An Open Letter to the Candidates
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The views and opinions expressed in this blog belong to the author and are not necessarily those of Western Carolina University, its employees or its representatives. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I encourage you to voice your opinion. There is a comment box at the end of the blog. Just keep the language free of obscenities, and avoid threats of violence.
Dear Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. McCain,
Soon one of you will be the President-Elect of the United States. When that time comes, you will have an opportunity to change this country like no other President since Franklin Roosevelt when he replaced Herbert Hoover. As you well know, a myriad of issues face our nation, but I am going to ask for your help on just one.
The health care in the United States is in desperate need of a massive overhaul, the likes of which we have not seen since the creation of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
I am proud to be an American. My family came to the United States from England in the 1650s. My great great grandfather fought at Pickett's Charge, and I have a great grandfather who carried messages across enemy lines during World War I. America can be the best country on earth. No one comes close to our potential.
But there are some things about this country that I am not proud of. I see some members of my family sliding from the middle class into poverty, along with many other Americans. The United States is fast becoming a land of rich and poor, with no middle class. I see aunts and uncles who lost the terrific jobs they had in the 1980s, and who now struggle to find work that offers a decent benefits package.
I see family members and friends who some months go without medication they need because their insurance will not provide the coverage, and they can not afford the out of pocket expense.
I see friends and family members who are denied coverage by insurance companies due to pre-existing conditions, or I see them offered a premium that is far too much for them to afford.
I also personally know the uncertainty and bad feelings that come when I unexpectedly lose health care coverage and worry that years of savings could be wasted and bankruptcy inevitable if someone hits me with their car or I get sick while I try to find a company that will cover me. To some degree, I have that fear right now as the school's health insurance is not very good. It stipulates a cap on coverage and says you must stay enrolled as a student in order to maintain coverage.
Frankly, this is disappointing and beyond disappointing.
No citizen of America should be denied health care due to cost. The government owes the people that.
So how do we fix the problem? My esteemed leaders, we study and copy systems that work. Look at the best examples in Europe: The United Kingdom, France, Germany.
Americans and American politicians need to get over the fear of "socialized medicine." It has its problems, but it works far better than our current system. No one is left out in socialized medicine if they do not want to be left out. As a German friend of mine (also a member of Germany's conservative party) said, "Just because you are in favor of socialized medicine does not mean that your country will become socialist or communist!" He does not understand why this is such an issue for conservatives in the United States.
Where does the money come from to perform these changes?
We get the funding for overhauling our health care system by cutting back on spending for useless high-tech weapons systems that antagonize our neighbors, encourage an arms race and serve to make those at the top of the military industrial complex even richer. We get the money by eliminating policies such as "preemptive war" based on false pretenses that cost billions of dollars, not to mention the sacrifice of human life.
Let me say before going further that I respect what our military forces do. I am thankful for the protection they provide against this 21st century threat of terrorism. Because of their efforts I can write this blog and not worry about being thrown in jail or worse. But I also believe that in many ways they are being misused and abused for things that are not in the best interest of the country. Iraq is now more complicated than it was when the war began, but how about trying to get our soldiers home from a war we started and making sure that soldiers and every member of their family has proper health insurance?
We will probably also have to raise taxes to win this fight in overhauling health care, but I for one am willing to pay higher taxes when it comes to peace of mind about health care for myself and my family.
Health care in this country is in crisis, and it will not get better without revolutionary change. I think you as American leaders know this.
I'm confident you know in your clearest thinking that this change is the right thing to do. You must fight through the special interests and the lobbyists who represent a small percentage of the wealthiest Americans, even though these individuals contribute more to your campaign than the rest of America combined. These individuals are a main reason you will be elected. They will not agree with what you know is right to do. But if you fight and make possible the changes the country needs, you will leave a legacy that ranks with the greatest American leaders of all time. To succeed in health care reform will be to succeed on the scale of Abraham Lincoln saving the Union and Franklin Roosevelt helping America out of the Great Depression.
And to Representative Shuler, Senators Dole and Burr:
You as members of Congress have the opportunity to be a part of this wave. You will have as much power as the President. If you as a body desire to succeed, you will, and your names will go down in history as part of the most bi-partisan effort this country has ever known. If Republicans and Democrats could unite on this issue, we could end the health care crisis in a very short period. I ask that you, as my representatives in Congress, not only cooperate in the effort to revamp health care, but take an active, leading role. This is a tremendous opportunity for your legacy as well. If a Dole-Burr bill or a Shuler bill instituting socialized medicine passed Congress, we would name hospitals after you and build busts and statues of your likeness in North Carolina.
I encourage you to not be a "Senator NO," as we have had in the past, and realize the government is there to help the people when the private sector has become too greedy, too concerned with profit margins to care about what is best for American citizens.
Like I asked of the Presidential candidates, I am asking you to do what is right for the masses, not those who are your largest campaign contributors.
Help us fix this ugly stain upon what is otherwise the greatest country on earth.
Sincerely,
Nathan Marshburn
Dear Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. McCain,
Soon one of you will be the President-Elect of the United States. When that time comes, you will have an opportunity to change this country like no other President since Franklin Roosevelt when he replaced Herbert Hoover. As you well know, a myriad of issues face our nation, but I am going to ask for your help on just one.
The health care in the United States is in desperate need of a massive overhaul, the likes of which we have not seen since the creation of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
I am proud to be an American. My family came to the United States from England in the 1650s. My great great grandfather fought at Pickett's Charge, and I have a great grandfather who carried messages across enemy lines during World War I. America can be the best country on earth. No one comes close to our potential.
But there are some things about this country that I am not proud of. I see some members of my family sliding from the middle class into poverty, along with many other Americans. The United States is fast becoming a land of rich and poor, with no middle class. I see aunts and uncles who lost the terrific jobs they had in the 1980s, and who now struggle to find work that offers a decent benefits package.
I see family members and friends who some months go without medication they need because their insurance will not provide the coverage, and they can not afford the out of pocket expense.
I see friends and family members who are denied coverage by insurance companies due to pre-existing conditions, or I see them offered a premium that is far too much for them to afford.
I also personally know the uncertainty and bad feelings that come when I unexpectedly lose health care coverage and worry that years of savings could be wasted and bankruptcy inevitable if someone hits me with their car or I get sick while I try to find a company that will cover me. To some degree, I have that fear right now as the school's health insurance is not very good. It stipulates a cap on coverage and says you must stay enrolled as a student in order to maintain coverage.
Frankly, this is disappointing and beyond disappointing.
No citizen of America should be denied health care due to cost. The government owes the people that.
So how do we fix the problem? My esteemed leaders, we study and copy systems that work. Look at the best examples in Europe: The United Kingdom, France, Germany.
Americans and American politicians need to get over the fear of "socialized medicine." It has its problems, but it works far better than our current system. No one is left out in socialized medicine if they do not want to be left out. As a German friend of mine (also a member of Germany's conservative party) said, "Just because you are in favor of socialized medicine does not mean that your country will become socialist or communist!" He does not understand why this is such an issue for conservatives in the United States.
Where does the money come from to perform these changes?
We get the funding for overhauling our health care system by cutting back on spending for useless high-tech weapons systems that antagonize our neighbors, encourage an arms race and serve to make those at the top of the military industrial complex even richer. We get the money by eliminating policies such as "preemptive war" based on false pretenses that cost billions of dollars, not to mention the sacrifice of human life.
Let me say before going further that I respect what our military forces do. I am thankful for the protection they provide against this 21st century threat of terrorism. Because of their efforts I can write this blog and not worry about being thrown in jail or worse. But I also believe that in many ways they are being misused and abused for things that are not in the best interest of the country. Iraq is now more complicated than it was when the war began, but how about trying to get our soldiers home from a war we started and making sure that soldiers and every member of their family has proper health insurance?
We will probably also have to raise taxes to win this fight in overhauling health care, but I for one am willing to pay higher taxes when it comes to peace of mind about health care for myself and my family.
Health care in this country is in crisis, and it will not get better without revolutionary change. I think you as American leaders know this.
I'm confident you know in your clearest thinking that this change is the right thing to do. You must fight through the special interests and the lobbyists who represent a small percentage of the wealthiest Americans, even though these individuals contribute more to your campaign than the rest of America combined. These individuals are a main reason you will be elected. They will not agree with what you know is right to do. But if you fight and make possible the changes the country needs, you will leave a legacy that ranks with the greatest American leaders of all time. To succeed in health care reform will be to succeed on the scale of Abraham Lincoln saving the Union and Franklin Roosevelt helping America out of the Great Depression.
And to Representative Shuler, Senators Dole and Burr:
You as members of Congress have the opportunity to be a part of this wave. You will have as much power as the President. If you as a body desire to succeed, you will, and your names will go down in history as part of the most bi-partisan effort this country has ever known. If Republicans and Democrats could unite on this issue, we could end the health care crisis in a very short period. I ask that you, as my representatives in Congress, not only cooperate in the effort to revamp health care, but take an active, leading role. This is a tremendous opportunity for your legacy as well. If a Dole-Burr bill or a Shuler bill instituting socialized medicine passed Congress, we would name hospitals after you and build busts and statues of your likeness in North Carolina.
I encourage you to not be a "Senator NO," as we have had in the past, and realize the government is there to help the people when the private sector has become too greedy, too concerned with profit margins to care about what is best for American citizens.
Like I asked of the Presidential candidates, I am asking you to do what is right for the masses, not those who are your largest campaign contributors.
Help us fix this ugly stain upon what is otherwise the greatest country on earth.
Sincerely,
Nathan Marshburn
posted by wcugradstudent at
8:33 PM
2 Comments:
Here, here!
I read the article, and used it in my discussion, by the way, but I thouroughly enjoyed this. I think you approached this in a very tactful way and I had never thought of comparing ourselves to these other systems that really are working, but it's so true. Though we both want different candidates to get us the health care we both know we deserve, I agree wholeheartedly in that they owe the the American people health care. Well done Mr. Marshburn!
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