A "right" that impinges on some one else's freedom or property is not a right.
In order for a citizen to recieve healthcare, someone else must give up time, effort or money. That is NOT a right.
The unalienable rights, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are, as explained by the Declaration are self evident, and do not impinge on another citizen.
The rights conveyed by the Bill of Rights, property, Religion, speech, press, to keep and bear arms, etc. likewise do not impinge on others.
Once you start inventing "rights", then you cross a line, and SOMEONE suffers.
So healthcare can not be a right if my rights are infringed (by depriving me of property or freedom, e.g. working for free).
What other "rights" can we invent? Food is more crucial to life than healthcare, so why not free food?
The only rights in health care can only be tied to valid rights as granted by God or the Constitution.
I could argue that the right to "free speech" is limited, you can't yell Fire in a croweded theater, you can't defame people without consequences, so is it really Free.
You can bear arms, except in Chicago, but the right to use them and to obtain ammunition is limited, so is it really a free right?
Government exists to provide for a common basis of the populace. How much support the government provides is a never ending debate. It is a fundamental difference between several political parties and even within them.
Free is always a relative term. Most of our roads are "free" but they cost an inordinate amount of money to maintain, as does the cost for police patrols and court systems for fines, and the Department of Transportation. The system is set up for the betterment of the population.
Health care is another commodity that has been accepted in most countries as a necessary service for the support of the populace.
That has not been accepted in the US, and we pay the consequences. Because of overlapping bureaucracies and unequal availability of care, there are many duplicative services that cost a lot of money. For profit services for something that may sustain life and health would be better utilized as non profit with the care going to the populace.
The Declaration of Independence does state unalienable rights include Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. It could be presented that Life and the Pursuit of Happiness are directly impacted by the availability of health care.
Anyway, I will not change anyone's mind, but felt that I should exercise the right of mostly free speech to express my opinion. I understand that not everyone will agree but that's OK, not everyone can be right like me
