Pre-Obama Care Plan To Aid Homeless

As an advocate on this issue, I would caution that nothing hereinabove in Ms. Walker's article should be construed to suggest that advocates for the homeless in any way constitute a monolithic bloc in support of the Obama healthcare overhaul. In particular, the mandate is highly problematic; I for one was appalled that the Democratic Party leadership would be down for the mandate when it would predictably lead to a huge "libertarian" themed backlash. And it turned out that I was right.

I have interviewed score of homeless persons and a common theme amongst them all is a fundamental libertarian streak, an individualism which many may value more than the accoutrement of comprehensive health care services. And many have a core religiosity under which they trust in a spiritual source of health rather than high-frequency screenings, which many find intrusive.

As it is, our society over-medicates and often applies high technologies such as radionuclide-based treatments, speculative psycho-active biochemical interventions, invasive surgery, etc. It is well documented that racial and gender based prejudices and ideologies permeate the status quo of the conventional medical establishment.

Thus, the above article should not be taken to suggest that persons impacted by the homeless crisis in the U.S.A. constitute some sort of bloc in support of the Obama administration in general or in support of the highly problematic legalities of the health care overhaul. Homeless persons tend to reject socialism and lean toward a more anarchic vision and in large part are more interested in being left alone, unbothered by intrusive health "care".

That said, there is an urgent need to bring the uninsured cohort into MediCal, one way or another. If the overhaul does that, the County will probably save money and we won't witness the human tragedy of untreated medical and psychological pathology in the many homeless persons who are in desperate need of increased medical attention and treatment alternatives. But please don't think that the homeless, if they were ever systematically registered to vote, would be knee jerk social democrats; to the contrary, many would have voted for John McCain last time, and, going forward, would be a potential source of Republican votes in both national and local elections. And the very mention of socialized medicine would arouse amongst them a certain hue and cry more appropriately associated with the very Tea Party itself.