Photo Credit: 29 April 2009, President Barack Obama addresses a town hall at Fox High School in Arnold, Missouri, speaking in part about his first 100 days in office. By Pete Souza

President Barack Obama continues to push for health care reform amidst backlash from conservatives and protesters. At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on Tuesday August 11, 2009 he opened his speech by saying Americans are too often “held hostage” by insurance companies that “deny or drop their coverage or charge fees they cannot afford.”

“‘I believe it is wrong; it is bankrupting families and businesses and that is why we’re going to pass health insurance reform in 2009,’ Obama said.” ~Reuters.com

Somehow, magically, the story in the media here has become the back and forth between town hall meeting attendants and protesters for and against the President’s initiatives…but mostly against. Everyday citizens are getting ample coverage these days based on their outrage against health care reform, their irrational, non fact based fears of socialism, yelling at Arlen Spector and the fact that they carry guns to town hall meetings.

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It seems the potential for violence in the near future is increasing. “Death To Obama” signs are not cool. Bringing guns to heated town hall meetings is not cool, but it is a sign of the times. Some of these people got themselves guns and it is alarming.

“Obama’s push for healthcare reform, which seeks to provide coverage to nearly 46 million uninsured Americans, rein in rising medical costs and regulate insurers…” When polled most Americans favor the basic tenets of this position though that seems to get lost in the sauce now.

Now abortion has been thrown in to further complicate and inflame matters. This seems like strategerie to me because it’s right on time. “Conservative Christians and anti-abortion groups want abortion specifically barred from any policies sold through government-run insurance clearinghouses, whether offered by private insurance companies or a new public insurance plan.” ~Reuters.com

I wish the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were as thoroughly debated before we got caught in those quagmires. Isn’t it strange how much airplay those who oppose these health care reforms are getting when those who opposed the wars got little press at their rallies unless someone got arrested? It’s always suspicious to me now when the media harps on one story, especially when that story is not Iraq and Afghanistan.

When I was younger what I saw on the news troubled me. Now what I don’t see on the news troubles me even more.

In the meantime fears of health care reform are conflated with and sometimes mask fears of “the direction this country is headed in”. On Thursday, August 13th, 2009 it was reported a Maryland man was detained for holding a “Death to Obama” sign.

QUOTE: “I doubt we’re seeing a representative sample of any series of town hall meetings despite the food fight on cable every day” ~Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary, Sydney Morning Herald

Src: Amid protests, Obama assails insurance companies
Abortion lobbed into healthcare fight