'We' blacks are left behind in health care

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'We' blacks are left behind in health care

March 25, 2009, 12 a.m. -In this, the "freest" of all nations, freedom is largely dictate yet by "belonging." Who belongs (determined relatively, not collectively) finds it, who does not, does not. Skin color is one determiner, but there are many others.

I watched an interesting PBS show the other night, about the changes in firefighting. The term once was "firemen," and many men fought very hard to keep it that way. An organization of African American firefighters, separate (who could have guessed), supported women who were trying to enter the field, women succeeded. "How could we do otherwise," their spokesperson, a man, said.

I watched another, equally interesting on women's struggle to vote. Frederick Douglas is quoted as saying, It is our turn, your will have to wait, interpreting the term Negro to mean male. Susan B. Anthony did not have positive remarks to make about him, but she failed to note the flaw in his reasoning. I wonder how life would have differed if he had seen beyond "male" as definition.

"Outsiders" are left behind in health care, as they are defined by "insiders." "We hold these truths to be self-evident" has/had meaning only after the interpretation of "We."

Harold A. Maio
Ft Myers FL