Leave aside all the talk of politics and economics and cost, and consider the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) from a different angle.
With its mandate requiring that individuals purchase health insurance, it has the effect of forcing those who neither want nor need insurance to subsidize the health care of others. Specifically, it forces the young to participate in an expensive market which does not benefit them, thus hindering their economic freedom and opportunities and forcing them to prop up the elderly and infirm, a requirement which is cynical and immoral.
It may be a brilliant procedural or financial move (though that seems unlikely), but that pales in comparison to the simple fact that it is morally wrong to force individuals to purchase services that do not benefit them, especially since the only reason they are being forced to do so is to benefit others. Furthermore, it is a dreadful law in that it fails to meet the litmus test of benefiting the whole of the people, and not just certain factions of the populace. In fact, while the Supreme Court has declared the law constitutional, it is obvious that it violates the spirit or ethos of the Constitution. Per the Preamble:
“… in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…”
The act in question does none of those things. It divides by treating citizens differently; it sets the young and old at odds; it promotes general resentment and mistrust; it insults the very notion of liberty by saying (for all intents and purposes)that there is no such thing as freedom of commerce, and giving the government complete jurisdiction over it.
— Tom Hervey

Stanfield
The government shutdown has hurt hundreds of families in North Carolina and other states. We all are affected one way or another, but how disheartening and shameful it is for some among us to relish those that are suffering, just to prove a point and treat citizens as pawns.
If my neighbor has the flu and I interact with him or her, I had best hope we both have some type of insurance coverage. The ACA is saving lives and was sanctioned by the Supreme Court and signed by the president. Let us proceed with elected officials who will move their attitudes and egos out the way in order to benefit real people. Please read and study the real facts before voting. The majority of the politicians attempting to derail Obamacare do not want the average person to have insurance, but they have insurance that is mostly paid for by taxpayers.
It’s time to elect positive officials who want more for our city, county, state and country. Salisbury, it is time to take a stance.
— Emily J. Perry

Salisbury
My intentions are to call all 18,000 of Rowan County veterans’ attention to the staffing changes in the Veteran Services Office.
My belief is that our county commissioners are once again trying to balance the budget on the backs of our veterans. At present 7,000 or more of our deserving veterans are still awaiting resolution to claims that have been pending for a year or longer.
Our veterans officer stands alone in trying to professionally and in a timely manner provide for the needs of our 18,000 veterans and their qualifying dependents. My personal experience leads me to believe that part-time help without supervision is nonproductive and inefficient. I believe most in a management position would agree with me.
To the Rowan County commissioners, be forewarned. At the present time, Republicans hold all five seats in a county with approximately 33 percent Republican voters. The last numbers I saw quoted, during the Al Gore-George Bush election fiasco, indicated that approximately 80 percent of the active duty personnel voted Republican. My belief is that you’ll find the similar voting patterns among veterans in Rowan County.
In closing: Veterans, we defended our country; now let’s defend our rights and the rights of all young troops proudly serving behind us.
Stand and muster … be counted.
— A.H. Garner (U.S. Navy, ret.)
Salisbury