I would like to see Health care reform and I support President Obama. I am appalled by the behavior of participants at recent health care town meetings. It's okay to ask questions and get information; its not okay to shut down the dialogue. - Debra Smith

50 million uninsured, are you serious..we cannot be called a very civilized country until we offer health care to everyone...it is not socialism, just good public policy. - Rick

Obama on private competition: "UPS & FedEx are doing just fine. It's the Post Office that always has problems." Exactly, Mr. President. Why should the government be involved with private health if it can't balance its own budget? Has anyone heard the story or the National Mall? Read this http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090723/D99K41A81.html Congressman walk past this National Park everyday and they don't give it the proper funding...what makes you think that they have any idea how much Obamacare should cost? This plan is a slippery slope to control every other 'bad habit' you might have. "Americans will need to sacrifice things that aren't making them healthier.' Translation = 'you can't eat fast food. Smoking is bad for you and those around you. You shouldn't drink.'

I agree we need reforms. Like access to preventative health care or the option to go see a doctor (w/o insurance) instead of going to emergency. But this does not justify spending OUR money to insure people that aren't paying federal tax anyway. These changes can be done without getting the federal government into the health care industry.

- SS

@ Debra Smith Agreed - both sides should be ashamed of their behavior. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/12/analysis-press-largely-ignored-incendiary-rhetoric-bush-protest/

@Rick if you want to talk numbers lets look at the 50 million. It is estimated that 10 million are illegal aliens. It is also estimated that 32 million make over $25,000 a year.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_otfwl2zc6Qc/SjmZ_WN-iDI/AAAAAAAAKWI/q-TNIP4N2vY/s400/uninsured.png Where do you think a majority of the illegals fall in this graph? Should we be responsible for there health? According to this website http://www.cahi.org/article.asp?id=415 people can get insurance for as little as $600 a year (look at Pan-American's mini medical plans). It's all about priorities! - SS

Too much government, too little private choice. I thought McCain's proposal was much better, but had he been elected did he even believe in it enough to push for legislation? Guess that leaves us in a pinch! Palin's opinions on the matter do sound somewhat extreme, but they are not outside the realm of possibility and that's enough to scare people. I suppose if the reform effort bogs down and goes nowhere it would be possible to chalk it up as a victory for Palin: now that would be a switch! (To boot, I was impressed with what I read of here Facebook posts: sounded aggressive, principled and smart.) She may not connect with the intelligentsia, but that is really not her market, and she doesn't need to in order to "win." Perhaps Obama should have shown some real legislative leadership on this, rather than punt the ball to Congress (but we all know that he showed very little such leadership in when he was in the Senate, don't we?). Seems like he over-learned the lesson on HillaryCare: that's a problem when you're fighting the last war - where's the vision?

The town meetings criticism is a great distraction, isn't it? Takes attention away from the real issues at stake: offer a controversial over-reach and point the finger when the inevitable reaction arises. I am not surprised that people are scared and angry.

One might have have hoped that "The One" would have offered some more creative and bi-partisan solutions here, but again, he didn't do that much when he was in the Senate, either. I do truly hope some change is legislated that will improve choice and control costs in a humane way, while increasing individual control while minimizing bureaucratic intrusion. I just don't see anything like that on the horizon. We'll see what happens. - Scott Julian

I wonder how many of those 32 million making over $25000 are the head of a houshold that includes children. $25000 a year is not a lot after taxes. If that $25000 has to provide for a family that includes more than 2 people, $50 a month for a mini medical plan may mandate a choice between paying for insurance or buying groceries or paying a utility bill. How do you prioritize that? There are some people in this country that are considered the working poor. They make too much money to qualify for government assistance - health care, day care, food assistance, etc. Many of the households of the working poor include children. We should be more worried about providing decent health care for this countries children that trying to exclude illegal immigrants from receiving health care. From what I have heard about the health care reform initiative, there is no attempt to provide health care for illegal aliens. - J. T.

To Debra Smith: I find it comical that you are "appalled by the behavior of participants at recent health care town meetings." Liberals and fanatic left-wing organizations have staged numerous out-of-control protests and absurdly disrupted countless Republican speeches and meetings during the Bush presidency. But all of that is ok, because it is what YOU believe in. When a conservative (or in this case, people who oppose health care reform) choose to passionately express and voice their concern, you through out words like "appalled." Maybe next time someone can throw a shoe at the town hall meeting speaker...oh wait, you would only approve if it was a Republican. Give me a break. - A. Charles

The current system is badly broken and Obama's solution will make things even worse. There's a great article in the current issue of The Atlantic that analyzes how we got into this mess and how we might get out. Essentially, insurance shouldn't be paying for routine care. Since insured folks get pretty much 'free' routine care whose actual cost we never see it's not surprising the prices have gone through the roof. Insurance should pay for catastrophic illness/injury and we should have medical savings plans for the rest. Or just pay for them. - G

The one major player in all this is extremely silent, with that, who is going to profit the most, if this happen the way the private insurance want it, they will. The private insurance provider has total control of what will be provided and won't, so competition is wrong because it weakens there strangle hold, for an example, the banking industry. Bigger is not better, FDR knew this, somehow we forgot. I don't know what health plan you have, but the people I speak with are getting less coverage and higher premiums. Companies are cutting more and more in order to save cost; therefore, if we continue down the path we are on, we will have to pay more for less services covered. I say lets, look at the number of bankruptcies that have been occurring, due to health cost and yet the health insurance industry profits have increased 480%. So, how is it that we can't afford to insure Americans, yet its ok for the health insurance provides to continue to profit by keeping us sick. - BJ

It’s interesting that our president, the media, and some individuals on this opinion page continue to quote the number of uninsured Americans at 37-50 million. The fact of the matter is that that number is significantly inflated to invoke enormous sympathetic emotions, and suggest a complete breakdown in American justice that simply doesn’t exist. According to the Census there are 46.577 million uninsured PEOPLE in America. 9.487 million of those people are NOT citizens. (I think we can agree that non-citizens should not and can not be considered Americans. As such they must be disregarded from the health reform conversation) In the same Census report there are 8.3 million Americans who make over $50,000 - $74,999, and 8.74 million Americans who make over the $75,000 mark who choose, independently, not to purchase health insurance. Those individuals have no right being included in the headcount of needy uninsured Americans because if they so desperately need medical insurance they have funds to afford it. Also there is a significant number of the uninsured Americans (45% at any given time), who are in the process of switching or finding a job and can be understood to have insurance within four months. Their uninsured status is temporary and needs to be accounted for. So where does the total number of uninsured Americans end up?... right around 20 Million; less than 7% of the U.S. population. The conversation on Health Care Reform needs to be based on facts, and the truth those facts bring to light. Overhauling a health care system that is proven to work, albeit getting expensive, because of less than 7% of the population is simply stated, irresponsible. - Johnny

I don't like that this is even being argued either. Why should we have to "Afford" health care. I'm a student and when I graduate if I do not find a job that provides me health care, I won't have any. I have a series of health problems and this deters companies from wanting to hire me because they know it will cost them money. I don't think any American should have to decide between their health or their house. At least basic health care should be provided for everyone. -