Let’s all take a deep breath. The ugliness that has erupted during the health care debate is stunning in its depth of passion and name calling. Adults have  been acting up.

How are we supposed to explain to our youth that the first black president of the United States has been disrespected like no other leader in that office recently? How are we to explain the undercurrent of animosity that many of us haven’t seen since the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s? How are we to explain that our country has seemingly lost its mind, again?

I don’t need to recount everything that’s been happening. Most of you know about the outbursts in the Congress, the internet pictures, the threats, the town hall meetings that nearly erupted into riots. What has been unleashed? This is about more than providing health care insurance to more people.

I’m happy to live in a democracy that allows free speech, but why, in 2010, are many people on the edge of madness over this issue? What has been unleashed?

I’ve been talking about health care reform with my 15-year-old daughter and she can’t quite understand all of the anger and nastiness. What about the children of the folks who have been spitting, yelling threats and ignoring the political decorum in this country? What are they thinking?

What has been unleashed?

Related posts:

1. It’s time for health care reform 101
2. Health care reform 101, continued
3. The fight continues