Is Health Care a Racial Issue?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Reform Madness - White Minority
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I chose a clip from the Daily Show featuring Larry Wilmore talking about how some people believe that health care reform has turned into a racial issue. In a satirical way, Wilmore addresses how the face of America has changed over time and how some white people aren't taking it so well. The clip features sound bites from Fox News commentators talking about how the current America is not the America they grew up in and how they "want America back." Wilmore compares their sentiment to how Native Americans would like their country back as well. He essentially calls these people hypocrites by referencing the Statue of Liberty and the Declaration of Independence. If America does indeed welcome the "tired, poor, huddled masses, wretched refuse, homeless, etc." then what has changed? These people are upset because for once in their lives, the government isn't working in their favor.

I find it comical that older, white conservatives are now feeling uneasy about their current status in this country and how eventually they will be the minority. Many white people do not understand that racism is institutionalized and do not realize the advantages we have in our everyday lives. Most white conservatives live comfortably under the status quo and would not like to see change, and the threat of change makes many people angry. [I would just like to say that I am white and was born and raised in Waukegan, IL where white people are the minority.]

I think health care reform is inherently but not intentionally a racial issue. The purpose of health care reform is to provide quality health care to as many people as possible. Currently, those not getting adequate health care who would be greatly helped by reform are minorities and low income Americans. According to Congressional Black Caucus Chair Barbara Lee (CA-D), "Today over 47 million people lack health insurance in America and although racial and ethnic minorities account for about one third of U.S. population, they account for more than half of the uninsured." I hope I'm not the only one who finds this number very disturbing. I think arguments can get messy when race is added into the mix because racial issues are very complex and stem from many other aspects of society.

Link to cited reference:
http://www.louisianaweekly.com/news.php?viewStory=1459

Here is a link from Huffington Post author Jonathan Weiler's blog about a study done regarding people attitudes about race and health care reform. The study found that those who had above average "racial resentment" were more likely to favor less government involvement when it comes to health care.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-weiler/racial-resentmentauthori_b_274475.html

Larry Wilmore said in the video that "All issues are racial issues." I'm not sure if this is completely true, but I do agree that race is a factor in the much larger issue of health care reform.