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Racism and Healthcare???

Regrettably, my gym tends to feature MSNBC on the television screens.  Between Rachel Maddow and other hosts, I've seen the mystifying assertion repeatedly made that opposition to nationalizing health care is somehow tied to racism.  

This may the easiest argument to refute in the history of arguments.  

If we replaced Barack Obama with his clone, but the clone was in favor of dealing with the health care issue through a massive federal lawsuit reform bill, does anyone think conservatives would fail to support him?

Uh, no.  Race has nothing to do with it.  Simple prudence has everything to do with it.

People oppose the healthcare bill because:

They don't think the government should determine how a legitimate commercial exchange between consenting adults occurs.  OR Because they are satisfied with their current insurance.  OR Because they suspect government does not make a good provider of a vital service the private sector can and does provide.  OR Because they fear government intrusion would slow or stop the amazing pace of innovation in American medicine.  OR Because they are worried about the fiscal impact of national healthcare plans on the debt.  

OR any of a dozen other highly legitimate reasons.  Try dealing with a few of them.

About the Author

Hunter Baker is associate dean of arts and sciences and associate professor of political science at Union University. He is the author of The End of Secularism and winner of the 2011 Michael Novak Award. His personal website is www.hunterbaker.wordpress.com.

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/08/11/racism-and-healthcare

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