Archived Story
True test for health care is at the polls
Published 12:06am Friday, June 29, 2012Rarely has an issue so divided our country as the “Affordable Care Act” dubbed Obamacare by opponents.
The sweeping legislation provided the biggest expansion of the federal government’s social safety net in more than four decades.
Among the most controversial sections was the so-called individual mandate, which requires individuals to have health care insurance or pay a penalty.
Like millions of Americans, we opposed certain sections of the law, including the individual mandate. Such a universal requirement seems to go against the very spirit of independence and freedom upon which our country was founded.
But the Supreme Court disagreed, upholding the law in a ruling released Thursday.
Five of the nine justices interpreted the penalty required by the individual mandate as a tax, thus allowing it to pass the Constitutional smell test.
Regardless of whether or not we agree with the court, we all must accept it as the law, at least for now. We’re a nation of laws and must realize our nation has a process of checks and balances of power — one of which we just saw in the high court’s decision.
The next step for opponents is to support candidates who seek to reform the health care reform — in whole or in part — during the November elections.
Regardless of which side of the debate you may be on, no greater way to show that support exists than to take an active role in the government at the polls.
