The Equalizer

When I was growing up in Alabama the United Negro College Fund had an ad that ran on Black radio stations constantly. The ad depicted a courtroom scene in which a white woman was sentenced to jail for the “crime” of teaching “colored” children to read. That was once a reality in the southern states, and it is important to ask the question “why?” Why did white people feel it was important for Black people to be illiterate? Why did they feel so strongly about it that they would codify it and were willing to put other white people in jail for violating that code?

H.L. Mencken has been quoted as saying “You will never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people”. Perhaps we should listen to "Deep Throat" of "Watergate" fame and “follow the money”. 

According to the New York Times, there are more uninsured Americans living in the former Confederate states than anywhere else in the country. They also suffer from the most poverty, and they also have the lowest levels of education. Ironically, these same people are literally a voting bloc for the Republican Party, and the most vociferous opponents of the Affordable Care Act. Again, it is really important to ask the question “Why?”

We must understand, before we condemn.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say that you were white, unemployed, with three children still in middle and high school. You’re married, but your spouse is making $12.00 an hour with no benefits. You live in a trailer in Alabama and neither of you went to college. You are both in your late 40’s, and both of you smoke. Your child that’s in middle school has constant strep throat and one of your high school kids has asthma. None of your kids have ever been to a dentist. You lost your health insurance when you lost your job and you struggle to pay your bills.

Now, what if I walked up to your trailer and told you I was going to sell you some insurance that would cover the following;

·         Doctor visits, prescriptions, home health services, and hospice care.

·         Visits to the emergency room, and the ambulance to take you there.

·         Hospital care, including doctors, nurses, laboratory and other tests, medications, room and board, surgeries and transplants. Even nursing home care.

·         Laboratory services, including preventive stuff like breast cancer screenings and prostate exams.

·         Maternity and new born care, including labor, delivery, and post-delivery.

·         Diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of mental health and substance abuse issues.

·         Physical or occupational therapy, including speech therapy, as well as cardiac or pulmonary rehab.

·         Pediatric care for children, including well-child visits and vaccines and immunizations. Dental and vision care as well, including corrective lenses every year.

·         Preventive care, such as physicals, immunizations, and cancer screenings, and care for chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

In addition to all of that stuff, you can’t be denied if you are already sick, and there is no limit on how much the insurance will pay.

Your first response would probably be “that sounds pretty good but I can’t afford it”. But then I would say, “Oh but yes you can! Because the government is only going to ask you to pay what you can afford, and they will pay the rest!”

What would you do then? And why would you do it?

Would you say “Sign me up right now!” because nothing is more important than the well-being of your family?

 Or, would you say, “Take your insurance and shove it!” 

I believe that it was once a crime in the South to educate Black people because the ruling class realized it would be impossible to subjugate any educated group of people in a democracy. Education gives an individual the power to think and reason. It gives them the literacy to be able to inform, motivate, organize, and lead others.

It is amazing to me that the Republican politicians have convinced the lower income whites in the South to act and to vote against their own interests.

Education always has been, and always will be a key element in solving most of our nation’s problems. Unfortunately, for the people of the South, it is in the best interests of the politicians to keep things just the way they are.

As for the people, the poor people that need it most, education, the great equalizer, will continue to be out of reach.  

 The Republicans are probably saying, “We will never lose an election, underestimating the intelligence of the people in the South”.

They could be right.