In the age of Trump, I guess nothing should shock me. But the perspective articulated by Jeff Jared (Kirkland Reporter, June 2), who had the temerity to argue that health care is not a right, out-Trumps even President Donald Trump.

Does he really believe that babies, elderly people or for that matter, anyone who comes from a poor family, should not receive the best medical care unless their families can pay for it? In other words, he is essentially maintaining that all people who do not have the financial means do not merit good medical treatment, only the well-to-do deserve it.

Not only is this perspective heartless, but if argued to the ultimate conclusion, it is self-destructive. In this day of major medical advances and excessive medical costs, those who can afford medical care but deny it to everyone else could ultimately be left holding the bag. Who will be left to provide the monotonous, heavy or undesirable labor that keeps society afloat?

Universal access to good medical care is a basic necessity if we are to have a healthy, vigorous population in a very complicated and ever more dangerous world. And many kudos to Patty Kuderer, we need people like you who have a social conscience and will work to help guarantee our population an equitable and stable future.

Marilyn Bentz,

Kirkland