At the end of the Civil War, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg address. Part of it said:

…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, <underline added> shall not perish from the earth.

Last week something quite unusual happened in American politics. It’s noteworthy even among the daily insanity coming out of the White House: The US Senate voted “no” to repeal Obamacare: 51 nos to 49 yeses. All the Democrats cast a “no” vote. Three Republicans joined them. Now we know at least three Republicans voted what they believed in, despite possible and likely repercussions from a vindictive so-called president.

It’s easy to praise the 3 Republicans who listened to their conscience and broke rank with their party, namely Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John McCain of Arizona, and Susan Collins of Maine. They do deserve mentioning of their courage.

But let’s not forget the common citizens, in hundreds and thousands, who put up civil protests, risked being roughed up by police and arrested — many of them were — all over the country.

Our forefathers who wrote the Constitution should be proud. In the Preamble, they said:
We the People <underline added> of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I am not a beneficiary under Obamacare. Not directly anyway. But I enjoy the fact that my adopted country, and we the people, collectively and individually, take care of our neighbors who are sick and poor. If we claim to be one of the strongest and richest countries in the world while pushing 17 to 25 million of its own citizens out of basic health coverage, what kind of Neanderthal Republic are we?

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