Jay Honeck writes:

$6K is what a cheap used car costs around here. It's also the price
of a single semester at our public university, which has 30,000
students. Clearly, money is not the over-riding issue keeping more
people out of the cockpit.

For a lot of people, $6000 is a great deal of money.

The medical requirement is, quite frankly, a joke. The doc checks
your eyes, your heart, makes sure you can carry on a conversation, and
takes your check. Heck, you don't even have to "turn your head and
cough" to get signed off for a 3rd class medical.

Then why doesn't the FAA eliminate it? I'm sure there are many people with
minor but disqualifying conditions who would disagree with you, as well as
airline captains who have been forced into an early change of career.

Two things keep more people from flying: Ignorance and fear.

As well as a lack of money and/or robust health (as the FAA would define it).