You’re only young once!

Protest health care reform if you want to. You have that right. Remember, there were violent and vehement protests against Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security when they were passed. Ask those people who use any of these “social programs” now if they think we should repeal them. During the recent debates over health care reform, many of the protesters carried signs protesting against reform calling it “socialized medicine” and were saying in front of the media “…but don’t touch my Medicare”. Medicare IS a social program, partially paid for by its recipients and very affordable. It has become a part of our social fabric and accepted by almost everyone as a “citizen contract” with our government. We pay a portion of our income into Medicare as we do into Social Security. As people age, they have to consider this contract as part of their total retirement package because we cannot work forever and have our employer pay for our health care benefits, or be able to afford the ever increasing health insurance premiums for the coverage we need after we retire. So if you are young and healthy and resent having to pay your fair share for health care now to help you and your parents and your grandparents and many other people who cannot afford basic health care, how will you feel in the future when your children resent having to pay for health insurance that benefits you? "The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." -Hubert H. Humphrey, November 4, 1977. You’re only young once. Pay it forward.