Quote:
Originally Posted by AGDee
By personal freedoms, it's somewhat the patriot act, but moreso the legislating of values... abortion, gay marriage, the whole moral majority type of thing.
I don't see how ensuring that everybody has access to affordable health care is infringing on personal freedom. In fact, I see it as quite the opposite.
Doesn't it make you a little sick when you hear how much money is spent on financing these campaigns when there are people who can't afford their chemotherapy medications, food, housing, etc? The health care system I work for is giving away more than $100 million annually in care to the indigent and who ends up paying? The employees who don't get raises, who get laid off because there are no funds, whose corporate offices run out of trash bags and toilet paper because the funds are so tight. They've removed half the light bulbs from our light fixtures and shut off our escalator to save every penny they can. I'm very thankful to have a job, but the working conditions are getting pretty scary. They can't cut things like that at the hospitals, but they are cutting costs everywhere they can trying to keep their heads above water as more and more people need care but don't have insurance.
But, as I said, the personal freedoms have more to do with legislating morality/values that have nothing to do with "harm to others" or "infringing on others rights", especially when the reasons behind it are religious. I do think McCain is less dangerous with this stuff than some of the other candidates were.
I guess we won't know for sure about Iraq until we're actually gone.
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I agree, I'm not in favor of telling gay people they can't be gay. However, I am in favor of telling women they can't get an abortion in most situations, as the massive majority of abortions in America are used for birth control. I think it affects another life, and thus, no, it isn't merely a personal decision.
As for healthcare, I think telling Americans that they have to subscribe to a particular healthcare plan is absolutely an infringement. How is it not? They take your earned income and buy something for you that you could purchase on your own.
Sure it makes me a little sick. A lot of things do. That doesn't mean I'm interested in the government taking it over because they know "whats best" to do with those resources. That, to me, is much more frightening.