Recently, I was watching a health care reform debate on tv. The debate, between a liberal and conservative,centered on if national health care was constitutional. The liberal pointed to Art.1, sec 8, the "general welfare" clause, as to why this bill was constitutional. The general welfare clause is, and has been manipulated, thru out american history, to pass whatever laws congress wanted. Then it was claimed it was for the general welfare of the American people. The conservative stated that the framers never intended for the general welfare clause to be used for national health care. The liberal countered with there is no way we could know what the framers intended for the general welfare provision. So, I did some research and found this quote from Thomas Jefferson...." If people let the government decide what foods they eat, and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls of those who live under tyranny. " .... I don't know, but it sounds to me like Thomas Jefferson wasn't a fan of national health care... Have a FINE NAVY DAY....
Thanks for giving the post a read. I do not believe it is constitutional at all, and I certainly hope that some lawyers for the states get involved should this nonsense go any further.
Dang Doug, what the heck does that mean.... we don't have a leg to stand on??? I believe that we have let these silver tounged devils tounge lash us into oblivion.... I believe Native Americans were right when they said the White Man's goverernment speaks with forked tounges...
Interestingly, I also read that the quote you referred to is a 'misquote' of Jefferson. The actual quote is:
Had not free enquiry been indulged, at the aera of the reformation, the corruptions of Christianity could not have been purged away. If it be restrained now, the present corruptions will be protected, and new ones encouraged. Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.
I actually read another view that spoke to states' rights versus federal rights:
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
As a result, it may not actually be constitutional for the federal government to impose a national health mandate.
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Had not free enquiry been indulged, at the aera of the reformation, the corruptions of Christianity could not have been purged away. If it be restrained now, the present corruptions will be protected, and new ones encouraged. Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
As a result, it may not actually be constitutional for the federal government to impose a national health mandate.