Government run health care

[Edwina's Secretary]

In post 14 I asked for an answer/explanation to/of this statement, and I'm still waiting.

Don't feel bad. I often don't get answers either!

[pomtzu]

Don't feel bad. I often don't get answers either!

I guess it's easier to just back off when you're cornered.

[Puckstop31]

I guess it's easier to just back off when you're cornered.

Awwww..... You beat me to it.


<golf clap>

[Marigold2]

I am sorry I didn't realize you were waiting for an answer, I only come on about once a week and this Sat my son is getting married so I have been so busy, but in a great way.
Plus I work full-time so I am limited to how much time I have for PT, judging from everyones posts I guess that is a good thing. LOL
Got to run but I will get back to you next week.

In post 14 I asked for an answer/explanation to/of this statement, and I'm still waiting. You dropped out of sight in your own thread and left it for others to give it a new life and direction.
Out of sight - out of mind????? I'm not that easily distracted.

[pomtzu]

I am sorry I didn't realize you were waiting for an answer, I only come on about once a week and this Sat my son is getting married so I have been so busy, but in a great way.
Plus I work full-time so I am limited to how much time I have for PT, judging from everyones posts I guess that is a good thing. LOL
Got to run but I will get back to you next week.

I'll check back for an answer in about a month.....

And I wouldn't have asked the question if I wasn't expecting to receive an answer.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I'll check back for an answer in about a month.....

And I wouldn't have asked the question if I wasn't expecting to receive an answer.

Should we have a pool...whether she answers your question first or he answers mine?

[pomtzu]

Should we have a pool...whether she answers your question first or he answers mine?

I'm not a betting woman. Besides, I wouldn't want to start a competition between the parties involved.......... There might be an off forum pool somewhere.

[RICHARD]

Funny.

[blue]

Funny.

Yes.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Is Universal Healthcare constitutional????

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

If healthcare isn't the general Welfare I don't know what is!

[Grace]

Is Universal Healthcare constitutional????

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

If healthcare isn't the general Welfare I don't know what is!

Your quote is from the Preamble; there is another place in the Constitution where the phrase General Welfare is mentioned.

Article 1, Section 8 states:

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

I know the meaning of words can change over time. So maybe what they meant back then is different from the way we understand the meaning now

[Edwina's Secretary]

I agree word usage changes over time. So many things have.

Medical care at the time the constitution was written was something you hoped to survive rather than something to help you survive. It consisted mostly of cupping, bleeding, some leaches now and then.

That is why I believe we need to look at the constitution not as a static thing but as something that has different meanings in different times just as words do.

When the constitution was written the men writing it had a distrust of the "rabble." Their intent was to keep control within the group of land owning white men. Senators were elected by the state politicians. Only the house of representatives were elected directly - by those who had the vote.

This did not include women, blacks - free or slaves, Native Americans or white men who did not own property.

That would not be acceptable today. The meaning of "we the people" has grown and changed with our country. And thankful, the constitution was written so it can grow and change as well.

And that includes the rather broad phrase - general welfare.

[RICHARD]

I know the meaning of words can change over time. So maybe what they meant back then is different from the way we understand the meaning now

It's the way they appear on an LCD monitor as opposed to a sheet of handmade paper?

[Grace]

If you google general welfare constitution, you will be presented with close to 2 million hits.

I'm guessing there would be at least one hit to back up many differing opinions.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I teach a class on the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. It is the federal law that established how employees are paid, minimum wage, child labor, etc.

It says hours of work are "all time the employer requires, suffers or permits...etc" Participants are always confused by the word "suffer". It is not used today the same ways it was used in 1938.

The law also establishes how non-exempt employees are paid for out of town travel - based on train or automobile. Air travel was not contemplated.

So we have to think and apply our interpretation of the law. That is what employers/lawyers do and the courts decide if they do it right.

We spend lots of time in the class talking about what the law was written to accomplish and how that is accomplished today.

Any law is open to many, many interpretation. Who is right and who is wrong?

That depends I suppose!