Health care debate: Don't tell me what you're against; tell me what you're for

To all those opposed to President Obama's health care reform initiatives,

Here are two indisputable facts:

• The citizens of 35 other countries have a longer life expectancy than U.S. citizens.
• The United States "spends much more per capita on health care than any other country, but ... despite this higher level of spending, the United States does not achieve better outcomes on many important health measures."

Yet, a major segment of our political leadership is against public involvement in the health care delivery system. OK, I'm willing to listen. Tell me how you would fix the problem. It's obvious from the statistics noted above that the current system isn't working, so just maintaining or even extending the status quo is not the answer. But if you have another solution, I'm willing to listen to it, consider it, discuss it. But, please, come up with an alternative solution instead of just being against the solutions proffered by the President. That's not leadership, that's obstructionism.