Patrick Henry expressed the deepest convictions of thousands of other American colonists when he spoke those legendary words, "Give me liberty or give me death." For the patriots of 1776, the blessings of liberty were worth any sacrifice. Voting would be a privilege, not a responsibility. The true responsibility of living in a free land would entail defending that freedom- even at the cost of life or health.
American Colonists risked life and limb to purchase our freedoms. Many died in agony on bloodied battlefields. Others died instantly only to be buried in unmarked graves miles from their homes. Still others returned home missing eyes or limbs. But if they survived the war, they went home as free men and women. And if they died, they had secured the blessings of liberty for their children and grand children.
Over the centuries that have followed, tens of thousands of courageous men and women in the US Armed Forces have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Places like Normandy and Iwo Jima come to mind. There are tranquil hillsides in France that are laden with row after row of white crosses marking the tombs of American heroes who gave everything for a free country.
So tell me, when did the idea of healthcare reform become so important that it can trump liberty? If the health of all Americans is our highest ideal, then we should stop asking brave men and women to sacrifice their health and their lives for something as esoteric and old-fashioned as liberty. In a nation obsessed with the right to health, there is no greater evil than dying of a bullet wound on a battlefield. But if liberty is still the driving force in American life, we should never, ever trade it away for something as lame and utterly failed as socialized medicine.
Even now, the politicians who have given us so many expensive bridges to nowhere are debating a radical intrusion of the federal government into our personal lives. The vague language of House bill 3200 allows for government access to all Americans' bank accounts; individual appointments every 5 years with government agents to discuss whether or not you should save the country money by dying; policies that will ultimately cost you your ability to choose your insurance company, your doctor, your method of treatment. The only way the government can offer free healthcare to everyone is through rationing. We are not living in a sort of Heaven where anything is possible, and the government is broke.
As far me, I refuse to drink the poison Kool-Aid. With Patrick Henry and tens of thousands of Americans whose bravery lines the pages of history, I say "Give me liberty or give me death." If keeping me healthy requires the government tresspassing into our God-given liberties, I prefer to be sick. And if keeping me alive requires the sacrifice of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, please let me die. It is the height of selfishness to demand that patriots and heroes must go to their graves so that I can go to the hospital for free.
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