The insurance and pharmaceutical companies that are accused of leading the opposition to health-care reform are actually all of us who have pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s, annuities, and other personal investments. We would like to place ugly faces on these companies, but everyone who makes a decision to fight health-care reform to prevent cuts into company profits is actually fighting for us — to a degree.

We buy their insurance and drugs, and we receive in return dividends, capital gains, and jobs. "We the people," therefore, hire lobbyists to work both for us and against us, an example of "(meeting) the enemy and it's us." Survivable societies think not "what's in it for me" but "what's in it for us." But at what point does "against us" outweigh "for us"? And while it's confusing, a recent report showing businesses becoming more productive with fewer of us working is rather scary.

Many Americans have unhealthy and unproductive life styles either because they are unable to do otherwise or because they live under disadvantaged circumstances that make changing such life styles either impossible or difficult to achieve. On the other hand, people who are successful in living productive and healthy life styles not only are happier and healthier but they make universal health-care coverage possible for those who are less fortunate. Such thinking and actions are considered by some to be slippery slopes to socialism, but may actually be a slow climb to Christianity.

Some Americans who are on either Medicare or Medicaid — and need to be — are against any government involvement in health care, giving a false impression they would prefer buying their own health-care insurance. What kind of people — with what motivations — because of their hatred of President Obama, would scare the elderly and fearful with lies and distortions? Is there anything in Obama's words or history to suggest that he is without concern for the welfare of all people? And if health care reform as proposed by Democrats is so bad, why does it take lies rather than the truth to defeat it?

There was a time when businesses were taxed higher, and wealthy individuals were taxed at 90 percent. There were fewer millionaires then, but one did not have to be in the millionaire club to be rich and happy. Instead of being the world largest debtor nation, we were the largest creditor nation, and Americans lived within their means. Now, there are many millionaires and aspiring millionaires, enriched by the nation's debt, and still hoping enough wealth and a big enough homes will bring happiness.

"Yes we can," you'll remember, was an acknowledgement that things needed to be done in America that would be tough, but we can succeed despite those difficulties. We are being told by conservatives, "no you can't," and many Americans are losing confidence. President Obama needs to remind Americans, whose greatest assets have been faith and confidence, that we still can. My church congregation wanted to build a new sanctuary, but were not contributing enough to the building fund to cover the expected monthly note. Deciding to trust God to make up the difference, however, the 25-year church loan and the cost of new furnishings were paid out in less than seven years. If health-care reform is a moral responsibility, then Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and others of faith should be able to trust The Higher Source to make what seemed impossible, not only possible but successful.

At town hall meeting where citizen should have a chance to ask questions and share ideas about reforming health care, disruptions have often created a conflict of rights between citizens who are disorderly expressing their disapproval of the congressional health-care ideas and those who have questions and perhaps ideas that might enhance the effort. Republicans imply that those who disrupt meetings have a right to express their opposition in such manners. But those who have ideas and questions also have rights to be heard, and hear responses to their questions. Is it no longer true that one person's rights end where another's begin?

Conservatives in government say government cannot be trusted to get anything right, including health care. Are they also talking about themselves and their ideas about health-care reform? Yet they have convinced many people they are only talking about Democrats.

If Obama's plans for health-care reform are not "right," why won't Republicans just let Democrats implement them, and as the plans fail, regain the White House and Congress, and do it "right" themselves? It's because Republican didn't "get it right" when they were in control. They do want Democrats to fail, but like themselves, fail by doing nothing.

The president is being blamed for members of Congress for not having a health-care plan to explain to the people back home. But the president wanted such a plan by Aug. 1— though possibly for different reasons. Nevertheless, the president has seen enough of the ideas being discussed to tell both Congress and the American people which ideas he favors. There are times when leaders must lead because they are smarter, with better perspectives on issues and because they have the courage of their convictions and are faithful to the people's trust.

Politics is preventing health care from being made right. The present debate engages misinformation about near-death decisions of the elderly while ignoring thousands of premature deaths that are consequences of our present system. Certainly we will lose our standing in the world if compassion and empathy are no longer associated with us or expected of us.

We are engaged in another of many classic battles of profits versus people. And any time a nation's economic system evolves to the point that it can, through poor education and deceit, effectively blindfold the masses of people concerning what's in their own best interests, it threatens the survival of the nation. It destroys the principles on which the nation was built and by which it prospered.

Ronald C. Spooner of Port Arthur is a retired educator. Contact him at rcspoon@earthlink.net.