Universal Health Care

A number of different people, mostly rabid socialists in the Democrat Party, are complaining that this year the Democrat-led North Carolina General Assembly didn't pass a Constitutional Amendment making health care a universal "right." The folks at KOS are even claiming

Just as with education, health care is a right that all North Carolinians have inherent to their being - it is not a privilege bestowed upon those with the most money.

So let's take a look at what is meant by a "right."

The idea of "rights," when applied to people and government, is that people have something that cannot be taken away. The way the government was set up in America, we have rights that are specifically enumerated that are not granted by government, but instead are not to be taken away by government.

For example, I have a right to freedom of speech. Government cannot take that right away without violating the Constitution. In order for me to express that right, government need do nothing. They are not required to provide me with a megaphone or soap box. I have the right and it infringes on no one for me to exercise that right (if it does infringe on someone else, it's beyond the scope of my exercise of that right).

All the rights secured in the Constitution are the same -- they require nothing of government or of anyone else. I can be secure in my home and no one has to provide me with anything. I can not testify against myself and no one has to DO anything.

However, if health care is found to be a "right," then how is that possible without someone doing something? In order for me to get health care, SOMEONE has to provide it. Even in it's most basic form, some trained person (a doctor) needs to spend their time and effort to attend to my needs. If I have a "right" to that service, then I do not have to pay for it -- it's my right. Therefore, the doctor is required to provide that service -- free of charge. If it's my right, he is not able to NOT provide the service, no matter what I pay.

That's wrong, plain and simple. That requires slavery, whether you want to admit it or not. That's in clear violation of Article I, Section 1 of the NC Constitution that says

We hold it to be self-evident that all persons are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, the enjoyment of the fruits of their own labor, and the pursuit of happiness.

If someone is forced to provide health care, they are not able to enjoy the fruits of their own labor. Then again, in a socialist state, that's all allowed and permitted -- and that is the face of today's Democrat party in North Carolina.

Posted by: Ogre at 11:38 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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