Where's the Good Samaritan when you really need him?

President Obama prepares to take his case for healthcare reform before the joint houses of Congress on Wednesday. As someone who firmly supported his candidacy, I just signed the petition at http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4951/content.jsp?content_KEY=2801&tag=pod and added the following statement of my own:

I cannot tell you, Mr. President, how tired I am that even one citizen of the U.S. might die of an illness she or he cannot afford to combat while those of you in Washington--whom we elect to act on our behalf and for our benefit--dither and malinger over this "debate" about healthcare reform (all at the same time none of you must give it even a second thought whether you and your families might ever suffer the same fate). To my mind, there's nothing to debate.

It's one of the clearest moral questions this nation has ever faced: Do we, or do we not, treat one another as we would be treated! The privileged men and women of Congress have the mortal fate of millions of their constituents in their hands, and they wonder how we can afford to pay for healthcare reform? I see this line of thought as a distraction from the true question; namely, how can we NOT afford to care for our neighbor in need? The Good Samaritan did not debate with himself when he brought the injured person to the inn. He took out his purse and paid for the other's care. So should we now. And question no more whether we did the right thing or not.

In case you might be interested in signing some of the other petitions I have, here are seven possibilities:

1. http://www.petitiononline.com/PubOp676/petition.html
2. http://www.healthactionnow.org/?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-CPA&HBX_PK=health_care_reform_petition
3. http://wvwv-healthcarenow.org/
4. https://secure.prochoiceamerica.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3891
5. http://www.healthcare-now.org/petition/
6. http://go.sojo.net/campaign/health_care
7. http://www.healthreform.gov/support.html

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