come on, stating support while urging the troops home on Memorial Day is hardly acting like the pregnant girlfriend at the wedding... either we're all grown up enough to respect public dissent, or we should be. and i don't think I'm alone being as sick as rest of the country of rovian spins on the rightful - and American - exercise of free speech. time to grow up. or at least stand up.

In 1964 a woman named Kitty Genovese was murdered in NYC under the eyes and ears of people living in a near-by apartment building. The murderer killed her, but the inaction of dozens of people let it happen. What's going on in the US health care system today puts too many of us in that apartment building, drawing the blinds. Too many of us are watching and hearing stories of people we know (maybe ourselves) who are dying while the world watches the insurance companies -- many of which are so called 'non-profits' - deny coverage, drag their feet on life and death decisions on treatment, rescind policies when policyholders become ill, raise premiums to near bankrupting levels as people age, and offer no reasonably priced coverage that working people can afford.

Only until elected officials are denied health care benefits, except those purchased out of pocket, and no guarantee of health care benefits after a term in office, they will neither understand or know the fear of a parent when their child is sick, or when they or a spouse is ill, but have no insurance - or inadequate insurance. Maybe we should put that forth as a ballot question for a public vote at the next round of elections -- or ask a candidate running for office if they would support such legislation . i know who i'd vote for.

maybe what's happening is that some people have the luxury of indulging their disinclination to feed the maw of bloated oil companies? or switched from their SUVs to their economy car (the Prius).some people actually do need to drive to get to work, or school, or pick up the kids, or get grandmom to the doctor, or pick up prescriptions because we don't live in a city where we can grab a bus -- and the supermarket is not in walking distance and - guess what? - does not supply free delivery... this crisis is about america and the way everyday people live. gas prices mean higher food prices, mean higher prices for everything, and it is only getting harder and harder for those who can least afford it. i'm glad gas consumption is down -- i'm hoping to get a hybrid car if there ever is one that's affordable - i hope to have access to wind power -- i want the earth cleaner, livable for the next generations. BUT i'm also glad sen. shumer is outraged, someone should be. these corporate oil citizens should start acting like good citizens, and if they won't, there should be laws that make them. these companies have done their best to maximize profits irregardeless of the consequences of their behavior, have polluted and compromised the health of our kids and our planet. though we'd like to think so, they have not invested in new, less polluting refineries - in their own sub-structure. and they have consistently obstructed the exploration of alternative energy sources -- and they have the i.q. to know what those consequences are -- unlike some people in washington. why is it a dark day? because the bully isn't in the school yard anymore, he's moved in and sleeping on the living room couch. he's taking your job, he's eating your food, he's taking your vacation, he's wearing your new clothes. the highest price paid is being paid by those who can afford it the least. period. schumer sees it. and this pollyanna, 'o life is getting better' essay makes me think more of Candide that a decent essayist on the subject. Schumer isn't wearing rose-colored glasses (though they do look kind of silly when he's reading at a hearing) he hears what life is like from everyday working people who pay for gasoline with money they hoped to have to feed their families - or save for college for their kids. mr. leonard sees the silver lining in this crisis, well, i hope we can all look past a bad time to a better one --but the argument is convoluted. when there's a group of kids in the schoolyard taking a toll on your kids' lunch, if you are sensible, you're not delighted your child is losing weight....you break it up -- or at least make them give your child back part of the lunch they can't manage to eat...THEN you can put your kids on a diet yourself...

more and more it seems that the citizenry of our country have been reduced to observers of a system being taken totally out of our hands. if our elected representatives don't keep their promises to us and their eyes on the constitution, what will we be left as - what will our children and grandchildren have to inherit but a functional colony of corporate entities that found the hole in the system and wormed through into every aspect of our government and our lives... what's next - outsourcing congress? or the supreme court?