 right behind Slovania. I wish that we would have full government health care, but the proposals coming from the democrats right now are only that you can choose a government plan if you want to. For so long Emma could not get insurance but now she can because I work for the federal government and have government provided insurance. I just want everyone to have the same option that I do.
ReplyDeleteAnd did you know that The American Medical Association has officially endorsed Obama's health care plans. While the doctors that you have spoken with are not in favor, the primary voice for doctors in this country are.
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