Health Means Life; Health Means Freedom

[kpete]

Health Means Life; Health Means Freedom

Tuesday 23 February 2010

by: George Lakoff, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed



Life and freedom are moral issues. It is time for Democrats to talk about health in those terms, beyond just policy terms such as health insurance reform, bending the cost curve, types of exchanges, etc.

Health means life. If you get a major illness or injury and cannot get it treated adequately, you could die. And tens of thousands do.

Health means freedom. If you have a serious illness or injury and cannot get it treated, your freedom will be limited in many ways. Your physical freedom: You may no longer have the freedom to move around. Your economic freedom: You may not be able to work or your medical bills may impoverish you. Your emotional freedom: You will not be free to live a happy life.

Health is therefore a moral issue of the highest order. And it is a patriotic issue. Health security is a problem for far more Americans than military security. Your security is far more likely to be threatened by the lack of treatment for illness and injury than by any likely terrorist attack.

more:
http://www.truthout.org/george-lakoff-health-means-life-health-means-freedom57109

[Turbineguy]

1. Now, there you go again.

using the F word.

[raccoon]

2. Let's get this on Greatest! Recd. nt

[Overseas]

3. K&R for Freedom from medical terror.

The fact that we protect our "national security" budget and let our national health security be subject to the whims of for-profit insurance companies is depressing to me.

To approve the Republican bailout of big finance and ignore the desperate population during massive economic upheaval doesn't sound very Democratic to me.

[Cetacea]

4. Unrec.

[area51]

5. Which insurance company do you work for? (n/t)