Mr. Will Penman,
Regardless of my political affiliation or background, I would like to question you on many of your assumptions about the newly passed health care laws in our country.
You compare us conservatives to being little kids who are afraid of the dark and, according to you, afraid of social consequences. I would like to know how much you really know about this new health care law.
Perhaps the most common misconception among uneducated and misinformed liberals (unlike yourself, I’m sure) is that the new law will provide access to health care for all.
While the law is not as radical as many European systems, as you pointed out, its purely unconstitutional provisions are nevertheless a legitimate source of “fear” for us freedom-loving, liberty-craving conservatives.
Beginning in 2014, every single American will be required by law to hold a health insurance policy.
These policies are not all going to be government-provided; in fact, while the umbrella for Medicaid-eligible Americans will be expanded, the majority of Americans will be paying for such policies out of pocket.
If they fail to cover themselves and all of their dependents, the Internal Revenue Service has been expanded by this new law to enforce the law on a monthly basis, collecting ridiculous fines for those who are not covered.
Talk about Big Brother.
For the first time in our nation’s history, it will actually be required by law for Americans to pay a fine to the government for not doing something.
According to the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, more commonly referred to as the Commerce Clause, this is inevitably unconstitutional.
It is for this exact reason that 14 state attorneys general have already filed lawsuits against the feds.
I can step back from my partisanship and say that there are many benefits included in the law.
It has been long overdue to prohibit insurance companies from dropping or declining coverage to sick American citizens.
It is also necessary that college students be allowed to stay on their parents’ policy for a few more years because we all know that graduation isn’t always followed by immediate success, and sometimes we need a few years to get on our feet after college.
However, I think I can speak for all conservatives and many Americans when I say that the “fear” you speak of is not without reason.
It may be disguised as a simple moral issue that every American has the right to good health care, but this law means so much more than that.
The health care reform law represents an entirely new level of power for the federal government.
