Universal Healthcare Vs Homeless in my House

Yesterday, I had to make a (not really so tough, ultimately) decision. I decided to block one of my sisters-in-law from making comments on my FB. I decided that MY Facebook page is MY playground, and I want to post things regarding my personal political/religious beliefs, my reading material, whatever, without getting attacked by my in-laws' narrow beliefs. For the record, if any of my family start doing the same thing, I'll block THEM, too, but probably not without explaining to them WHY first. Also I'll be very disappointed, because while it's something I expect from my in-laws, it's not from my family. Yes, I knew they were this way when I married my husband. No, he's not like that -- or at least, if I don't wholly agree with his politics, I don't wholly disagree with them. My biggest problem w/ this SIL is that she's a particularly rabid Born-Again.

Anyway... Reason The First why I dropped my SIL: I shared a photo about Universal Health Care, stating that Health Care is a Human Right. She responded by asking what right anyone had to expect others to fund their healthcare through taxes, and further went on to ask how I'd feel if a homeless person were to decided that s/he liked my house and proceeded to move in.

I didn't respond on FB because, again, MY playground. I don't want to stress on my playground. 

So I'll respond here.

I believe that everyone should have access to basic health care. I'm not talking about elective care, I'm talking about the right to not be in a position to have to decide between groceries/water/electricity or medical care for a relatively minor illness -- or a major one, for that matter. I have been in that position before, and especially when we're talking about parents of small children, that is WRONG. Yesterday, my daughter finished a course of ear drops for a minor ear infection. If we did  not have health care through my husband's job as a soldier, I would have had to put off seeing a doctor until it became a major, we-have-to-go-to-the-ER, "Is she going to lose her hearing?" ear infection. I have read blog posts, comments on blog posts, and articles written by people who have gone from the US to countries with truly universal health care, and people who have come to the US from countries with universal health care. Unilaterally, they prefer the level of care that they receive under universal health care. Removing profit from health leads to overall healthier populations. And my understanding is that it doesn't significantly impact taxes. And every single person has EXACTLY THE SAME benefits. So the idea that one segment of the population would be "forced" to "pay for" another segment's health care is rather ridiculous. (Oh, and let's not even get in to the other social services most 1st World countries provide as a matter of course -- like child care, parental leave after birth of a child, financial support for mothers... I'll just point you to this blog post: "How I Lost My Fear of Universal Health Care" )

And regarding the totally ridiculous idea of the homeless person just taking up residence in my house? It may interest you to know, SIL, that, yeah, in fact, I would probably invite them to spend some time on the sofa bed while working toward finding themselves their own housing. If I could, I would take in foster kids and homeless kids -- especially the LGBTQ youth who've lost their homes because their parents cannot accept them the way they are. It may even surprise you to know that I donate to food banks and shelters whenever I can. I have even donated to fundraisers for people I don't personally know so that they can afford meds or rent or whatever when life has just screwed them the fuck over. I can't do a lot, but I can do something, and what I can do, I do. 

Next up, her rant conflating parents disowning kids for being gay with parents who feel like failures if their kids convert to a different religion.