Sunday, March 29, 2009

obama healthcare speech


Another great assignment we had was to write a speech for Obama on healthcare: limit 400 words, had to be in the style of previous speeches on the same topic. Enjoy...It's in speech style, therefore all caps, sorry.

FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOR INVITING ME TO COME SPEAK TODAY ON A TOPIC CLOSE TO MY HEART. THE UNITED STATES IS CURRENTLY IN A PERIOD OF ECONOMIC REAWAKENING. WHILE WE ARE REVIVING THE ECONOMY, WE MUST ALSO RESTORE THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. HEALTHCARE IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN OURSELVES AND FUTURE GENERATIONS THAT MUST BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY. I HAVE INVITED HERE TODAY 17 YEAR OLD BILLY AND HIS FAMILY. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THEIR STORY WITH YOU.

BILLY LIVES AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF THIS CAMPUS. HIS FATHER WORKS FOR THE STATE POWER COMPANY, OFTEN RISKING HIS LIFE TO LEAN OUT OF A HELICOPTER IN RAINSTORMS TO REPAIR POWER LINES. HIS MOTHER WORKS IN THE LOCAL TEXTILE FACTORY. THEIR FAMILY IS VERY CLOSE KNIT, BILLY’S FATHER COACHED HIS SON’S LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM, AND BOTH PARENTS WERE PROUD WHEN THEIR SON MADE THE VARSITY TEAM AS A FRESHMAN. BILLY IS ALSO AN ACADEMIC ALL-STAR AND ALWAYS DREAMED OF GOING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BECOME A DOCTOR. HE IS ALSO A FUTURE MEMBER, UPON RECEIVING HIS ACCEPTANCE TODAY, OF THE IU CLASS OF 2013.

HOWEVER, THEIR WORLD WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN LAST YEAR WHEN BILLY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LEUKEMIA. LUCKILY, IT WAS CAUGHT BEFORE IT SPREAD TO HIS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, BUT HE HAS HAD TO UNDERGO NUMEROUS TREATMENTS, INCLUDING BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY. THESE TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL THUS FAR, BUT THE COST OF HEALTH CARE AS WELL AS HEALTH INSURANCE ITSELF HAS LEFT HIS FAMILY BANKRUPT. BILLY’S PARENTS ARE AFRAID THAT THE MORE THEY GO INTO DEBT, THE MORE UNLIKELY IT IS THAT THEY WILL EVEN BE ABLE TO FIND A PROVIDER TO INSURE THEM. THERE IS NO MONEY LEFT FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT MEDICAL BILLS, NOT EVEN HEAT LAST WINTER. AND EVEN THE MEDICAL BILLS ARE REMAINING UNPAID.

BILLY AND HIS FAMILY ARE NOT THE ONLY AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT IN THE COLD BY THIS INJUSTICE. PEOPLE ALL OVER OUR GREAT COUNTRY ARE UNABLE TO FIND HELP WHEN THEY NEED IT. 45 MILLION AMERICANS ARE UNINSURED, BUT IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. INSURANCE COMPANIES HAVE CONTINUOUSLY RAISED PREMIUMS, AND DUE TO THIS, MANY COMPANIES ARE NO LONGER PROVIDING COVERAGE FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, LEAVING A RECORD NUMBER OF AMERICANS UNINSURED.

MY PLAN TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IS SIMPLE: GIVE EVERY AMERICAN COVERAGE. EVERYONE WILL HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE WITH LOWER PREMIUMS THAN BEFORE. THE GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE SUBSIDIES TO THOSE WHO NEED HELP PAYING FOR THE INSURANCE. NO ONE WILL GO WITHOUT – NO MATTER YOUR AGE, YOUR SALARY, OR YOUR MEDICAL NEEDS. BUSINESSES WILL BE CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR EMPLOYEES’ WELL BEING IN A GREATER WAY THAN EVER BEFORE BY FUNDING PART OF THIS COST.

TOGETHER, WE CAN HELP OUR COUNTRY RECOVER. WE NEED TO BELIEVE IN AND CREATE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. FAMILIES LIKE BILLY’S SHOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO FACE PILES OF MEDICAL BILLS THAT THEY CANNOT PAY. I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS CHANGE, SO MUCH SO, THAT BY THE TIME BILLY DOES GRADUATE FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL, HIS PATIENTS WILL NOT HAVE TO SACRIFICE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.

THANK YOU.

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