The concept that you cannot have a functioning constitutional democracy if the people do not have equal access to a basic level of health care is a fundamental democratic — little d and big D — principle.
We believe universal health care must be front and center because it goes to the heart of who we are as a nation. Are we a nation committed to making sure each and every citizen has the basic building blocks to thrive? Yes. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, governments are instituted to secure “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Isn’t health one of basic building blocks needed to thrive? Yes, of course it is. Doesn’t it follow that we must provide equal access to a basic level of health care for EVERYONE? Of course it does. It is a simple concept.
Are we powerful enough to make it happen? Of course we are.
A nation that makes these types of commitments, and endeavors to fulfill those commitments, is a nation to be proud of.
Universal Health Care is a Pivotal Issue
As we lobby for universal health care, we set the groundwork for broader change. Once we define ourselves as a nation committed to providing every person the building blocks needed to thrive, we must necessarily start looking at where we are achieving this goal, and where we are not. The overarching definition of what kind of nation we are drives us in the right direction.
We Must Do More Than Defend Against Attack
When the opposition demonizes the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and calls for repeal or replacement, instead of defending ACA, we can turn their message into our own rallying cry: “Yes, ACA must be replaced, and it must be replaced with universal health care. That is the only real solution.” Any discussion on the subject is an opportunity to declare the values we are committed to and define an inspiring vision of what this nation can be.
When we limit ourselves to defending against attack, we always lose ground because we are actually reinforcing the opponents message. We must “reframe” the issues. (See George Lakoff’s site, author of “Don’t Think of an Elephant.”)
Additional Benefit of Promoting Health Care as a Right
Universal health care must be front and center for another reason. Discussion of universal health care is also a discussion of the limits of the “free market.” Health care is NOT a commodity, and “free market forces” don’t apply. You need the health care you need when you need it. We all need a certain amount of preventative care. Some of us get sick. When we do, we need more. It’s not like buying a car or other commodity. You don’t wake up one morning and think “I’d like to start injecting myself with Enbrel, I know it’s expensive, but I deserve it!”
What You Can Do
- Contact your representatives in the House and Senate and call on them to put universal health care on the top of their agenda and to actively work to increase the number of voters committed to making it happen. Call on them to enlist their colleagues in the effort.
- Contact the leadership and make it clear you want to see them lead a concerted effort to build consensus for universal health care.
- Call on organizations you are affiliated with to lead, or support efforts to put universal health care on the national agenda.
Where There is a Will, There is a Way
One thing to keep in mind (and to point out to the people you make contact with) is that we can focus on building consensus on what needs to be achieved without getting into the mechanics.
We often criticize our opponents for failing to provide detailed policy descriptions. The reality is that refraining from getting into the details while working to increase the number of people committed to an overarching goal is how things get done.
Proposing and promoting specific legislation gives us something to we can lobby members of congress to support, but we need to be careful not to “put the cart before the horse.” Debating the mechanics must not be the primary focus until there is sufficient political will. That doesn’t mean we should avoid raising the issue, wait for the political will to somehow build itself, and then respond by coming up with specific legislation. No, it’s the opposite. We need our leaders, and our fellow voters, to raise the issue every chance they get. We need a big “push” to increase the number of people committed to the idea that universal health care is an absolute necessity, and is absolutely doable.
When details are called for, point out that there are lots of approaches to get there. There is nothing wrong with mentioning the various proposals that have been introduced, but then leave discussion of the details behind. Shift focus to what the end point needs to be and why we must get there as a nation. Save the work of hammering out the details for later, when a majority of the electorate is firmly committed to to achieving the goal.
With sufficient political will, the way will be found.