To the editor:

Many politicians came to President Obama’s speech about healthcare on Sept. 9 with their prepared speeches in their pockets, their minds (and therefore ears) closed, and their hearts hardened.

Hardening of the heart has reached epidemic proportions amongst those politicians who have their insurance, have their guaranteed incomes, and have their lifetime careers on the horizon. The pattern has worked for them, and they are afraid of change.

Yet they are not the only people to suffer from this hardening of thought.

For example: What about you? From whom do you receive your information about the health initiative currently being proposed? Your politician? Your neighbor? Your union? Your healthcare provider? Local news programs?

Gossip pandering.

If this is your approach to making decisions, you’ve already begun the hardening process of senility.

Flex your mental muscles.

Get a copy of the report (it’s available online at http://www.hhs.gov/myhealthcare/)

Read it!

“Who can understand that stuff? I’m not a lawyer.”

I can hear you. I hear these complaints from my college students all the time.

Step one: Try! Read it before you complain. Underline. Take notes. Look up words or phrases you don’t understand.

“I don’t have time to do all that!”

Yeah, I’ve heard that one, too.

Make time. This is your life we’re talking about, and your life includes that of your children and grandchildren. If you have time to complain, you have time to educate yourself so your complaints are better.

After you’ve read it, be honest about what you understand and what you question. Attend meetings and ask specific and serious questions. Read your own healthcare policy (many people haven’t).

Even better, organize meetings in your neighborhoods – like a book club – with other folks who have read the material and have things to say about the material (not just more patented excuses and fears in hardened thinking).

Even better, get some local leaders who are supposed to be unbiased to organize or attend the meetings.

Pastors. These people are supposed to lead people in positive ways, including growth in understanding and the ability to critically analyze what they read. If the pastor’s speech just includes traditional biased monologues, you might want a different pastor.

Judges (municipal, county, district). These people are supposed to be nonpartisan individuals who understand what it means to read, analyze and discuss new material. Find out if that’s true – that will help your voting decisions later on.

Educators. Make no mistake, educators can be as biased and hardened in their thinking patterns as others, but if they’re open to going over the material, their presence can be helpful. Believe it or not, people who know how to read might not understand what they read, and a teacher can help them learn.

Politicians. Sure, this is treading deep water when it comes to finding unbiased thinking, but invite people from BOTH sides and tell them to focus on the page, what is written down, and deal with your particular questions, not scattergun politics.

The key to these discussions is to keep focused on the material, on what you’ve read, not on what you fear or expect or have experienced. This is part of the critical thinking approach to learning.

When you’ve finished this process, contact your representatives, and tell them what you think in a clear and reasonable manner. Support the change or status quo for logical reasons. Whatever you support, you strengthen your position by sounding intelligent and reasonable. (For instance, a politician who blurts out “liar” during the president’s formal speech weakens his position considerably.)

Don’t have the time for all this critical thinking and reading and talking (the sorts of things you want your children to learn in school)?

Do you prefer the raised voices, innuendo, speculation and name calling?

Did you answer “yes” to either question? Then, congratulations – we know where you stand. You’re on the side of ignorance and cultural degradation (i.e., you’re part of the problem).

Marian Blue

Clinton