Election day in the U.S. - health care issues

As my regular readers may know, I'm Canadian. We had a general election in October, five weeks after it was called. But, as many Canadians, I have been following the US election with great interest. I think it's an historic time for all and I've been as captivated as many Americans in the back and forth between the political parties.

One major issue that I keep reading about and know of from American friends relating their personal experiences, is that of health care. As you make your decision of who to vote for, many of you are basing this on health care.

It's easy for me, as a Canadian, to roll my eyes when I hear the arguments against "socialized" medicine, but it breaks my heart when I read about my American friends who have to make job decisions based on insurance and who still end up paying large amounts of money just to get basic health care.

The Canadian medical system isn't perfect. It definitely has its faults and its flaws. But, I know that if I'm sick, I can go to the doctor (emergency room, clinic, etc) and get the basic care I need without having to worry about if I can afford it. Our buildings may not be flashy, our walls may need a good paint job, but the people who are working within the system are doing their best to make it work. I do wish I could wave a magic wand and fix all the problems we do have, but I also thank God that I don't live in a place where my health has a dollar value.

Please don't think of socialized medicine as a great big evil. Whoever you vote for, whatever your beliefs, please just take this thought away: there are only two countries in the developed world that don't protect their citizens' health: South Africa and the United States. If you want to be the greatest country in the world, you're going to have to make sure that the people in that country can afford decent health care.

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