In all those years since the late 1960s, America has become a nation that failed to learn from the lessons of the past about what made America a great nation. This was the noble experiment of democracy; a republic under God, an indivisible nation that our founding fathers entrusted to future generations. Sad to say, today our founding fathers would look down on this nation and probably say “What the heck happened?” Life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness are no longer available to everyone. They are the richest, the richest few are the only ones who benefit the most today.
Most of us are now caught in a vicious cycle of financial, emotional, physical, and cultural decline. Our elected officials now rule by withholding millions of dollars just to get elected and remain elected. They no longer take the time, are too self-centered, and have become too distant to focus on meaningful legislation that, if passed, will ensure that all citizens are better off. Only once would we like a candidate or elected official to start by having a leadership plan that would ensure how to make their constituents have a better quality of life. A leadership plan that would produce more employment opportunities with real living wages, health care coverage, and greater educational opportunities. A leadership plan that would also achieve real national security. The kind of security that gives all Americans a true sense of being in a country where they are truly protected from any threat of terror. Every leadership plan should include four phases: one for your direct constituency, one for the state in which they are elected or serve, one for the nation they represent, and one for the world in which we all live.
The late Senator Edward Kennedy was probably the only elected official before his passing in 2009 who tried and succeeded in most of the legislation he sponsored. He had a concise direction plan not only for his state, but also for the country and the world. When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act of 2010, it was just one step in the right direction for this nation. However, it did little to offset the continuing situation that more than 65 million Americans still lack health care coverage. Now, the question is; Did we finish Senator Kennedy’s most important job? That is, establish universal health care? The torch has been passed and now it’s up to Senator Bernie Sanders to finish what Ted Kennedy started.
Kennedy’s legacy should not be tarnished by Chappaquiddick but by the eloquence of the speeches that shook a nation and by all the legislation he sponsored. But, his most beloved work still remains unfinished. When Senator Sanders took up the torch with the passing of Senator Kennedy, it was a true testament to the character of both men. Because they both realized that having Universal Health Care for all Americans and a progressive agenda is vital to the stability of the nation. Through educating the population, which is key to success, both men have dedicated their lives.
Now, it is Senator Sanders’ turn to rally the nation to join a progressive agenda much like the one Senator Kennedy was so instrumental in making. A Medicare for All bill is now before Congress and it is Senator Sanders who has made it possible for the United States to do the right thing for all Americans by proposing a Medicare for All bill.
The plan, which Senator Kennedy envisioned for this nation, would be funded by changing our tax code to a flat 10 percent tax, eliminating Medicare and Medicaid, and shifting their funding allocations toward universal health care. [you don’t need Medicare or Medicaid when you have Universal Health Care] pass legislation to legalize the sale of marijuana and establish a five percent sales tax to raise additional funds, eliminate capital gains tax (this will spur more investment and real estate sales), and impose a $. 05 cents on all alcohol and tobacco products. With all of these enactments in place, they will fund Universal Health Care. We must remember that it is the doctors, nurses and caregivers who will run and operate Universal Health Care, not the government. The government is the one that funds Universal Health Care.
This is what the late Senator Kennedy was trying to accomplish. Now, the torch is passed and Senator Bernie Sanders is about to finish the work started by Ted Kennedy. It is time to put our differences aside and support the work that Senator Sanders is trying to finish. We must remember that the United States is almost financially insolvent. Having Universal Health Care is only part of a total affordable plan that will secure the future of this nation. We all have to realize that fear of change or the unknown is the biggest obstacle to improvement. Remember that quote from President Franklin Roosevelt: “What we have to fear is fear itself.” That is very appropriate today. Education is the best way to get rid of the fear and anxiety of changing from what we have become used to. But not shifting to where the entire country is propelled into a brighter and more secure future only continues the economic deprivation this nation finds itself in today. Establishing Universal Health Care is the key to that brighter and more secure future.
