Some Things That Need to Be Rights Are Actually Privileges

#Opinions

Oct 2

By Amber Evan

An opinion piece by a college student on education and healthcare costs in the US today.

As an Alaska Native living in Alaska, I’m incredibly privileged. I’m extremely grateful for the affordability of basic healthcare, and the scholarships I’ve received to fund my pursuit of higher education. With these needs met, my quality of life is quite comfortable.

It’s not the same for everyone. Someone I care about is in need of healthcare and cannot access that care because they cannot afford it. And higher education in the end, is a choice, but in the United States, it became somewhat of a necessity because it is a standard qualification. However, like healthcare, education costs became so high, it is nearly impossible to access it without loans. The cost compounds over the years/semesters and the newly qualified once-students are in deep debt by the time they are ready to enter the workforce. Some, if not most, will find out that they will live with this debt for the rest of their lives. That’s how steep the debt can be.

Of course, we live in a world where we must compete for resources with other beings, but I believe we can at least try our best to take care of the people we have here now - and others who are going to reside in our world in the future. I am privileged with healthcare and education because the people before me and the people today have fought or still fight for Alaska Native rights. It’s possible for others to have an opportunity to have a higher quality of life too. When we have people that aren’t focused on whether or not that next paycheck is going to get them through the week/month, they might be the ones who focus on how to advance our society in a way that will improve more lives than just their own in the future.

While there are many battles that must be fought to improve chances of success in life, I’m going to inspire in others the idea that education and healthcare are rights. In the United States, education and healthcare have been capitalized to the point where the average American would have a difficult time affording education/healthcare and therefore accessing them. That means not everyone is allowed an equitable chance at success and that means education and healthcare are, by definition, privileges. Education and healthcare are necessary services that increase the chances of success in the United States today and everyone deserves a chance at success. We must make education and healthcare basic human rights.

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