What is the historical precedent for even considering making health care a right in the United States?
At the present time it is recognized (and accordingly legislated) that every family in our country (all residents) have the right to have their children attend primary and secondary school. This right like that of a “right to health care” did not originate with the founding of our republic, nor during the first decades of constitutional development. A right to education is not in the “Bill of Rights”. Universal education was won state by state with the first attempts at state enactment in the 1770’s and the first limited achievement of “common education” in Massachusetts in the late 1830’s. Eventually, there came a time in our history (after most states had already enacted such legislation) when it was federally mandated that every state should provide for universal education. Like the right to vote, for laborers to bargain collectively, the 40 hour work week, universal education was slow to be recognized and legislated throughout the states. Generally, civil rights slowly evolve in th
