Amid the illegal fireworks, trips with the family, and backyard barbeques on the Fourth, there is a common sentiment about the history of this country. Whether it is the sacrifice of the soldiers fighting for freedom or the pride we have of being citizens of this nation, we call ourselves Americans and we are proud of it.

We are all a part of our country and share a unity through this common bond. Our politicians address us not as individuals, but by “fellow Americans.” We are a community of people joined under a common good and care about our fellow Americans. Or at least on the Fourth of July.

Fast forward two weeks, past the glamour of our holiday and the pressure to act patriotic. Debates still rage on among the Republican presidential candidates as to who is the most against the new healthcare plan. “I will repeal Obamacare,” says Mitt Romney. On the other end, the Minnesota twin dream team of Bachmann and Pawlenty think they would each be better suited to repeal the terrible government takeover of our lives and let the free market do the work. So much for caring about fellow Americans.

I suppose it may be right to deny tens of millions of Americans access to health care, because let’s face it, if you can’t afford it you don’t deserve to be healthy. We need to stick to the free market because it has never steered us wrong. Money is what really matters and we cannot afford to maintain a healthy population if we want to compete with China.

Unfortunately this sarcasm isn’t shared by Americans opposed to Obamacare. They put money before life and the free market before humanity. Do they care about others who live in their country and are also American? I would venture to say they do, but they are blinded by their dogmatic political and economic ideologies.

We have seen decades of proof that suggests that the health care industry in America has failed to live up to the standards that we require. It is time for a change: something that not only makes more economic sense, but is more consistent with our vision of what America is. We have to care about the health of other Americans and cannot simply ignore the fact that millions are undertreated.

Health care is different from nice cars and fine wine. It is not something we want to go out and buy because it will make us happy, but something we need to maintain in order for everything else to matter. Without a healthy life, what is there? We must have a quality and comprehensive health care system as the first priority in all policy decisions, never putting money, tax breaks or competition with China above it.

Guaranteeing health care for all Americans is by no means economic suicide. In fact, of the dozens of countries that have successfully implemented national health care systems, all spend less per patient compared to the United States, while still maintaining the same status of public health, if not better. There is a lot of room for improvement here, all we need to do is take advantage of this opportunity.

No longer can we call ourselves “fellow Americans” and sit back while millions of people around the country continue to live unhealthy lives. Let us feel the comradery that the fourth of July brings to us. Let us feel for other Americans who cannot afford to be as healthy as their rich peers. People do not deserve health care because they can afford it, they deserve it because anyone who calls themselves an American deserves the opportunity for a happy and healthy life.

Max can be reached at medl@umich.edu