At long last, universal health
care is within reach.
Massachusetts proved that, with some compromise and
level-headedness, health insurance for everyone can be
obtainable. The key is the cooperation of businesses,
individuals and government to provide insurance everyone
can afford.
Massachusetts' population has nothing to do with the
program it developed. It has to do with priorities. The
states that look at their constituents' needs and pass
budgets that help their people are the states that
succeed.
If only President Bush had such morals. Yes, morals -
because it takes concern about one's fellow humans to
breed morality. Wanting to build nuclear warheads to the
tune of 125 a year for 16 years, as does the president,
is not humanity-first behavior. According to the Los
Angeles Times, Bush's newest budget-busting plan is to
undertake the largest nuclear weapons program since the
Cold War.
"The administration is moving quickly ahead with
a new nuclear bomb program known as the `reliable
replacement warhead,' which began last year," the
Times reported. "Originally described as an effort
to update existing weapons and make them inherently more
reliable, it has been broadened and now includes the
potential for new bomb designs."
It's bad enough America is at war in Afghanistan and
Iraq - the latter the worst decision this president has
ever made. Adding this nuclear desire to his list of
disasters, and you see a president who has no idea of
the people who inhabit the country he represents.
I recall during his first campaign, when he crowed
that he was a "compassionate conservative" and
a "uniter." Do those words mean anything to
America today? Do any of us remember even what they were
supposed to mean?
Where is his compassion in cutting social programs to
provide money for the war machine? Where was his unity,
when he began unauthorized spying on ordinary citizens
in the name of terrorism prevention? Bush and his
followers have torn this nation apart, and it will take
years to fix the damage.
Thankfully the states have wised up and started the
correction process. The lack of universal health care
has been a national crisis for nearly 30 years. Reducing
our nuclear arsenal is more important than building
bombs that may ignite a new arms race.
One state has begun the work that puts the welfare of
humanity before the destruction of it. Let's work toward
a national health care program and disarming nuclear
warheads across the globe.
Haven't we had enough death and destruction in the
last 100 years? Must we keep trying to dominate the
world?
Becoming one nation, indivisible, is a need we can no
longer ignore.
McKee, a wheelchair user, is a freelance writer
and producer. You can e-mail her at chairgrrl@chairgrrl.com.
