This article is about our moral responsibilities as a people and as a nation.
I've visited patients in the psychiatric ward of our local hospital. I've seen people who are totally dysfunctional, people who have major mental problems, people who don't want to leave for fear of committing suicide. I've seen people with all sorts of problems that require psychiatric care. Some are on such heavy medication that they are non-responsive and have difficulties with such simple tasks as holding a cigarette. Some people are released in the care of their families.
Others are released into group homes. These are in need of closely supervised living. Those requiring less supervision are transferred from group homes to rented apartments. Usually, three or four live in a rented apartment. This makes the rented apartment affordable. The ones in a rented apartment still need a structured living environment. Social workers come to drive them to the bank, the laundromat, the grocery store, the department store, etc. Nurses come to the rented apartment to provide health care for those with high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. The people receiving this type of care are the lucky ones. Their families realized that these people could not survive on their own and did what they had to do to ensure that these people did not end up homeless and roaming the streets. One might see these people sitting on the front porch of their rented apartment or pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. They may be heavily medicated and in their own world.
Others are not so fortunate. Others are living on an inadequate income without any form of supervised living arrangements. They are on the streets. I see them almost every week. Some of them stand on a street corner holding a sign that reads "Will work for food." or "Will work for money."
Some look hungry, but will not ask for money or food. They'll spend what little change they have on a cup of coffee. But we think they're hungry because of the way they look at the food being served to us. We're pretty sure they don't eat well because some of them are thin as a broom stick. They probably are at the local food pantries and soup kitchens often. Sometimes we offer one a sandwich or french fries or a soda. Sometimes they just want someone to listen to them. Sometimes they're just looking for a friendly conversation.
There are those who ask for money. My wife and I usually only give loose change. One asked for some money for food. When he received the loose change, he immediately entered the fast food restaurant and ordered a hamburger and a coffee.
When I hear talk of cutting Medicaid, I think of these people. When I hear talk of eliminating Welfare, I think of all the people who belong on Medicaid but are instead on Welfare. I think of the people who are trapped in their own living situations due to major emotional scars and other problems.
When I hear talk of cutting Medicare, I think of all those elderly folks who cannot afford any other medical insurance. It's sad to realize that many who lose their Medicare insurance might die needlessly of a disease that in the early stages is curable.
When I hear talk of privatizing Social Security, I think of those who are unfortunate enough to lose their investments in a stock market crash or a stock market downturn at a critical moment in their lives. I know that some think we all should be aware and act accordingly. But that line of thought is so ridiculous, it is almost laughable. That is . . . If it wasn't so sad.
If I saw a person injured and badly in need of medical attention, I would call a ambulance. It would not matter whether the person is an illegal immigrant, a visitor or a poor person. If a person dies because I refused to get that person medical help, that act is tantamount to negligent homicide. It doesn't matter if it's an unborn baby or a living person. It's no different with governments. If a government denies health care for an illegal immigrant and that person dies because that person was denied health care, that's negligent homicide . . . plain and simple.
When I think of all the people who will be without support and without health care after these cold-blooded politicians wipe out the Entitlement programs, the phrase that comes to mind is not negligent homicide. The phrase that comes to mind is negligent genocide.
