Commentary on the Presidential Primaries
Three fundamental questions affecting the everyday life of American citizens are not being discussed to this point in our presidential campaign. As much as we are encouraged to fear terrorists, the fact remains that over 32,000 Americans die as a result of gunshots every year. Sadly, that exceeds the number of individuals killed around the world by the condemnable acts of ISIS. The bottom line is that “terrorists” are nothing more than Americans, not Muslims looking to infiltrate our country from the Middle East.
Yet we do literally nothing when it comes to confronting our problem with firearms. Nearly every day we read in the Indianapolis Star of other people being shot and killed in our city, and yet we continue to bury our heads in the sand. While our State Legislature seeks to expand the possession of firearms relating to employees, they continue to use taxpayer paid metal detectors to keep guns from entering the State House. Put another way, if the possession of guns is supposed to insure personal safety, then why do our elected officials hide behind metal detectors that are denied to the voting public? Why aren’t they forced to live like the rest of us?
Secondly, if they are opposed to Obamacare, why do they continue to receive taxpayer paid healthcare as our elected officials? If it’s good enough for them, why isn’t it good enough for the general public? Their stance resembles that taken by Queen Marie Antoinette of France at the beginning of the French Revolution in 1793, “Let them eat cake”.
Finally, while the Indy Star continually has a paid ad attached to its daily delivery concerning hearing aid centers, here is what is not discussed. While hearing problems affect millions of Americans as they reach 65 and older, our government has buckled under the influence of the medical industry where Medicare refuses to provide coverage for hearing aids. Given the fact that most insurance companies do the same thing, that leaves working class Americans to choose between paying over $5000 for hearing aids or simply suffering the consequences of partial deafness.
While we worry about the cost of prescription medication, hearing aids are priced at a level that is completely absurd. Though conservative politicians argue for limited government, they should at least require the federal government to negotiate a meaningful compromise that allows working class Americans to afford achieving average hearing.
