Do we as a society have a moral obligation to help those of a lesser status?

Question

Specifically, I'm talking about the recent health care plan vetoed by Bush.
Think about this before you answer -
No, health care isn't written into the constitution, but remember Doctors didn't charge a hundred bucks for an office visit, and the country has changed vastly since 1776. Health insurance was non existant back then. (and for the record, slavery was legal and women didn't vote...we changed that for the better, didn't we?)

Don't think you have to support other's people's kids? Technically, No, you don't. But the schools you and your family attended, the home you live in, food you eat, the roads you drive on, and life as you know it was established by the blue collar worker. The lower class is the foundation of the upper classes. I could not have gotten where I did today without them, neither could you.

So the question, do we have a moral obligation to help those of a lesser status?

Answer 1

Yes we do, and by the way it is absolutely awesome to hear someone who is doing quite well acknowledge and give credit to the working class people. And you have a very firm grip on reality in your assertions about roads, schools, homes, food etc. The erosion of the manufacturing base and blue collar jobs in general and the subsequent erosion of the middle class are weakening the country significantly. I for one have helped people of lesser means where I could, and in turn have been helped significantly by people of greater means (doctors, lawyers, friends, etc.), which in an ideal and conscientious society is the way it should work. I have worked very hard physically and in educating myself, to achieve a better life and helping others and being helped is absolutely essential to personal and societal success. Rosebee, another of your excellent questions and keen observations, again thanks for your acknowledgement and and credit you give the blue collar worker. A person who is a blue collar, may be that by chooice and not necessarily because they are less intelligent, they take pride in what they do , as do you, as we all should. Most cultures have a deep rooted belief in the principal of "what goes around comes around", "Ying- Yang", "Balance" etc., in our society this seems to currently be diminished by the blind, moronic, thoughtless polarization we are currently experiencing. Let's hope this changes soon, we will ALL be better off. Thanks Rosebee and keep 'em coming, you and people like you are needed to enlighten those wallowing in their dark oblivion.

Answer 2

It's not about moral obligations, it's about imposed financial obligations by the government. It's not like I have a choice to help those of lesser status, if universal health care is made a reality I will be FORCED to help them, against my will if necessary. Now, I have a right to be greedy if I want to be. I do donate to charity, but I choose when and how much and which charity. Universal health care doesn't work like that: the government takes in everyone's money, disproportionately from the rich and redistributes it as it sees fit. That is called socialism and I strongly oppose it.

Health care is expensive in this country because we have a good system. Some of the best doctors and most cutting edge procedures are only available here. The reason why is because it's a capitalist system that is profitable and encourages investment. Socializing this system will hamper its advancement. Since the US is one of the leading pioneers in advancing medicine, universal health care will be bad for the world when we stop advancing the state of the industry.

Answer 3

First no on the left has a right to bring up any thing dealing with Moral!

How about how the left is trying to provide the dream act to give to criminals( illegals)
Or what about trying to use what you are talking about to give a starting point for more Communism.
Or how the left plays politics with our solider lives and our lives to gain power.

So every one that is left or Communist Or democrats shall and I say shall be tried for treason the next hit on the USA on our soil.
So do not talk about Morals as you on the left kill babies, solderers and Americans so do not try to take the high road and when you hold Democrats politicians on a pedestal for having sex in the oval office or Having affairs with young pages who and are gay.
Or when the left like the NAG's do not say a word about Islam enslaving women or Gay groups saying a word about Iran killing gays.
You have no moral right to even say the word.

Answer 4

Yes........but good Christians like Bush don't think so.Yet is perfectly alright to spend another 190 billion dollars in Iraq!And keep our troops in harms way indefinitely.While allowing the no-bid contractors to de-fraud the Pentagon of every cent they can!Why haven't these contractors been prosecuted for war profiteering?

What really perplexes me is how the Republicans can call themselves the moral party when they have allowed this behavior!
Especially when you consider the Foley scandal last year..........he spoke out about child sexual abuse for years......as he was chasing the congressional pages!Which probably wouldn't have been so bad but for the fact that he wasn't even chasing the opposite sex!

Answer 5

I do have a moral obligation, so I donate to the local shelter.

The cool thing about donations is, a community can deal accordingly with problems in its own area!

Donating directly to shelters and other local charaties allow you to get a HUGE % per dollar to that charity. Once the govt gets involved, that $1.00 becomes $0.28

If everyone donated locally they would not only get tax cuts, but we could eliminate some of these billion dollar black holes that ultimately pay for politicians yearly salary increases and pensions.

We could literally see personal donations of about 30% equal to a greater, and more effecient result!

Answer 6

Yes, to an extent.

Where is the line drawn when helping becomes enabling? When a $100 for groceries becomes $50,000 to support a drug habit?

I didn't get where I am because someone gave me a hand out - I got here because I worked my butt off. No silver spoon in my mouth, no perfect path.......things went wrong, life sucked at times, but I put on my big girl panties and worked my butt off!

I am tired of being told that because I am financially secure and have gotten myself to the point that I have insurance and benefits that I have some moral obligation to "the less fortunate".

Don't the "less fortunate" have a moral obligation to put on their big girl/boy undies and contribute to society instead of leeching off it?

Answer 7

I think that we should be helping poor people in our own families and taking steps to prevent more people from becoming poor. On the other hand some the poor are drug addicts and alcoholics ,so handing them money is just supplying their habit. I believe that people who have had convictions for substance abuse should be made to some kind of work. For example , going to a substance abuse meeting will give them a certain amount of money . If they don't go they don't get say 20.00 in their monthly check.

Answer 8

helping those of a leser status ?...the answer is yes, but to what extent ?

I think we all have a moral obligation to protect the health of all children.... regardless.

Children should never be victims of failed government policies, or the mistakes of the adults who brought them here illegally..

Also... When you consider the fact that ANYONE can go to the emergency room regardless of their legal or social status... Do we really want the emergency rooms clogged up with illegals or the uninsured, who just need basic medical care ?...which do you think would cost more ?...providing basic care to everyone ?...or limiting 37% of the population to using emergency services for non-emergency health problems ?

Answer 9

I believe so. The wealthy for one have more money they could ever spend and two if you widen the gap between the haves and have nots, you create a society of desperate people who are forced to commit violent acts to survive. What's the point of having a bunch of money when it's not safe to walk the streets? Who wants to live in such a place? There is no reason a country as rich as ours can't provide affordable and adequate health care to all it's citizens. Bush needs to be impeached. He has literally lead this country into the ground. I'm tired of him wrangling Americans like cattle. He's the worst kind of traitor.

Answer 10

Here is something to think about. This bill which is being promoted as health care for kids is in reality a back door way to provide health care to illegal aliens. There is a very interesting clause in it that basically states that "nothing in this bill is intended to provide health care coverage to illegal immigrants". That is code for it does not forbid health care coverage to illegal immigrants. When that clause was challenged and a different clause was suggested, one that specifically forbid providing coverage for illegal aliens, the committee refused.

Health care has become so expensive because of government regulations and mandates. Office visits, for instance, would be far cheaper if people paid for them directly. It was always that way before the advent of the HMO which was created by a Democrats in Congress led by Ted Kennedy. (you would never know it by the way they lambaste the very HMO's they created!). HMO's are just another example of a well intentioned Government plan that has had a devastating effect on private practice.

When we paid for office visits ourselves, we shopped for the doctors we wanted. We did not go to the doctor unless we really needed a doctor. There were never jam-packed waiting rooms back then. Doctors received payment at the time service was rendered. They did not have to wait for months and months.

You talk about schools, our homes, our food, roads etc. These are important and we pay for them with our taxes. But there is a major difference. These are handled by private industry, Municiple, County or State government. NOT by the Federal Govenment. The people who provide these important services already have health insurance. I was a blue collar worker most of my life as was my father. We always had health insurance.

There already is a Federal Program that provides cheap health coverage for children. However, the problem is over 65% of the people receiving it are adults! This is a typical government bureaucracy in action.

There are already programs that cover poor people. There already is a program that covers low income people. No one is turned away for lack of ablilty to pay. For crying out loud, what is the crisis here?

What next? Vacations for the children? New bicycles for the children? We already provide free education, free breakfast, free hot lunch free medical care etc. Where do the parents come in? Don't they have any responsibility to the rest of society not to keep producing children when they cannot afford to properly care for? Do you really expect me to believe anyone living in America cannot provide a baloney sandwich for their kids' lunch? If they are that destitute why are they having children?

You talk about obligations. People are supposed to be obligated not to be a burden on society by making stupid decisions. Remember this: If you wish to incourage a behavior, subsidize it. If you wish to discourage a behavior, tax it.

We have it backwards. That is the problem.

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