On Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in University Center, room 127, two discussions took place. The first was about the right to education and the second was about the right to healthcare.

The event was hosted by the IUS Civil Liberties Union. Kevin Coleman, political science senior, and Johann Pedolzky, philosophy and political science senior, were the speakers for the event.

Right to Education

Coleman began the discussion by referring to the 1973 Supreme Court case San Antonio v. Rodriguez. The issue in the case was the funding of public education.

Back then, the funding of education was determined by property taxes, so in an area of higher income the school got more money.

Rodriguez sued the San Antonio Independent School District on the basis of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause.

“The point of my lecture is to suggest that the court case be overruled,” Coleman said.

The case determined that education is not a fundamental right. Coleman said the term “fundamental right” is a vague and often disputed term, which allows for ambiguity.

Coleman said this discussion was not only important to IU Southeast but is also important for the larger community, as well.

He also said it has to do with a fundamental request for a successful democracy.

“That’s something that we all partake in — getting a quality education,” Coleman said. “People as Americans should aspire to have that.”

Right to Healthcare

Pedolzky based his speech on the human rights approach to healthcare. Numerous organizations list healthcare as a human right, yet healthcare is not explicitly stated in the Constitution as being a human right.

Pedolzky said he doesn’t want senior citizens to have to choose between eating one day and paying for their medical care. He said he believes everyone should have access to the medicines that are essential for them to live.

Pedolzky also discussed how he took part in medical tourism. Medical tourism is practiced when people travel to other countries in order to access affordable healthcare.

In this instance, Pedolzky traveled to Mexico, in which he had 24 crowns put on his teeth and all of his middle fillings replaced.

“It was hands down the best dentist I’ve ever had, as well,” Pedolzky said.

Pedolzky said, by the time he took a vacation to Mexico and had the procedure done, he had actually spent less money than he would have on only having the procedure done in the United States.

“The fact is that we are the most powerful nation in the world, but we don’t have a form of universal healthcare,” Pedolzky said. “There is a distinguishing factor between the inability to provide healthcare and the unwillingness to provide healthcare.”

By ASHLEY AGNEW

Staff Writer

aeagnew@umail.iu.edu