You can chose to listen to all of the screaming rants and antics of both the " planted" citizens and the regular ole' crazies at your local town hall meeting to discuss national healthcare reform, or you can listen to the truth.

First off, healthcare is not a partisan issue. We all want it. As Americans, we all deserve it. Furthermore, we deserve quality, affordable healthcare. Presently, for those of us who are lucky enough to have insurance, we are by no means receiving quality and affordable healthcare. It seems as if our health is a privilege in this country, and not a right. That to me, doesn't seem right at all.

I'm not sure where all of this hoopla is coming from. A government run healthcare program will be OPTIONAL. You can chose to keep your own private insurance. The only thing that the government plan will do to your healthcare, is drive costs down on your premiums.

In a capitalist country, I am dumbfounded that people are fighting against a little competition in the insurance market. Massachusetts residents in particular, don't you remember how much our auto insurance premiums went down when the state allowed competition into that market? Our premiums plummeted!

The goal of a government run health insurance program is to offer the option of affordable health care through a government system. Once people start subscribing to the government plan, the current HMO's will have no choice but to provide similar coverage at a similar cost. Please understand, they can spare the money. HMO's and prescription drug companies have had us by the balls for far too long. As they deny our coverage and demand outrageous prices for prescription drugs, they are laughing all the way to the bank.

Furthermore, I'm really having a hard time understanding why people are so terrified of a government run health insurance plan. Isn't that what medicare and medicaid are? Hmm, last I checked the millions of Americans receiving government health benefits weren't complaining.

There are no " death panels". The government will not force you into receiving government health care. The only thing that scares me so much about government health care is that many Republican, and some Democratic, politicians who have their hands very deep in the HMO and prescription drug companies' pockets. And, they're not willing to take them out any time soon. In fact, they're all working together to terrorize you into cock-blocking this plan.

You may not want a government run health insurance plan. However,the thirty five plus million Americans deserve a chance to be healthy.

.. a little goes a long way.

Today, the two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were imprisoned for 12 years of hard labor for committing " hostile acts" by crossing the China/North Korea border this past March, were freed after former president Bill Clinton's visit to North Korea. Clinton arrived unannounced to visit with Kim Jung Il for a private meeting to plead for the journalists' humanitarian release.

No one knows exactly how the conversation transpired, but within 24 hours, the women were granted a "special pardon". I don't know about you, but resolving a pertinent, international issue with an extremely hostile, and typically uncooperative, nation is pretty impressive.

Not as impressive as the " shock and awe" of US bombs raining on Baghdad six years ago. You know, the mission that was never accomplished? Or rather, a supposed uncooperative, hostile nation, with nonexistent weapons of mass destruction that we invaded six years ago? The same nation that we continue to occupy. The same nation where we have lost and continue to lose thousands of service men and women and innocent civilians?

I don't remember much diplomacy there.

Hmm...

Well, a little diplomacy goes a long way. However, more importantly, what a difference an administration makes.