|
 |
6/16/2009
Burri: We have rights. When is it a right to say no?
We like talking about rights, we Americans. Hey, they’re important. We guard them jealously.
Free speech. The right to bear arms. To worship, or not. Those are specifically named, and with good reason. Others aren’t: the right to privacy, for example, doesn’t appear in the Constitution, but we all tend to recognize it anyway.
One could write a book about any and all of these – indeed, many have – but today, I’m looking at two things.
One: there are responsibilities that go along with rights. You have the right to free speech, but not to yell “fire” in a crowded theater. Or to fire your rifle randomly into the air. Or to sacrifice virgins to appease an angry God.
That observation leads directly to my second point: your exercise of your rights requires nothing from me.
You can say what you like without contribution, or reaction, or input from me. I don’t even have to listen. I have to contribute exactly nothing to your religion. That you own a single handgun or a thousand-piece collection can go entirely unnoticed by me.
All I have to do in order for you to enjoy your rights is: nothing. Just don’t interfere. That’s it.
Pretty cool.
But wait: we have still more rights – or, I should say, we have what we like to call rights. The right to health care. That's a big one. People have a right to see a doctor, to receive medical care. To retire, and live comfortably once they’re too old to work.
We could come up with others, of course, but you know what I mean. These are important and valued. We can’t really do without them. Anybody who gets sick or hurt has to have health care. Someday, God willing, we’ll all be too old to work. Continuing to live with some independence, with some dignity, requires that we continue to have income; that we have decent health care.
Thus: Rights.
But. These rights differ significantly. For one thing, we can’t exercise them as individuals. They require the effort of others.
If no one wants to listen to you, that has no bearing on your freedom of speech. But if no one wants to – is available to, is able to – treat your medical condition, that has a lot of bearing on your right to health care.
What if nobody wants to treat you? Kind of a silly question, I know. Hypothetical. Unlikely. So, okay, what if they want to be paid, and all you’ve got is five bucks?
Well, health care is a right, so…I guess they just have to do it anyway. Whether they get paid or not. To do otherwise – to refuse someone their rights – would be the same as gagging them. Outlawing their church.
Sorry, doctors and nurses. You’ve got no choice.
Well, okay, here’s what we’ll do: we’ll make somebody else pay. Spread the cost around to everybody…well, not to everybody, but to a whole bunch of people.
Exercising your right to free speech and worship doesn’t infringe on me. Exercising your right to health care does. It has to.
More: While responsibility goes hand-in-hand with free speech rights, etc., the opposite is true for these others. Making them rights, thus making it mandatory that we – somebody – provide them, degrades responsibility. Because no matter what you do – no matter how irresponsible you are – somebody else will always have to provide for you.
Even if they don't want to. Even if it makes their lives harder. Even if they think you don't deserve it.
The right to say no – there's one right we'll never have again.
Lance Burri is a contributor to the Badger Blog Alliance and The TrogloPundit.
COMMENTS
Thanks, Mr. Burri. Another brilliant Hollandaise. Maybe if we incentivized doctors, with a dollar-for-dollar income tax deduction to provide the $5 care you mentioned, we could get to universal health care with a tax cut instead of a tax hike.
timbeaux (Tue Jun 16 07:31:19 2009)
Well, actually Lance, there are a number of "rights" that we'll probably never see again. Right off the top I can think of a couple that were set aside for us from the start: The 9th and 10th ammendments to the Constitution that forbids the federal government from doing things like Social Security and nationalized health care.
Unfortunately the FEDERAL judiciary, in several rulings since the 1880s, told the FEDERAL legislature, by a number of decisions in the interim, that they and the FEDERAL executive, like The ONE, can do just about anything, notwithstanding the Bill of Rights.
And now there's some more rights - more choices and more responsibilities - we'll never have again.
Duke (Tue Jun 16 07:42:38 2009)
So that's interesting. We recognize the unwritten right to privacy but not the right to health care. Nor are "responsibilities" listed. And we have "free speech" as it applies to bribing our politician, but aside from that bribery is illegal.
Sounds to me that when certain "rights" are convenient, we apply them. If they are only convenient to others we holler foul.
But if I bribe my politician to pass legislation that takes taxes from you, is that okay or not? I'm confused.
And there is no specific constitutional right to health care. It's written nowhere.
It is, however, a common good like fire and police protection. It would be the smartest thing this congress could do to fix our nation's economy and allow our companies to compete with foreign product. It'd reduce outsourcing and save US jobs.
But another right stands in the way. It's called $46 million in "free speech" by the insurance industry.
Go figure.
Jack Lohman
http://SinglePayer.info
Jack Lohman (Tue Jun 16 08:28:04 2009)
Actually, when a true "single-payer" system gets in, we in the ER MAY actually be able to kick out the people who don't belong there, as happens in Britain. Like the ones who come for a "free pregnancy test", courtesy of taxpayers, or the ones who "ran out of their meds", even though Walmart has their med for only $4. But, they "had to buy their cigarettes", so they "don't HAVE any money" to get medication.
Actually, in Britain, ERs kick out even people who DO belong there; like a friend of a friend, who was sent home whilst having a heart attack...he died at home.
Oh, yes, when the govt is paying, they WILL make you wait. How about 3 YEARS to see a specialist for suspected cancer; then another 18 monthsa to 2 years to get treament, by which time you'll be dying, so they'll just save their money and have you get hospice care, instead.
Or you might find yourself in an ambulance, riding around for FIVE HOURS, trying to find an ER that literally will let you be unloaded. No EMTALA in Britain, to force hospitals to let you in!
Yes, these are all personal examples; I used to live in the UK, and of course, we keep in touch with folks there, so these examples are up-to-date.
Just be careful for what you wish...you might get it!
emily matthews (Tue Jun 16 09:13:47 2009)
You are correct, Emily. When poor people can get health care elsewhere, they will quit clogging the ERs. Importantly, the hospital industry must get behind a Medicare-for-all system; it is the only thing that will save healthcare. Otherwise it is eventually going the way of Motorola, Kohls and etc, and hospitals are going to find themselves negotiating with hundreds of thousands of payers (corporations), rather than the current thousands and preferred ONE (Medicare). And if you think Medicare is bad, think about a CEO whose salary and bonuses are dependent on profits.
Jack Lohman (Wed Jun 17 10:05:15 2009)
|
|
Blog Archives
| 2010 |
  September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Solberg: Healing After an Abortion
• Basketball fans eyeing extension of Miller Park sales tax
• Nanny sex-ed bill goes to Doyle
• A first. Village limits pension contribution for employees
• Nanny State update: Toothbrushing mandated
• Obama pushes education inflation
• WI Investment Board votes to borrow to juice up returns
• So Republicans have brought nothing to the table?
• You have got to be kidding me
• Nygren: Governor Continues Terms of Failure in State of the State
• Sen. Fitzgerald: Governor down the wrong track at high speed
• Phosphorus is the new CO2. $Billions in Wisconsin
• More Obama giveaways
• A reprimand? Would you keep him on the job?
• Burri: Sarah Palin for Prez troubles me
• Quote of the Day – Obama after the pie-eating contest
• Populism, abused and trampled
• Fitzgerald: Senate Republicans Propose Real Job Creation Agenda
• Stripped down health insurance – it’s about time
• Ok GOP, scrap the Party of NO; time to lead
• No way Feingold is a Coakley. Is Wall a Brown?
• Burri: Conservatives off the chart for a RINO?
• Paltry quid pro quo?
• Doyle says ARRA has ‘created or retained’ 44,000 WI jobs
• Does most of the public fall for this stuff?
• When you get signatures, always get a couple extra
• Blame it on the outmoded computers
• Scott Brown victory does not scuttle health bill
• 8th Congressional Candidate Forum, Jan. 25
• Scott Walker Meet-and-greet, Monday, Jan. 18
• Aren’t consumers taxpayers too?
• MORE taxes on investment income - dreadful and wrong
• Join the blaze orange army and say ‘Enough is Enough’
• The future of government-run health care
• Tax on banks is a really bad idea
• Roth, Savard on the stump, grassroots style
• Savard speaking in Appleton, 8 PM, Wed., Jan. 13.
• Rahmlow: Savard, Bies frontrunners for State Senate
• Burri: Failing Political Correctness 101
• School contracts and Race to the Top
• Senator Feingold worrisome and big red flags
• Psephological?
• This is really important. Contact Rep. Kagen. Now. Please.
• This is exactly what we need from Governor Doyle
• This guy is my hero
• Why am I not surprised?
• Talk health reform with Feingold (Th), Petri (today)
• Give the Mayor power over MPS - if he can break contracts
• Burri: Yup, Dems really are going to bypass a conference
• The $2.7 billion Wisconsin deficit no one told you about
• Walker launches county accountability website
• Rahmlow: Why is Van Hollen dodging the Nebraska deal?
|
| 2009 |
December
|
November
|
October
• The Lawton-Bader files
• Yup, it’s the TAX LEVY, not the tax RATE
• Ellis: costly automobile insurance laws must be rolled back
• If not Barrett, who?
• The subsidy game
• Burri: Bailouts, Banks, Health Care, and the Mob
• Attend Appleton Schools budget meeting tonight
• A public option WON’T increase costs? That’s delusional!
• Appleton Schools budget meeting Monday
• Wisconsin should be screaming for accountability
• Burri: If anything, we need more obstructionism around here
• WI on the leading edge - in the wrong direction
• Rep. Montgomery: Utility Customers Join State’s Crime-Fighting Efforts
• Public Conservation and Recreation Lands Total 16.5% of State
• In the crow's nest of the Titanic, shouting 'Iceberg!'
• Is Rep. Nelson a political hack?
• Health care: The road ahead will be brutal
• Kagen's pandering again
• Birthers - good stuff for you
• How much do we bend over backward for seniors?
• The trouble with health care is paying for it
• Two-parent families: The Gold Standard
• Burri: Kids... the joys and blessings
• Very, very worried about health care
• Rep. Huebsch: Wisconsin is proof government health care isn’t the answer
• School district contracts push up tax levy
• What? Obama, the Peace Prize?
• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
• Appleton School District tax levy up way too much
• CBO report is out - and the bill isn't even written yet?
• So, how much do YOU budget for health care?
• Burri: Copenhagen trip was amateurish
• “Sotomayor, you have blood on your hands...”
• Cap and Trade. Always follow the money
• Rep. Kagen gets (almost) free health services
• I actually agree with Rep. Kagen
• Future Wisconsin Conference for Conservatives, October 10, Wauwatosa
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
|
| 2008 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
• Democrats are becoming supply siders??
• Further debunking Hillary myths
• WEAC has created an unsustainable monopoly
• From Mark Gundrum: One of the greatest honors an American can experience
• 'Operation Chaos' working?
• Joe Martin the best candidate in Appleton's 8th
• State programs to cut? - Volume II
• Oh the naivete of youth
• Not just disingenuous - flat wrong
• Steve - you will be missed
• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
• Rep. Van Roy: Dental Care Pilot Program
• Has Dave Obey turned the corner on earmarks?
• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
• As taxpayers, how do we know if it's a Chevy or a Lexus?
• This is trash talk - about a veteran
• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
• 'The Gableman Ad' - is it racist?
• Roth thankful, Kagen shaking money tree
• Gov. Doyle's office not enamored with Freedom of Information
• Governor Doyle will never do it
• Leadership on smoking ban? Not Hanna
• Rep. Van Roy speaks out about smear ads
• You're threatening me about potholes?
• Losing the Hastert seat is NOT a trend and NOT curtians for the GOP
• First suggestion for 'slashing' programs
• Big money-saver for municipalities
• More one time fixes. Nuts.
• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
• Gableman/Butler race featured - and it isn't pretty
• Lies from Planned Parenthood and NARAL
• He who sacrifices liberty.....
• Duh.
• The Troha sentencing, Doyle and that $200K
• Guns, passion and "originality"
• How hard is it anyway, to shut down a government program?
• Voting is a PRIVILEGE. And so are property taxes....
• Guest Blog: Governor Doyle, cancel your Ireland trip
|
February
|
January
|
| 2007 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
August
|
July
|
June
|
May
|
April
|
March
|
February
|
January
• Lots of ideas. No money.
• The Cigarette Tax - "Poor Policy Instrument?"
• School budget Lite?
• Frankenstein - not in the library, but in the legislature
• A librarian, a legislator, a president
• $1.25/pack - NO, NO, NO, and NO
• Kagen and Reagan in the same breath?
• Menasha: behind the 8-ball, but not biting the dust
• Any way you slice it, Wisconsin government wants (further) in on health care
• The World is Flat...what about health care?
• The PAC - too precious to fail. Day 3
• News follow-ups: Appleton West, Kagen at the White House
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail - Day 2
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
• Health care, health care, health care, health care
• Water rate increase was no slam dunk
• Education for all is just a bad dream
• New Year's resolutions from a parade snob
|
| 2006 |
December
|
November
|
October
|
September
|
| 2000 |
May
|
|
