(we the people of the united states, in order to guarantee triple-digit profits to the major health insurance companies, and secure the blessings of wealth to all of their ceo's, do forfeit the right to health care unless we are fortunate enough to be employed by an extremely large corporation. and even then it's kind of iffy.)
I keep hearing complaints about ObamaCare being unconstitutional. In fact, I got a comment here on my blog about that, just a few days ago. I am a little baffled by this.
After all, Obama was a professor of constitutional law for 12 years at the University of Chicago Law School. But who knows? Maybe, as a secret Muslim who was planning a takeover of the United States, he was just looking for loopholes all that time.
Anyway. Before I go to all the trouble of figuring out how, exactly, our President is subverting the Constitution, I would love to hear what you all think.
What are these people talking about?
What principles or amendments, exactly, are being violated?
I did some extensive research on Wikipedia, and I saw no mention of ObamaCare whatsoever, pro or con. I did see these words, right up front:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Notice the phrase "promote the general Welfare," which I put in bold so you would notice it. Now, I ask you: what could be more helpful in promoting the general Welfare, than affordable, accessible health care? Should this not be a basic right in the wealthiest country in the world?
Some are arguing that the 10th Amendment gives the responsibility for health care to the states, since the rest of the constitution does not specifically mention Aetna or UnitedHealth. But you know what? The states have done a crappy job of providing health care. My state of Texas is one of the worst.
The general Welfare is suffering. Without drastic health care reform, it will suffer much more.
So how does the concept of curtailing health insurance company profits inhibit my Constitutional rights?
I seriously would welcome some input. Because I just don't get it.
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I'm glad I don't come back and read the other comments! I don't think I'd be in a good mood.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the health care plan would interfere with your constitutional right to be a corporate fat cat. Doesn't it guarantee unlimited wealth on the backs of the hopeless? Oh, it doesn't? My bad.
I listened to a John McCain town hall a week or so ago. A woman stood up and prclaimed our constitution was being violated and the founding fathers would be stricken if they knew what Obama was doing to her country.
ReplyDeleteGeez. When I took my constitution test in high school I never read anything to the effect that 'we the people refuse to ever allow equal health care for all'
I think the founders would be quite pleased to know that democracy is working but I think they would be appalled at the antics of the GOP in trying to rewrite constiutional law.
Spot on Lesley with your post on this.
ReplyDeleteI too had comments in the past month or so about the "unconstitutional" Obama Care plans.
The fact is the GOP and the large insurance moguls have nothing else to defend their stance and so they turn to the Constitution, which was ravaged (Bill of Rights) by Bush & Cheney and their "Patriot" Act, which by the way was RAMMED through Congress immediately after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
You hit it right out of the park though, and I only hope more people will wise up to the B.S. that has been spewed forth by opponents of health care reform.