Hello, Dr. Keith Smith with you here on behalf of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, thank you for joining me.

Here’s a lie many of you have been told, but I doubt that many of you believe: those of us who are advocating the principles of the free market and medical care delivery, have no problem with people dying in the street.

I think about the great Fredric Bastiat, who talked a little bit about safety nets in so many words. He said, just because he opposed the government providing safety nets, it didn’t mean that he was opposed to safety nets altogether. In fact, I would add that safety nets for people who require health care, are far too important to be entrusted to the bureaucrats and the folks in government.

Indeed, in countries that have socialized their health care, these safety nets are increasingly comprised of euthanasia, rationing and long lines. Fortunately, in the media now we are beginning to see the stories of the people who are suffering from neglect or die waiting in line for the care they require in these socialized countries.

Those of us who advocate free markets in health care are not opposed to safety nets, we just think they are far too important and must be composed of better stuff than what the bureaucrats in D.C. can devise.

Thank you for joining me, we’ll see you next time.