Yes, Virginia, There Are Death Panels

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there are no Death Panels.
"Papa says, 'If you see it on Fox it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; are there Death Panels?
"VIRGINIA O'HANLON. "115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there are Death Panels. They exist as certainly as corporate profits and bonuses exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest degree of medical uncertainty. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Death Panels. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no wondering if this treatment will be covered, no poetry, no romance should we not get to wonder if this claim will lead to recission of our coverage because we once burped. Twice. And had acne. We should have no enjoyment, no thrill in the wonder of what presents are and aren't under the Christmas tree this year, what has CEO Santa and his Medical Review Panels brought. And what have they left in the corporate profit column.

Not believe in Death Panels! You might as well not shareholder dividends and claim reviewer bonuses! You may tear apart the Republicans rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal obstructionism therein Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else so real and abiding as the health insurers'

Death Panels! No Death Panels! Thank God! They live, and, if the Republicans get their way, they will live forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, they will continue to make glad the heart of Wall Street industry analysts and pile high the gifts under CEO Santa's tree Christmas morn. Probably in his little Aspen get-away cottage.

Speak Out!

As citizens, we can help the president by writing him, or emailing him

The White House Contact Us page is: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

And you can find and contact your congressional Representatives and Senators here:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

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FWIW, I just sent this message to President Obama:
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Dear Mr. President:

It is reported that you are willing to compromise on the "public option."

I urge you to insist on such a feature in any bill which you will sign.

Major compromises have already been made - dropping a single payer plan concept was a huge concession and a large disappointment to those of us who consider health care a right. (That position has been adopted by the major religious denominations. For example, my denomination,: "United Methodists Call for Health Care Reform "We believe Health Care is a basic human right." United Methodist Social Principle ¶162.V" http://www.1010challenge.org/site/c.olIZIfNYJwE/b.5337789/k.C006/Home.htm

The people who elected you did so in large part because of your stand on health care.
We have stood up for you: it is time for you to stand up for yourself and for the people you represent.

The Republicans have made it clear they will not compromise, they will not engage in bi-partisanship, they will continue to insist that only they have the right to represent the values of and dictate the terms of America.

I believe this is your time of trial, Mr President. Continue to compromise to the unending obstructionism of the right, continue a course of appeasement, and I believe you will lose the opportunity to have any effectiveness as President. because you have been neither hot nor cold, but as lukewarm water you will be rejected by people of faith. (Revelation 3: 15 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.")

Bow on this issue and you may as well start planning for your Presidential library because you will be a self-inflicted lame duck.

Will all the respect I can muster: please stand up for your principles and stand up for all Americans.

Respectfully yours,

Robert J. Walker