In an Oct. 10 letter to the
editor by Cody Jordan, the
headline asked the following
question: Why not nationalize
health care? There are plenty of
answers to this question.
First of all, health care is not a
civil right. It is the responsibility
of the individual. Certainly, as I
discussed in a previous article,
there are bad laws on the books
that make it nearly impossible
for many individuals to take
a portion of their paycheck
and meet this responsibility. If
the employer wishes to enter
voluntary negotiations about
health care cost with employees,
then the agreement reached is
between the individual employee
and the employer
Second, there is Article
1 Section 8 of the U.S.
Constitution. This spells out
the specific powers of the
national government. Running
the nation’s health care industry
isn’t among those listed powers.
In fact, the U.S. Postal
Service not withstanding, there
is no direct authorization for
our federal government to compete
with private enterprise at
any level.
I believe the logic behind this
is quite clear. If those who make
the laws compete against private
enterprises that provide comparable
goods and services, then
they may well make laws that
give the lawmakers an unfair
advantage.
Some will argue that this is
covered by the necessary and
proper clause. The necessary
and proper clause pertains
only to the execution of the
immediately preceding enumerated
powers and those specifically
stated elsewhere in the
Constitution.
Others will argue that the
general welfare clause would
cover this situation. I think the
general welfare clause covers
things that people need but
may not ever use. Our interstate
highway system would be
among those things covered.
Third, there is the concept of
individual liberty that was the
driving force behind the first 10
amendments, collectively known
as the Bill of Rights, being
added to the Constitution.
The fourth amendment, for
example, reads: “The right of
the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable
searches and seizures, shall not
be violated, and no Warrants
shall issue, but upon probable
cause, supported by Oath or
affirmation, and particularly
describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or
things to be seized.”
I would certainly consider
a person’s wages to be among
personal effects. Considering
the fact that our current tax
system is, in part, based on
personal wages leads to a number
of questions to be asked
and answered before health care
is nationalized in this country.
What about abortion? Is the
federal government going to use
my taxes to pay for something
that I consider to be nothing
more than legalized murder?
If so, I’m going to scream
unreasonable search and seizure
all day long (Well, I’m doing
that anyway. However, that’s a
potential future column and I
wish to stay on topic here).
Fourth, like Jordan, I am also
skeptical of the health care plans
of both candidates. However,
Sen. Barack Obama has an
additional problem, and that is
an issue of trust. I don’t believe
Sen. Obama when he says,
“Keep your current employerbased
health care plan.”
In conclusion, health care
is not the job of the government.
Nationalized health care
goes against every concept and
theory behind the Constitution
and Bill of Rights. In fact, the
Constitution and the Bill of
Rights demand the government
protect the rights and privileges
of the individual from the tyranny
of the majority.
On that basis, a government
takeover of our health
care system can only be viewed
as a transfer of power from
individuals to government.
Therefore, such a move must
be denounced as morally bankrupt,
and so much as a simple
vote in support of such a measure
considered a gross misuse
and abuse of power. That in
turn would be included on a list
of things that would constitute
other high crimes in Article 2
Section 4, therefore rendering
them subject to impeachment.
That will never happen.
Kerry Hunt is a parking services
officer at Mississippi State. He can
be contacted at [email protected].