Heathcare: What Would Dr. King Do?

Over the past few weeks, some in the media, along with many left-leaning groups (such as Progressive Democrats for America, Democrats.com, After Downing Street), aided by easily manipulated, everyday citizens (through a letter writing campaign), have inaccurately been trying to invoke the civil rights movement of the past by declaring that Martin Luther King would have supported the current attempts at health care reform. I strongly disagree with these false assertions. Dr. Martin Luther King is one of my personal heroes; imperfect like all of us, but truly committed to a cause greater than him.


Let me say without hesitation that I believe that health care reform is needed (as it relates to cost and individual control over our plans), but the immorality we have witnessed throughout this current legislative process would not be one that Dr. King would support. One only need to read King’s “Letter from Birmingham” to know where Dr. King’s heart and mind were on the matters of injustice and individual liberty, and his deep understanding of our Judeo-Christian values, which were the guiding principles that led to the creation of our Declaration of Independence and US Constitution, and the birth of our nation.


But more importantly, Dr. King would never support any reform that would not only permit, but fund, a system that would advance the genocide that is abortion. Nor would Dr. King support a law that places a choker and chains of overwhelming debt around the neck of future generations - “The Negro cannot win if he is willing to sacrifice the futures of his children for immediate personal comfort and safety. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”


What we have witnessed this past year with bribes, behind the doors dealings, class envy, and demonization of individuals is everything Dr. King stood against! Dr. King would clearly see that there are no “White Only” signs in the windows of our current health care system, but would see an economic injustice that does not allow the free market to provide a fair and equal service to all; instead a necessary service is being subjected to regulations that are more about control and power, and have nothing to do with providing for those that seek that service. Dr. King would see the heavy hand of government (something he knew was easily corrupted), either immorally subjugating the will of the people, or worse yet, binding them to the chains of a new slavery; governmental dependency that does nothing to lift people up, but only serves to place all of us into a collective misery. Equal maybe, just no.


Portability in health plans, flex plans that roll over, tax breaks for the purchase of the plans, and yes when necessary, “locally-controlled” plans that provide for those who lack coverage. Picture the ability of individual groups: church groups, nonprofits, fraternal organizations, small businesses, and even groups such as bowling league and softball teams, being able to pool their resources and negotiate freely for health insurance coverage. And imagine a system that allows each of us to freely donate, within a community cooperative, to provide for those in need of health insurance. People helping people, without the waste of a defectively constructed, and most assuredly a poorly managed, government plan.


Dr. King would want us to do something to help those in need; but he would more likely to support a systems that promotes self-reliance, over a system that only serves to further support an existence of continued servitude.