On July 4th 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by our Congress. In the Declaration you will read this words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Unfortunately, I am a member of the "working poor." I work full-time, my wife works part-time, we are both college educated "normal" people. I have an Associate's in law enforcement and my wife is an LPN. I work a job that pays decent for around my area ($21,000 yr.), I say decent because most other jobs available in this area would mean a pay cut. The biggest job in the area is working at the mine. I'd love to get in, but it's mostly a nepotism run operation and I've got no immediate family working there anymore. Both my wife and my job offer health insurance but in both cases the cost is astronomical. I'd be shelling out a little over 1/2 my paycheck, my wife would be about the same, to insure myself, her and the kids. We make just enough to not qualify for Medicaid, so we're screwed.
I often hear conservatives argue against abortion by citing the Declaration's unalienable right of Life. If I were to become seriously ill, how is my right to life unalienable or a right at all? I wouldn't be able to afford healthcare, so I might just die. My so called unalienable right to life, gone with an illness, that if I had health coverage may have been cured.
What does Liberty mean? The condition of being free from restriction or control. If I were to become ill, I'd lose my right to Liberty if I were to seek treatment because I'd become so far in debt, I wouldn't have the liberty of spending my money on what I need, like food and shelter. Instead, I'd be harrassed by collection agencies and maybe taken to small claims court. That's not Liberty.
If I become ill, my pursuit of Happiness ends. If I get treated, how can I be happy or pursue happiness knowing I just put my family in thousands of dollars worth of debt, adding to the stress of the illness? If I don't get treated, how am I supposed to be happy or even pursue happiness knowing I am going to die or live with an untreated illness?
According to the Declaration of Independence Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are supposed to be unalienable rights. We are also "created equal." Are those with insurance more equal then me, my wife or my children? Some might argue, "You live in America, you can work hard and beat your circumstances." I'll concede that point, yes I can. But if I were to go back to college, I'd still be in the shoes I am in, without insurance and less money in my pocket as the last time I tried I couldn't get financial aid.
If the Declaration of Independence isn't enough support, what about the Constitution? It starts: "WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquilit, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and Posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
How can domestic tranquility be accomplished when we've got approx. 47 million uninsured Americans? We have people dying because they can't afford treatment. That isn't tranquil.
How can the general welfare be promoted? With people unable to afford treatment for illness, broken bones, cuts and other injuries how well can they be? What about Blessings of Liberty to our posterity? If I get treated but die anyways, my kids are left with my debt. They haven't got liberty, just thousands of dollars in debt.
I think these two founding documents speak volumes in support of national healthcare. I don't believe our Founding Fathers wanted their posterity to suffer like some have due to the healthcare crisis in America. Does anybody believe the Founding Fathers pictured this healthcare system in America? I don't.