I’ve had a severe disability my entire life. I’d never walked. I have spent all of my 61+ years in a wheelchair. I was able to go to college and to work full-time as a computer programmer for 2 years after college but as my disability worsened I could no longer work full-time. I began collecting Social Security disability because I had accumulated sufficient time paying into Social Security that I became eligible. I’ve been fortunate enough to live with my parents my entire life. My mother passed away a little over eight years ago and although my dad is in his 80s he’s in pretty good shape. Still he needs help to be my caregiver. I qualified for Medicaid and as a result of that I’m able to get a home health aide 2 hours per day to help get me bathed, dressed, and in my wheelchair. About a year ago my disability worsened to the point where I could no longer eat and now I’m dependent upon a G-tube for nutrition. Last December after severe respiratory issues I had to have a trach. I use a ventilator at night. Throughout the day I occasionally need my trach suctioned. About a year ago Medicare/Medicaid paid for a new motorized wheelchair. It was my first new wheelchair in over 28 years.

Is no exaggeration whatsoever to say that if it were not for Medicare and Medicaid I would be dead. There is no way that I or my family could afford my medical expenses. If I was not fortunate enough to have my father who could care for me most of the time, I would be depended on Medicaid to pay for a nursing home.

Both the House and Senate versions of the repeal and replace Obama care plans call for significant cuts in Medicaid. Because I was Medicaid eligible prior to the Obama care expansion, I’m hopeful that I will still be eligible and have sufficient funding to keep me alive even if these current proposals pass and become law. But there are no guarantees on that. Nobody really knows what these proposals will ultimately due to the Medicaid system. The Congress itself has no idea what the real consequences will be. Let’s set aside for the moment how obviously irresponsible that situation is.

Let’s suppose for a moment that our country is in such dire circumstances that the continued existence of our democracy depended on cutting Medicaid to the point where it might cost me and other people like me our very lives. Because my lifelong disability, I’ve not had the opportunity to serve my country in a military capacity. The willingness to give one’s life for one’s country is one of the noblest sacrifices a human being can make. So let us suppose hypothetically that the sacrifice of my life and the lives of others like me will save this great nation from financial collapse or some other horrid disaster.

Of course I do in the slightest way believe that our country is in such dire circumstance such that the sacrifice of my life is necessary. But just for the sake of argument let’s say that it is that situation. Under that circumstance I would do the patriotic thing. I would offer my life to save this great nation of ours.

So I say to Congress… Go ahead and kill me. Take my life for the good of the nation. Let me serve my nation honorably as if I had given my life on a battlefield. I’ll take that. It will be noble. My life will not be in vain.

But before I make that sacrifice answer one question for me.

Why do all of these plans include massive tax cuts for rich people? How will these tax cuts save our country? Are they sufficiently necessary that I need sacrifice my life in order to to justify these cuts?

Okay hyperbole aside… Answer this even simpler question… How will tax cuts for the rich improve healthcare for anyone? How will these tax cuts fix what’s wrong with Obama care?

So I say to every member of Congress… Until and unless you can give me a reasonable justification for the tax cuts and explain in any kind of logical fashion why they are a necessary part of this plan that will benefit anyone except those who are receiving the cuts themselves… How dare you ask me to sacrifice my life for your ludicrous plans?