I must begin with a quote because at the moment I cannot produce a literate or complete sentence which fully describes my feelings in regard to health care in America. The aforementioned quote came to mind after rifling through countless articles heralding the disaster at hand and the fan which will not remain clean much loner--all of these, of course, had numbers, charts, and graphs to spew from on end to the other. Any English-reading person is hard pressed to find any literature on this subject that does not contain either of the words "doomed" or "overhaul."

My point is this: health care, at least in this country, should be either government funded care for all those who need it, or an uncensored capitalist system free from all government involvement. Essentially--all or nothing. Shakespeare never said "to be," or "to be halfway," or "to be sometimes." I understand that I cannot place the well-being of every U.S. citizen precariously upon two lines written in a moment of brilliance by an author 338 years dead. I also believe that the choice which needs to be made is between socialized medicine, as instituted in Canada, for example, or the "come what may" capitalist-run-amuck system. No bias intended.

Ironically, it is my "American" values which are causing me to cry out in anguish at what I am hearing, reading, and seeing every day. To me, there is something innately wrong with the fact that elderly citizens need to sell their homes to have gallstones removed, that there is no national program for prenatal and infant care, that there is no plan for the treatment of the mentally ill, never mind every other aspect of poverty and sickness. The programs enacted to "meet the needs of the American people," is almost equally disappointing. Medicaid and Medicare--no ticker tape please. Abysmal failures such as these would cause third world countries to blush. South Africa and the United States are the only two industrialized nations without a national health plan.

I am a member of a dying breed: I still believe that the government is the people and the people are the government. When the time comes that this nation cannot make the time or the money to promote and maintain the health of its citizens, I don't want to be here. We have tightened our own noose and it will take more than a tax credit Bandaid to heal our wounds.

We can't afford to be afraid of socialism anymore, just because it rhymes with "communism." It is "okay" for this country to get the health care it needs so that each person gets the individual care each needs. When it comes to health care we need to stop worrying ab out what the o the guy has that we don't, and start worrying about whether or not each person, young or old, rich or poor, is having their rights as a human being protected. In this case, the right to adequate health care--mental, preventive, surgical and otherwise.

I have not forgotten the skeptics. Let me now address what is readily important.MONEY! Where will the funds for this socialized empire come from? You guessed it: cut military spending. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, in 1989, $294,876 million of our federal taxes are spent on the defense program, in comparison with the meager $172,301 million sum total of all the Health and Human Services Departments. No one is going to attack us for god's sake. And with any luck, we won't be heading off to play boy scout in the Sahara again anytime soon. Who or what do we have left to spy on--Japanese car factories? Shifting funds from an increasingly useless cause to an increasingly needy on just makes sense. Federal and state government should share financial and supevisionary roles, with areas of poverty receiving more financial aid than wealthier communities. State governments could choose to tax its citizens in any manner they choose; however, the basic financial burden should rest with the federal government. Local clinics should be implemented, using the clinics as the central caregivers. The clinic system, as used in Canada, is especially practical because all the services are brought together--mental care, child care, care for the elderly and, of course, physical care. The elimination of insurance companies and the unification of health care professionals will significantly cut red tape and consequently, costs. Cost "capping" should also be used to control procedural and professional fees and costs.

I do not know if the system I propose is on which could be achieved, especially after this country has drifted so far down into the quagmire which lies in the opposite direction. At least it is a clue, a proposal, an idea--which seems to be a concept not within Congress' grasp. At the age of eighteen I have discovered that I have the power to vote. Unfortunately, the only representatives and senators with a chance are those who can successfully sidestep all the issues. My generation is being asked to solve problems that have filtered down and mildewed into the foundations of this country. I am so angry, the entire federal government cannot come up with even a proposed proposal of a possible plan! They are asking a generation of half-children to begin bearing the burden of dead men's mistakes. It is one thing to be angry and confused and have an outlet, a choice to make, but it is a completely different thing to be angry and confused and to have no control, no say in your own future.

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