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September 11, 2009
Social Security’s Evolution
By guest blogger Loren Fisher
[Loren Fisher wrote this essay on September 8, 2009, the day before President Obama's speech to the join session of Congress - des]
My grandfather had a small sawmill in western Oregon during the thirties and forties. He was completely against F.D.R. and the New Deal. But I remember quite well that just before his retirement he changed his mind and got a job. He qualified for Social Security. Others in Oregon realized from the start that Social Security was extremely important for our country. One such person was Senator Charles L. McNary. He is still remembered as a progressive Republican, who served in the senate from 1917 to 1944. He was willing to help F. D. R. and realized the need for parts of the New Deal and especially Social Security.
As originally written, Social Security made it impossible for women and minorities to enjoy the same benefits as middle-class men. Since 1935, Social Security has evolved to correct these inequities. Each time it has changed, it has been modified to meet human need. Now we need another change; we need Healthcare Reform, but McNary-type Republicans have disappeared. Even some Democrats are far from progressive, even as they were in 1935 when they managed to put their racism into the Social Security Act. Today there are some right-wing noisemakers among us, but the general public is more knowledgeable than in the past. They can see and have experienced the need for Social Security and Medicare. Now we are confronted with the question: are we going to deny our children and the uninsured the help that makes a good life possible for us?
For us to extend Medicare for all is a moral obligation that needs our support and approval. Many who say no to such an extension will probably be the first to enjoy it. Of course the naysayers in Congress do not have to worry about their own healthcare, but they should be worried when they deny healthcare to others.
Healthcare Reform is not only important for our economy and our health, but it is essential for us to fulfill our moral responsibility in a civilized world. It is essential for us to allow Social Security to evolve; this creates the possibility for us to become citizens in a civilized world.
Loren Fisher (8 September 2009)
Posted by Duane Smith at September 11, 2009 8:50 AM | Read more on Current Events |
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