Matt Hamilton/Daily Citizen-NewsSteve Foster, the Democratic Party candidate for Georgia's 14th Congressional District seat, says health care is a right, not a privilege.

CHATSWORTH, Ga. — Steve Foster says “cradle to grave” health care is a right, not a privilege.

Foster, the Democratic candidate for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District seat, spoke last week to the Murray County Democratic Party.

“What Harry Truman tried to put in place in the 1940s has been kicked back 71 years, and it’s long overdue,” said Foster, a former military physician and surgeon and owner of Dalton’s MedNow clinic.

President Harry Truman called for a national health insurance plan that would have had workers pay a fee that would not only fund health coverage but reimburse the wages of those who lost work because of injury or illness.

“The time for private health insurance companies to basically make their profits on the back of the populace, on the health of the populace, is passed. It is overdue,” Foster said.

Foster also advocated for what he called “common-sense” gun laws.

“You can’t get into a 747 and fly it without a lot of training,” he said. “But we allow people to buy these weapons of mass destruction without any training.”

He said people should be able to buy “regular handguns and long guns” just as they do now.

“But if you are going to buy an automatic or semiautomatic weapon, you should first have to have some rigorous training,” he said.

Foster is challenging incumbent Republican Tom Graves, of Ranger, in the November general election. In addition to Whitfield and Murray counties, the 14th District includes Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk and Walker counties and the western part of Pickens County.

Eton resident Jason Crawford said he thinks Foster’s message will resonate with all the voters of the 14th District, not just Democrats.

“The things he is talking about, health care and guns, are things that are extraordinarily important to the people of northwest Georgia,” Crawford said. “As a physician, he knows what he is talking about on health care. And with the school shootings recently in Florida and Texas, many people are looking for ways to reduce gun violence. What he’s talking about isn’t some radical measure, but good, common-sense proposals.”

Dan Lovingood, Democratic Party 14th Congressional District chair and first vice chair of the Whitfield County party, said he’s had a chance to watch Foster interact with voters.

“His message is already resonating across the district,” he said. “He’s talking about issues that are important to the voters. And I think a lot of people are ready for change. I see Republicans and tea party people coming out to support Steve, and I’m really proud of that. We have to get beyond partisan politics if we are going to solve the problems this country faces.”