WHOSE CONGRESS?

Thomas Riggins

With or without health insurance people are going to sicken and die. David Hume tells us, “The first entrance into life gives anguish to the newborn infant and to its wretched parent; weakness, impotence, distress, attend every stage of that life, and it is at last finished in agony and horror.” So having access to medical care may lighten this burden.

We live, so I am told, in a “democracy” and we have an elected Congress that represents the people. Or does it? Maybe it really represents just the interests of the big corporations. We may get some scraps now and then, but when push comes to shove the big boys get their way.

This is illustrated by a nice quote from the New York Times of 9-26-09. In that issue we read the following:

“The latest New York Times/CBS Poll found solid support for a government run insurance plan, or so-called public option, that would compete with private insurers. Other surveys have found similar results.

But what the public seems to want and what Congress plans to give them may not be the same thing.” [read the whole article on page A12]

The polls show that a Medicare like public plan should be offered to EVERYONE (65% in favor). Congress doesn’t think so.

This is simple. Those not in favor of a universal public option are AGENTS OF THE PRIVATE INSURERS. They don’t represent the people who elected them. They should be called out on this and dumped in the next election if they persist in going against the clearly expressed will of the people.

This is a fight we can win-- we only need the will.