Letter: Health should be available to all

Daily I read where science has made more progress in understanding the gene code and the marvelous advances in genetic engineering.

When one looks forward to these applications in the field of medicine, it portends freedom from many of the scourges that now plague mankind. With that will come a longer life, hopefully free of pain and misery.

However, in our greedy, hedonistic and capitalistic society, these seeming miracles today will only be available to the richest segment of our society. None of these cures will be available to the average citizen.

The older segment of our society will be the rich who can afford these coming cures. Much of the current research has been funded by taxpayer dollars and let us face it, everyone pays taxes, even the poor.

These cures should be available as easily to the poor as to the rich. It is time that the nation comes together and determines that all the citizens should have optimum health care. That should be a fundamental precept of our nation.

The Declaration of Independence states all citizen have "the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." It would appear to me that the right to life must include "a healthy life," not just a healthy life limited to the rich.

It is time for our nation to address this issue and adopt a plan of universal medical care that will provide the same level of health care to all of the nation's citizens, regardless of wealth.

RAY HARBERT

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