I just got back from a visit with my family in Michigan. Nice visit - especially the family reunion at my uncle's on Sunday. We usually try to steer clear of politics at these reunions and managed to keep to that tradition pretty well - except when my brother teased me about what I had written on the back windshield of our car (Had Enough? Vote Dem!). One uncle piped up with "this is Bush country", and another said, "yeah but unfortunately we live in a blue state".
I held my tongue. Still puzzling over how either of them could still support that fecker - but there ya go.
What's still got me wondering is a conversation I had with another family member who surprised the hell out of me. She's usually really progressive in her politics and we almost always agree on things, but she came out against universal healthcare.
Make the jump...
She takes great care of herself - vegetarian, gets plenty of exercise - that sort of thing. She said folks don't take care of themselves now between obesity and smoking. If we give everyone health coverage then they'll really get slack in how they take care of themselves because they'll know they can run to the doctor whenever they get sick. If people have to PAY for access to a doctor, they'll be less likely to abuse their body with crappy food and cigarettes.
I pointed out that many European nations have universal health coverage but they don't have the obesity problem we have. Sure they have a higher rate of cancer deaths due to smoking but with a little education on the subject - things will change (Ireland passed a smoking ban in pubs etc. a few years ago and the number of smokers there has dropped dramatically).
For the most part though, I held my tongue - trying to keep from pointing out how judgmental she sounded. It seemed to all come down to lifestyle choices and there's so many other factors that come into play with this issue.
Seriously - how many of us are ill due to some genetic problem or disease passed down from generation to generation? My dad & half-sister were stuck by Crohn's disease. It's something that could hit my brother & me at any time - would it be our fault if we got sick and needed to see a doctor?
Alcoholism also runs in our family. If I needed to get into rehab for my drinking - would it be my own fault that I didn't have the "will power" to stop on my own? More and more information's coming out on the genetic factor of this disease - it's got nothing to do with will power. If you're an alcoholic then you're sick and need help - not condemnation. If I can't pay for rehab - should I just be left to suffer or die of my illness?
Heart disease is also something that runs in our family. My father died of congestive heart failure. My grandfather had a heart attack and got prostate cancer. An aunt died of uterine cancer. These illnesses are not always related to lifestyle choices - if someone needs medical treatment for this should they be denied help because they can't pay?
Then there are accidents - at work or in the car. Wherever. Should someone be turned away from the emergency room because they don't have the money or insurance?
People need doctors for things that are not related to lifestyle choices. They could be a vegetarian, run 10 miles a day and still get struck by cancer or heart disease. It's not just the obese or the smokers who get sick. And there are something like 47 million people who can't afford health insurance in this country. Should they be denied healthcare simply because a few folks can't quit smoking or stick to a healthy diet?
This brief conversation was a serious eye-opener for me. It pointed to what seems to be a major sticking point for people - even progressives - when it comes to something like universal health coverage. I thought I'd toss this out there and see what others think, or if they've run into this argument against universal coverage from others. Especially other progressives.