Is access to health care a basic human right?
I found the above article to be interesting, and while I disagree with its premise that health is a basic human right; I still contend that it should be something earned and paid for by the person getting the care!
Let me explain ... in California, Junior College was practically free, except for the need to buy books! However, when I attended JC in the dark ages of the mid 1960s, the cost was only for books, and I believe a slight administrative fee to register, which if my memory doesn't fail me, was something like $25.00. And I should note that not paying hard-earned money for my two years in JC, meant I didn't take going to college that seriously, and by the end of my third semester, I made the Dean's list. Not the one for good grades, but rather the one that put me on academic suspension for a semester. It was my own fault. I did nothing but party, go to the beach, surf, and get rays! In fact, I hardly ever attended classes; read portions of the assigned chapters; and very seldom handed in finished homework. I deserved to be on this Dean's list, believe me!
So, after getting out of the US Army and spending several years as a machine operator, I decided that I needed to honor God, and study for the ministry that He called me to on Christmas Eve, 1966. I applied at a local Christian College, and was surprised that I was accepted, especially with all the poor grades I received at JC. The College throughout most of my grades, and I barely met the 2.3 grade average needed for admittance! If it weren't for PE and the performing arts courses, I was part of for three semesters (marching band, concert band and jazz band), which were always "A's" and a few "B's" I never would have been able to get to the minimum GPA of 2.3.
So what does this personal history have to do with the subject of health care: A Right, or EARNED Privilege? Just this. JC was practically free to attend, and I had nothing invested in getting a good education! However, once I was accepted to enter Azusa Pacific College, now a University, there were charges per unit on top of books and charges for labs involved in the course. When I paid $45.00 per unit, my maturity kicked in, and suddenly I was paying the professors to teach me, and I wanted to get my monies worth!
I was paying the college, through student loans, around six-hundred dollars each semester, so there was no more missing classes. No more not studying and reaching for the best in me, as I applied myself like never before, and something special happened after my sophomore year, I was earning. Let me emphasize that in bold, I was EARNING straight "A's" and when I arrived to enroll for my junior year, I was awarded an academic scholarship, that paid more than half of my fees for each of the last four semesters needed to EARN that BA degree!
I may be old fashioned, but I came to understand one thing about this time during my life, and it was that I was going to get the very most out of each course I took, and I even began holding the professors accountable for providing a challenging education.
So, I'll say this again ... I found the above article to be interesting, and while I disagree with the premise that health is a basic human right; I personally believe that which is EARNED, because we are personally and financially invested in it, will be worth investing oneself into to get their money's worth! THUS, I contend that be it health care, clothing, food, housing, a car and gas for said car, a job, life insurance, will be more appreciated by the person purchasing these things in life. Something earned and personally paid for by the person getting the benefit of whatever it is, that they are invested in, gives that person personal respect because it was EARNED by the sweat of our brows and hands.
So sorry for the long entrance, but here is the question: Is access to health care a basic human right: or a privilege?
I found the above article to be interesting, and while I disagree with its premise that health is a basic human right; I still contend that it should be something earned and paid for by the person getting the care!
Let me explain ... in California, Junior College was practically free, except for the need to buy books! However, when I attended JC in the dark ages of the mid 1960s, the cost was only for books, and I believe a slight administrative fee to register, which if my memory doesn't fail me, was something like $25.00. And I should note that not paying hard-earned money for my two years in JC, meant I didn't take going to college that seriously, and by the end of my third semester, I made the Dean's list. Not the one for good grades, but rather the one that put me on academic suspension for a semester. It was my own fault. I did nothing but party, go to the beach, surf, and get rays! In fact, I hardly ever attended classes; read portions of the assigned chapters; and very seldom handed in finished homework. I deserved to be on this Dean's list, believe me!
So, after getting out of the US Army and spending several years as a machine operator, I decided that I needed to honor God, and study for the ministry that He called me to on Christmas Eve, 1966. I applied at a local Christian College, and was surprised that I was accepted, especially with all the poor grades I received at JC. The College throughout most of my grades, and I barely met the 2.3 grade average needed for admittance! If it weren't for PE and the performing arts courses, I was part of for three semesters (marching band, concert band and jazz band), which were always "A's" and a few "B's" I never would have been able to get to the minimum GPA of 2.3.
So what does this personal history have to do with the subject of health care: A Right, or EARNED Privilege? Just this. JC was practically free to attend, and I had nothing invested in getting a good education! However, once I was accepted to enter Azusa Pacific College, now a University, there were charges per unit on top of books and charges for labs involved in the course. When I paid $45.00 per unit, my maturity kicked in, and suddenly I was paying the professors to teach me, and I wanted to get my monies worth!
I was paying the college, through student loans, around six-hundred dollars each semester, so there was no more missing classes. No more not studying and reaching for the best in me, as I applied myself like never before, and something special happened after my sophomore year, I was earning. Let me emphasize that in bold, I was EARNING straight "A's" and when I arrived to enroll for my junior year, I was awarded an academic scholarship, that paid more than half of my fees for each of the last four semesters needed to EARN that BA degree!
I may be old fashioned, but I came to understand one thing about this time during my life, and it was that I was going to get the very most out of each course I took, and I even began holding the professors accountable for providing a challenging education.
So, I'll say this again ... I found the above article to be interesting, and while I disagree with the premise that health is a basic human right; I personally believe that which is EARNED, because we are personally and financially invested in it, will be worth investing oneself into to get their money's worth! THUS, I contend that be it health care, clothing, food, housing, a car and gas for said car, a job, life insurance, will be more appreciated by the person purchasing these things in life. Something earned and personally paid for by the person getting the benefit of whatever it is, that they are invested in, gives that person personal respect because it was EARNED by the sweat of our brows and hands.
So sorry for the long entrance, but here is the question: Is access to health care a basic human right: or a privilege?
