To the editor:

I believe that one of our country’s key initiatives should be providing universal health care for all U.S. citizens. Health should be a fundamental right for our citizens, including myself. In my current line of work, I am employed on a freelance basis. Since I am not employed solely by one company, I do not qualify for corporate health care.

We live in a country that encourages its citizens to become entrepreneurs and own their own business. We are the country of the free, yet when we pursue a lifestyle that fits outside the traditional business 9-to-5 salary, we are denied the fundamental right to live a healthy life, since we cannot afford to provide our own health care.

I believe this is not right, and we should not continue to allow such rights to be denied to myself and 47 million other Americans. That’s one in six Americans that do not have any health insurance. We cannot allow this to continue. I am very passionate about this issue and I would appreciate any information about why providing universal health care is not a priority, and what more I can do to make a change.

Ryan Lewis,

Lawrence