First of all let me say, I am retired, on Medicare, and due to my military service have very little expense when it comes to health care. As Bill Clinton, the President that left a 3 trillion dollar surplus in the budget when he left office, would say, “I really don’t have a dog in this fight”.

In 1735, Jean Louis, a French seaman who built boats, bequeathed his fortune to the founding and maintenance of a hospital for the indigent sick of the colony of New Orleans. For 250 years, Louisiana has had the honor of being the first state to offer a form of Health Care for its poor. If an individual can be so compassionate for the poor, why can’t our government, which is supposed to be of the People, by the People and “for” the people, do the same? Is this Socialistic?

Without this Health Care, I would not be here today. When my father was a young boy he developed ruptured appendicitis. Thank God he was taken to the Charity Hospital in New Orleans in time to save his life.

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In the late 1930’s, Louisiana became the first state to enact a Social Security system. It was called Old Age Pension. This idea, the brain child of Dudly J. Leblanc, a Cajun Democratic Representative, was so popular it became the moving force that got Franklin Roosevelt to enact the Social Security system we know today. Did this Socialistic idea result in Socialism for the state? The nation?

Republicans, Insurance companies and the Chamber of Commerce have always been against Social Security, Medicare, Minimum Wage, Unemployment compensation and Health Care. The last time they came right out and said so was when Barry Goldwater used that position to run for President. We all know what happened.

Republicans have shied away from that position ever since. Did they have a change of heart? Noooo. They just developed other techniques, such as fact distortion and scare-tactics, to accomplish their desired result, status quo.

Our Constitution entitles us to “Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness”. For those of you who cannot afford insurance, don’t complain, you still have Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness to be proud of. Then too, there are people who will object to you “Pursuing Happiness.” Look at our poor Senator Vitter, wasn’t he in “Pursuit of Happiness” when he used that dating service in Washington D.C.?

To all of you so called religious people out there, ask yourself, “WWJD, WWMD or WWBD?” Being of retirement age, I ask myself, “What would AARP do?”

Lonny Badeaux

New Iberia