That Which is Not Seen

One of the great tragedies of government interference into our private lives is that much of what we lose is never seen and never felt because it occurs in the form of the stillborn: all the inventions which are never invented; the companies which are never created; the careers which are never pursued.

Below is a letter a young woman is sending to her Congressman and submitting as a letter to the editor. She has given permission to have it published online in order to spread her thoughts as widely as possible.

Having traveled the path of college, medical school and residency myself-- I know firsthand the deeply satisfying experience of pursuing a career which is both intellectually challenging and emotionally satisfying in its ability to provide a valuable service to others. If faced with laboring to become a physician under Obama's system of socialized medicine, I doubt I would make that choice again.

How many other bright, dedicated young adults will turn away from the study of medicine because they are unwilling to surrender their independent judgement to politically controlled health care?

We will never know, because it is that which is not seen.

"Do I Surrender My Rights?"

Dear Society,

I am writing you today to express my deep concern. I am but one of the many silent casualties of healthcare reform. Currently I am a high school junior who is considering my future. One path I am pondering is becoming a doctor. I am an honor student, active in sports, and am taking advanced placement college classes. The fact that I enjoy biology, chemistry, and helping others made me consider the long, arduous journey towards a medical degree.

Recently though, I heard a new phrase in the healthcare debate that gave me cause for concern, "healthcare is a right". My understanding of a right has always been that we were born with it, and it can never come at the expense of others' rights. How can you now lay claim to my hard work and future talents? I now feel that if I choose the medical profession I would become a second class citizen.

My dear American friend, after eight years of intense study, many more years of internship and residency, not to mention the hundreds of thousands in debt, I feel the price I am being asked to pay not just in dollars, but in my freedom is more than I can bear. I ask how many more silent voices in classrooms, from my fellow students with an equal passion for healing the sick, will never be heard in clinics and hospitals across this great country?

Alyssa Z

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