Great response. I was going to write the same thing. I too am a "coastal elite," who grew up in the "flyover country." And yes, this whole neighbors helping neighbors thing is ridiculous. It is a popularity contest. What if you don't go to church or don't have any neighbors? I know I am tired of seeing high school kids or colleagues or neighbors come to my door with a flier of their friend who just broke his neck, who was just diagnosed with something expensive asking for a few coins. Think about it: That is panhandling. It is door-to-door panhandling and that is the best system the health insurance reform opponents can come up with. It's disgusting that many of the opponents of health care reform are the same people who go to church every Sunday and praise the Lord for the miracles Jesus performed—most of them were healing the sick FREE OF CHARGE. Jesus didn't tell the sick woman who had been bleeding for three decades that healing wasn't his responsibility. He didn't tell her to go back to the synagogue or to her neighbors for help. He just healed her.
That so many of these social conservatives would deny that right to so many of their neighbors is preposterous, ungodly and has forced me to seriously reconsider my own beliefs. Right now, I am ashamed of ever believing in what the Right is preaching. I am ashamed that I ever thought that I was supposed to love my neighbor as myself, but didn't think my neighbor deserved access to basic health care.
It is disgusting.