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Children's Health Insurance Veto Insult To Nation's Future

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 14, 2007

Throughout my life, I have seen my share of suffering and pain. I am especially sensitive to the pain and suffering of children.

When I see despair on a child's face, I have a hard time coping with it. I have worked with many children from families that are economically challenged or destitute.

When I hear of someone who purposely hurts them, I become furious. When that person is of power and influence, then we have a person with poor moral fortitude who needs to pray for forgiveness for their act of moral weakness.

As you know by now, our honorable president vetoed a bill that would have expanded a popular children's health insurance program. I am aware that there was a difference in opinion over how much to spend on this program, but when you veto a bill like this one, you do more damage to the country than you may be aware.

When I heard about the veto, I spent some time in the emergency room of two hospitals. I sat and watched, listened and even wept.

I spoke to a single mother who has no health insurance. She made too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford even the most meager of health insurances policies for her 5-year-old son. As a result, she was desperate and distraught. She was one of the people who were directly affected by President Bush's veto of the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Her son has multiple problems, including asthma, irregular heartbeats and various food allergies that require regular medical care. She did not know me, but she cried in my arms over this veto. She was one of many people I met who will suffer.

The debate over this popular insurance program is heated. However, how many of these congressmen from both political parties have spent time at an emergency room? I'm not talking about the emergency rooms where the affluent go; I am talking about emergency rooms where the poor and underprivileged go. I did, and I can strongly attest that the experience was painful and depressing. It was like a continuous flow of despair.

My comments here are not designed to be political in any way. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, so please do not treat it as such. It is simply an issue about our children.

Whether you are rich or poor, white or black, all our children need to be seen as blessings from God. What message are we sending the citizenry of this great nation? Are we indicating that if you are of a different political, ethnic, economic or religious class, you can only receive a certain type of care or none at all?

I am not advocating socialized medicine. What I want everyone to think about are our children, our future. The choice to veto this bill is dividing this nation and hurting children.

The Republicans state the bill had many hidden agendas not acceptable to the president. If that is so, then shame on the Democrats. However, the veto is just as shameful. These issues should have been sorted out in the bipartisan committee that wrote the bill.

The lack of morale fortitude on both sides of the aisle is a clear sign of partisanship chess, where the weakest player - our children - is the pawn. This veto sacrifices the health of millions of children in order to win a chess game that cannot be won this way. As the Democrats and Republicans haggle over who is winning this debate, our children lose.

Children inspire in me two sentiments: tenderness, for what they are, and respect, for what they may become. When we hurt them in any way, we do not have to answer to any man; instead, someday we will answer to a higher power.

As a society, we need to stand for something. If we don't stand up for our children, then we don't stand for much.

To nourish the health of our children and raise them against the ills of this world is more valuable to this country than the greatest inventions ever created. To stifle their health is to stifle our future. Put aside your political leanings for a moment and reflect on our children. What are we becoming when we become a nation that fails to cherish our legacy - our children?

Our president professes to be a Christian. Mr. President, please search your heart and faith and help our children.

British author Pamela Glenconner said it best:

'Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them. Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quiet them. Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him. Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it.'

Let's not harden the hearts of our youngest generation. Let us work together to nourish and strengthen the future of this country by nourishing and strengthening the health of our children.

The writer, a Democrat, is a youth counselor and Zephyrhills city councilman.

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