by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: August 03, 2009   Last Updated: March 30, 2011

The citizens are talking, that's for sure. What have we said? From one perspective, many of us would just like to see a doctor and have help paying the bill. From another perspective, many of us are perfectly happy with our Health Maintenance Organizations and health plans, and have no desire for nationalized health care.

In the middle are those who are not sure about their jobs. People worry about what will happen to them if they lose their employer subsidized health care plans. Without jobs, it will be difficult to pay the COBRA fees that allow continued coverage, especially where pre-existing conditions or coverage for dependents are concerned.

We listen to the mainstream media discussions about health care. It is not difficult to realize that we are actually listening to a mechanism for delivering a variety of sales pitches from the well financed power elites from both sides of the issue.

Committed health care reform advocates are barely allowed to discuss the financial feeding frenzy that is going on in the medical industries. There is usually a well trained, interrupting, out talking opponent who gets the final word. And the final word is usually a predetermined talking point for a given week.

More frequently, we hear from politicians who need to further their political and personal agendas by pretending to do whatever it is that they promised to do when they were campaigning.

Most frequently, the fringe Right Wing elements are allowed to throw whatever spanner into the works that they can, wherever they can. Their attention seeking antics dominate the airwaves and Internet.

In summary, the mainstream media, in increasingly obvious cooperation with the powerful elites and sensational fringe elements is being heard all day every day.

How can the average citizens be heard? Anyone may use their voices with e-mail, phone, or by writing to Congress and the White House. These days it is easy to address our concerns and to send them to our political parties, organizations, clubs, local newspapers and national journals.

The average person may write and dialogue in Internet forums, where good communicators can draw viewers based on their popularity. We may speak as common people who start topics or comment in on line forums and in blogs. The more popular the blog or forum, the more viewers who see our comments.

Our phone calls are heard. Our letters are read. Our posts and comments are read.

In summary, we common people speak up and we are heard. We were heard last

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