President Obama, an Enabler?
About to embark on the “next chapter of my life,” I anticipate that college, finding a steady career, and marrying the man I love will come easy. After all, everything is handed to us. Sounds utterly ridiculous, doesn’t it?
That was my impression upon learning of the President’s health care reform plan. Handing out free band-aids and condoms I could understand, but a zillion dollar bill as the first step towards providing everyone with health insurance just seemed “too easy” to me.
However, eventually I found myself softening—towards the bill, but not to the idea that people can sit around and get these so-called perks for free.
Don’t get me wrong, my heart genuinely warms when I think of the 32 million people who will have the assurance of insurance. I support the fact that this landmark law will prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to those who have pre-existing medical conditions—those you really actually need to be covered.
Essentially, the President wants to provide insurance for those who cannot afford it or lack the necessary qualifications to attain it, and also to those who are too ill or disabled to be able to pay for it. Those are difficult reasons to dispute. And yet, despite all that, somehow, I still couldn’t swallow it.
Ultimately, this bill encourages “handouts.” I understand what a relief and necessity this may be for millions of people, but I also believe in acquisition through merit. For example, affirmative action is a sugar-coated opportunity for minorities like myself, but I still feel like it’s a snub to those who work hard and deserve that spot in college or that job. Further, I wouldn’t want something to be given to me just because of who I am, or my circumstances- I want to feel like I earned it.
I’m not saying that only some people deserve to be healthy. Everyone does, but now that this is added to a long, long list of services offered to the American people, for free (in all sense of the word), what’s next? As a nation, we can’t keep promoting the mindset that “we will always be bailed out,” to flourish. Unfortunately, we do—that’s why we keep getting it. You know that saying about giving a man and fish as opposed to teaching him how to fish? This reform is the Obama administration handing a shiny trout to 32 million people while the rest of America touts their fishing rods.
Stephanie Lee
Co-Editor in Chief