America is a place where anyone can grow up to be president – a way of thought that dates back to Benjamin Franklin. Americans believe we are a great meritocracy, where education, smarts, and ambition matter more than parenthood and class. This is a basic element of American culture.

Unfortunately, this popular American belief is not true. According to an article in the May 13, 2005 edition of the Wall Street Journal, a substantial amount of research indicates that a parent’s advantage in income is passed along to his or her children, accounting for a 45 to 60 percent head start. Some would argue that this is not fair. Perhaps not, and yet, for the most part, we tolerate this kind of disparity in our society. Our goal should really reflect Franklin’s original premise. We should work to level the playing field for anyone who wants to start a business, move up in real employment, or be President of the United States.

Americans are slave to another arcane myth: our health care system is just fine and does not need fixing. No one seems to notice that we treat health care like a right and fund it like a privilege. Most of us believe the system works well – most likely because we have not had to experience its shortcomings firsthand. Yet, imagine the health care experience of those who are not supported by parental privilege, those who try and negotiate through the system without insurance, those who try in earnest to provide some kind of care for their children. Certainly, these people understand that access to quality, affordable health care is not a right.

Further complicating the convoluted health care myth are the costs of the uninsured to working people and businesses. A recent study disclosed the average worker pays $341 per year for the uninsured person and the average business pays $922 per year for the uninsured person. No wonder, then, American businesses cry foul at the unfair global advantage when the governments of other countries bear the burden of the health care systems, thereby giving their businesses a head start.

American society must begin to think clearly and act in a proactive manner. No matter the outcome of the convoluted health care discussion in our country, public policy should not be reflective of divisive nature of politics. This is not to say that politics are always unseemly. Rather, we should demand our politicians begin to put the real needs of Americans ahead of their own need to be re-elected. A comprehensive health care task force at the national level should explore the problem and work towards solutions. Without a real discussion, our health care mess will turn into a real health care crisis – look at General Motors, our state’s difficulties, and our city. We never thought health care costs would be the issue that would bog them down.

Franklin is probably turning in his grave every time the outdated myth of health care is passed along. He understood that we cannot afford to let businesses in our country go the same way.