What we all deserve

My three favorite sections of the newspaper are the comics, the crosswords and the letters to the editor. I have closely followed the debate on health care, and eagerly awaited comments on Sen. John McCain’s recent diagnosis. What interested me most was how the argument became an issue of what the senator deserved. And that struck me as the heart of the debate over health care and the so-called entitlement programs.

I have a great deal of respect for Senator McCain, a true military hero who has served this country with honor, courage and integrity. He has earned access to some of the best health care available in this country because of his service. But to say he deserves his health care implies that other people don’t.

The same argument applies to programs that comprise the “socialist” safety net of SNAP, welfare, SSDI, SSI and Medicaid. These are collectively referred to as entitlement programs, with a very negative implication. But most people feel they are entitled to certain government benefits, programs and/or tax breaks. Like the ridiculously low tax on capital gains and all those other deductions that allow wealthier Americans to reduce their tax liability.

And to say that only certain people deserve shelter, food and clothing is wrong as well. A child does not choose to be born into poverty, but this random assignment defines to an overwhelming extent the quality of their education and their access to jobs and health care.

Yes, there are some people who prefer to live off the effort of others. But that is true at all levels of society.

There is no excuse, especially in this so-called Christian nation, for any citizen to go without food, without shelter, without health care, and without hope of having a better life for themselves or their children. We all deserve at least a small slice of the American pie. KATHERINE TUCKER

Perryville