“things that make you go hmmmm…”

I was going through my normal Google Reader morning routine and the title of an entry from my boyJomo’s blog caught my attention. The title was The Whole Foods Conundrum, in the post, he was pondering the question whether he would continue to shop at Whole Foods because of the logical implications of the opinions of John Mackey’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Mackey is the CEO of Whole Foods.

In a nutshell, basically Mackey, using an interpretation of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, opines that “a careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter.”..WHOA!!
I am not a law student like my man Jomo, but something in Mackey’s analysis does not sit well with me.

Perhaps I am a little naive and ignorant of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, but “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” , establishing Justice, insuring domestic Tranquility, promoting “the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” , sound pretty comprehensive to me, surely health care, food or shelter fall in there somewhere, but again I am not serious student of the Constitutional Law so I could be wrong.

Perhaps even more disturbing is the question that Jomo raise on this blog poemusing, he quests

Based on the “historical background” surrounding the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, would Mackey support repeal of every amendment that granted “new” rights… to Blacks? to women? etc.?

In addition to my feelings about health care as a right, the line of questioning that Jomo poses is making me consider going down the same rabbit hole…I, too, would be interested in hearing more of Mackey’s opinons about the rights of African Americans, Women, etc as a function his “careful reading” that seeks to “to codify a pre-existing right, rather than to fashion a new one.”

Besides I already have a bone to pick to with Mackey for not putting a Whole Foods somewhere in DC east of the 14th Street NW or better yet east of North Capitol Street..;-)

Check out Jomo’s poemusing and then check out Mackey’s op-ed in the WSJ