One question I would like asked at tomorrow’s town hall debate is "why are we the only modern nation that does not guarantee health care for it’s citizens?"

I do not want to hear the word socialism, we already have social security, medicare and other "socialized" programs including the latest bailout. I do not want to hear the word lobbyist, insurance of Big Pharma. I don’t want to hear "horror stories" about Canadian or UK health care. For every one I hear, I also hear 4 great stories. There will always be at least 25% of a group that grumbles or is happy in no relation to reality. Look at Bush’s core 25% approval rating.

A nation should have a vested interest in a healthy populace. At very least it means less chance of spreading disease including influenza, plague and infections. A healthy populace also equals healthy workers which equals higher productivity. It also ensures a healthy segment of people who can be called upon as soldiers should the need arrive.

Stress has been identified as a major cause of illness as well as a cause of making illnesses worse. This country is a poster child for stress. From road rage to meltdowns over lack of service to the screaming pundits – we are doing ourselves in. We have lived under an abusive spouse for the past 8 years seeing our freedom stripped away, being spied on to make sure we comply, our money taken, our travel restricted, all the while being threatened with harm if we don’t go along with all their demands.

Imagine if one of our biggest sources of stress were taken away. If we knew that no matter what else we had to worry about we did not have to ignore the symptoms of colon cancer until it was beyond hope, did not have to hesitate to take our feverish 3 year old to the emergency room, did not have to dread the thought of our 22 year breaking his leg while riding his bike to work. If we did not have to choose between our families health and bankruptcy. Would there be a ripple outward in less stress for our country. I think so.

Big Pharm and Big Insurance and their lobbyists have made enough money on our backs. They can now go look for other markets. It is immoral in my judgment that my health or your health is in the hands of an insurance company whose whole reason for being is to make money by denying care. Health CARE should not be based on INSURANCE or WEALTH. If the wealthy want to pay extra to go to a doctor who has mahogany walls in his office and 2 hour long appointments that is their right. The rest of us just want a right to be seen, diagnosed and helped.

This system is based on the Grover Norquists of the world who not only want to drown government in a bathtub they want to drown you and me as well. Their problem is that they want it all and both ways too. They don’t want government but they want good roads to drive on. They will bitch the loudest if their house catches fire and the firefighters are undermanned or if the police don’t arrive in a timely fashion. They will moan and complain if there is a shortage of nurses to attend them in the hospital or if they have to wait at a restaurant, but they do not want to have anything to do with helping the middle and lower class be able to eke out a living. Who do they think will be left to do their bidding when they drown the rest of us?

Despite what "informal" McCain adviser John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, a right-leaning Dallas-based think tank said "anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance, albeit the government acts as the payer of last resort", I am hear to tell you that is not true. A uninsured person who goes to the emergency room does NOT automatically get their care paid for by the government. They are responsible for the bill. This spring my daughter’s 24 year old friend had a ingrown hair on her leg progress to infection. When she went to get care it was discovered that the infection was MRSA staph. She was admitted and had a golf ball sized chunk of her leg removed to prevent spread. She was sent home still on intravenous antibiotics. She works full time in retail to live and attend college full time, which is what the Republicans endlessly lecture is needed to get ahead. Well now, on top of her student loans she has $30,000 in medical bills to start off her adult life. I want to know how old she will be when she can finally "get ahead". In the meantime she is being dunned by the hospital.

Universal health care (not insurance) will help everyone across the board. The doctors and hospitals will get paid and not have to keep writing off bad debts and raising the prices for the rest of us. People in need will get care. I am willing to pay more in taxes to fund it. As I see it I have to pay a co-pay toward my employer based health insurance, I have to pay a co-pay to see a doctor or purchase my prescription. If I add all those costs up and get rid of them to pay that money in taxes to a general fund for single payer health care I will probably come out even. Yes, people who do not have care now will be paying more in taxes but they will benefit by being able to see a doctor, dentist, or not fear a serious illness which could easily wipe them out. A little now or everything you own later? This is not government doctors, this is still choice of your medical provider with the fund paying the bills. Is is perfect? No, nothing ever is, but is 1000% better than what we have now. There will still be things to work out but other countries have shown it can be done.

Despite Sarah Palin and her gang seeing America as a country of exceptionalism we spend the most per capita on health costs and are now only 48th in the world in life expectancy. We are now behind Latvia in infant mortality. Republicans are you proud now?