Healthcare debate is spiraling out of control

The Obama administration thought it had a great idea when it planned a series of "Town Hall" meetings between elected officials in various states and their constituents. The intentions were honorable...involve the public in open discussions and allow them to express their concerns. What the Administration didn't bargain for was the seemingly well-organized machine that has sought to purposely disrupt these meetings and the effective use of fear tactics that have resulted in physical altercations among participants. A simple suggestion that the elderly may want to have an end of life consultation with their doctors to let their doctors know their wishes -- nothing more than a living will discussion -- has been twisted into some sort of "Nazi" plot to euthanize the old and frail. Agitators have compared Obama to Hitler, a ridiculous comparison...an African American congressman awoke yesterday to find a swastika painted on his office sign and derogatory e-mails that no person in the 21st Century should write. This direction shows that America still has many simmering problems that won't be cured by healthcare reform...The actions of the last week tend to reveal America's dirty little secret...that we haven't come as far in civil rights as we pretend we have. The nation may have to pause, take a long, hard look at the hatred and seek a "cure" for that festering wound before it can move forward with a healthcare reform package that helps every American...We need to take a step back and reform civil rights and basic human decency before we can reform healthcare policy. I am hoping we can push the genie of hate back into the bottle before it destroys the progress we have made over the last 40 years.