Supreme Court can’t heal partisan rifts on health care
What America needs regarding health care, more than anything else, is an honest, bipartisan debate. Tossing this political football to the Supreme Court won’t help; the high court has proved itself every bit as factional as Congress (“3 days that may reshape America” Cover story, News, Monday).
The problem has never been a lack of good, open-minded advice. Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles provided some about deficit reduction and were rebuffed for their efforts. When members of Congress vote along party lines to embarrass the president, how can our nation ever expect to be united?
Unquestionably, health care in the U.S. costs more than in other industrialized nations. We still cannot adequately and affordably care for our own citizens. That’s unconscionable. David L. Snell Dillsboro, N.C.
Mandate leads to slippery slope
The country should be holding its collective breath as the Supreme Court meets to consider the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”).
History will likely show that our freedoms were taken by our federal government with a nibble here and a nibble there.
If a majority of the justices find the act and its components constitutional, it would result in a large bite out of our freedoms. Then where would the government go next to curtail freedoms we now enjoy? Would we, in order for all to enjoy cleaner air, all have to buy an electric car by a certain date or be fined if we do not?
What the justices do as appointed — not elected — officials is out of our control, but we will be seriously affected if they vote to uphold the law. Dennis Brady
Exeter, N.H.
Support for Affordable Care Act
USA TODAY’S article “3 days that may reshape America” did a great job summing up the issues facing the Supreme Court on President Obama’s health care program. I find it sad that many so-called conservatives are hoping that the unelected Supreme Court overturns a law that was democratically passed by Congress.
These conservatives are so full of hatred for Obama and seem to care so little about the health of millions of their fellow Americans that they are unwilling to work within the legislative process and want a quick judicial fix to force their views on everyone else.
I’m still proud to say that I voted for Al Gore for president in 2000. Gore won the election with a majority of the vote. Conservatives used a 5-4 vote of the U.S. Supreme Court to shut down state and local election processes in Florida and declare George W. Bush president.
I hope they don’t get the court to shut down the Obama health care program.