It’s always easy to be business-minded at first. Someone doesn’t have enough money for health insurance? Easy. He or she doesn’t get health insurance.

And several politicians have been brandishing this mentality lately-namely potential presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul. I suppose it seems like a simple question of logic to him and his supporters.

But why won’t anyone answer this question: should those who can’t afford health insurance be left to die?

Wolf Blitzer asked Paul that very question during the recent CNN tea party debate. His answer? Let churches, family and friends take care of those who can’t afford or intentionally forego health insurance.

Politicians rarely play fair, so let’s do it here. Paul is not foaming at the mouth and suggesting that the less fortunate should be left to die. He is, though, simplifying the problem to the point of outrageous irresponsibility.

It’s easy to just assume that churches, family and friends will just shoulder the burden of their loved ones’ medical bills. But what about Atheists or those of minority religions? Those without friends and family who can afford medical bills?

If your answer is, “Who cares about those people?” you need to get your empathy gland checked out.

If empathy doesn’t do it for you, simple logic should. Paul should know from first-hand experience that his lack-of-empathy-disguised-as-faith-in-humanity ideas don’t work.

Paul’s former campaign chairman, Kent Snyder, died of pneumonia without health insurance in June 2008. Snyder was denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition, and his family was left with the $400,000 medical bill. Even the family of a high profile campaign chairman couldn’t pay an uninsured medical bill. If they can’t, who can?

Family and friends sure couldn’t. Even Paul tried to help. The combined efforts raised about $50,000.

That’s $350,000 left for Snyder’s family to pay, after the support of friends. It’s pretty safe to assume that most families don’t have that kind of cash on hand.

Let’s not forget that this is a special case. Snyder had friends in high places, and his family still got left with an impossible bill. What about everyone else?

It’s like one of those commercials we all know so well. Medical bill: $400,000. Family and friends: $50,000. Leaving a $350,000 bill to your family in the wake of your death and knowing the only people who can afford medical bills don’t want those less fortunate to have healthcare: priceless.