During the socialized health care vote/debate/civil war, I heard someone make this statement, and it has troubled me since.
"Health care is a right just like education is a right."
A right, eh?
What is a right? We have the right to freedom of speech. We have the right to remain silent. We have the right to vote. We have the right to bear arms.
I see a distinct difference between the right to speak freely or bear arms and education:
Speaking is something which we have complete personal control over. Buying a firearm and carrying it is something which we have complete personal control over.
Education is a gift from the superior knowledge of another human being, and therefore we have no personal control over it.
Health care professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) have studied and made knowledge of health care their possession, just as a mechanic's tool kit is his possession. Same with teachers. Their knowledge is their possession.
Treating the possession of another human being as a personal right is called thievery. Treating health care or education as a right is the same as stealing the mechanic's tools.
While I do not like Obama-care in the slightest, this is not an attack on it. I am merely pointing out a distinction in what is or is not a personal right.
By the way, you do not have the right to even BREATHE tomorrow. You could be in a car accident and die four hours from now. You don't know, do you? Be careful what you call a right, and make sure you have complete personal control over it.
*waits to see what crawls from the can of worms*
Female Persimmon Flowers
4 months ago
You said it girl! Back in the 18th and 19th centuries education was viewed a privilege–something a child was expected to pursue independently if they wanted to learn anything at all. Kids walked miles to school voluntarily just so they could have a better shot at life. We live in such an entitlement society today that we expect everything to be handed to us... which is what started the whole mess of the 70's and veered an entire generation (the ones now ruling over us) off the track of hard work and into the ditch of lazy entitlement. Now it's being passed down to an even greater extreme to our generation. Most people around the world don't even view a decent meal, a roof over their heads, or a day off from work as a right. They have to invest every ounce of energy they have for a scrap of food, money, and clothing. It's amazing how spoiled we've become.
ReplyDeleteThanks for speaking the truth!
Blessings,
Kate