Health Care and Immigration Reforms

South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson needs to chill out. So do a lot of other people.

(CNN) -- Two words, delivered with index finger punctuating the air and directed at the president of the United States, made a little-known South Carolina congressman one of the most reviled men on the Internet -- at least Wednesday heading into Thursday.

Facebook and Twitter users largely condemned Rep. Joe Wilson for his outburst toward President Obama on Wednesday night.

As soon as Rep. Joe Wilson was identified as the person whose angry and audible outburst disrupted President Barack Obama's health-care speech to Congress, condemnation was swift -- and brutal.

Wilson's response is at least impolite, but he committed another error, an error that a lot of other people are making too.

Illegal immigration is a serious issue in this country. It was a problem before the health care debate started, and will continue to be a problem when all is said and done. Conflating these two issues is an error and does nothing to solve either problem.

Here is my opinion: American consumers want low prices. American business are pushed to hire illegal immigrants in order to give the low prices that consumers demand. Illegal workers, just like any other workers, need health care. Hospitals and medical professionals are obligated to provide care for those in needs regardless of legal status.
The cost of this health care is a hidden cost and consequence of demand for lower prices. Pass all the laws and build all the fences you like, but the illegal immigration problem will not go away until the American people are willing to put up with higher prices, and I don't see that happening.

Let's stop blaming illegal immigrants for the problem: they are here because we demand they be here. The burden of health care cost for illegal immigrants is a consequence of our own selfish desire for lower prices, and we are already paying for it. Since this already costs us money, the least we can do is reform the system so that it doesn't cost us so much.

I'd like to dedicate this post to my good friend MDC, who likely disagrees with me in every way possible.