Congress must step up on health care

The glib promise of 'affordable health care” should sound to us just as preposterous as 'affordable fire protection, 'affordable parks,” 'affordable bridges,” and 'affordable streets.” We pay for those services and many others out of the general tax base and enjoy them in common. Remove greed, and Medicare for all would take its place among them.

Withholding health care from anyone for any reason defines immorality. But while medicine-for-profit ranks among the greatest of political shams, we can overturn it by offering a new health care system of shared cost and universal service. We have led the world in so many areas; why should we not match - and exceed - the health care model of other countries? Polls say most of us want it; we can afford it; we have now only to demand it.

Step up, Congress, or make way for others who can do the job.

Lorna Lewers

Cedar Rapids