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Lots of questions.  I think the main reason that people are opposed to the Obama plan (I am one of them) is that it has been drawn up and is being rammed down our throats without sufficient time for analysis.  Just because we are aware of a problem, that doesn't mean that any solution we throw at it will actually solve that problem; this is sometimes referred to as "right problem, wrong solution."  It happens a great deal; I have been part of one of these errors.

I think most people think that our health care system needs work; many people do not think that a government takeover is the best answer.    To tell you the truth, other than knowing that rising costs is the problem, I have no idea what is causing the problem.  I know that insurance companies are demonizied, but I have not seen enough evidence to lead me to conclude that they are the problem and that eliminating them will solve the problem.  I suspect that there is no excuse for the exhorbitant prices that pharmaceutical  companies charge for medication, but this is a problem that can be fixed without overhauling the entire existing insurance system.  Other problems may be solved by having/allowing insurance companies to sell insurance in all 50 states, arranging for/making available temporary insurance for individuals between jobs (I was in this position 3 years ago, and it is a scary place to be), and finding a way to insurance people with existing conditions who may have chosen not to pay for insurance until the condition was diagnosed.  And, of course, who really believes that the government that brought us Social Security and Medicare, both excellent but underfunded programs, will do much better with universal health care.

And Obama's tellling us that the things we fear most are not going to happen just because he says they are not going to happen should be a little difficult for any thoughtful person to swallow.

And I do not care if the person who offers a working solution for this problem is black, brown, white, or even green.  My experience is that, in many cases, racism is really about ethnic/political/religious/economic groups as much as it is about race.  Look at the Irish problem.  Both groups were/are the same race.  The same is true of many tribal wars in Africa and some of the problems in Eastern Europe.   When people are angry, they sometimes pick on another's differences and make them the target of their anger; this is foolish and non-productive, but it happens and generally hurts the angry person's cause more than it helps.

Can you be racist without knowing it?  I'm not sure.  But I can you can be homophobic, sexist, anti-Catholic and lots of other things without sitting down and realizing it, so I supose you can be a racist without deciding you are, so I suspect it's possible.  But I don't think it's the issue here, and trying to make it the issue is yet another political manipulation.

To solve this problem, we need to understand the root causes and we need to spend all the time it takes to develop solutions that will solve it.  I don't care if they come from Republicans, Democrats (although they're so busy fighting with each other I'm not sure they'll come up with anything that's about US and not THEM), Independents or Martians.  I just want to see a solution that works for as many of us as possible.

You're asking a few different questions. For starters, I think that it is entirely possible to be prejudiced or racist without knowing it. Not everyone is as overtly racist as the KKK, for example (see post #9). Being racist could even simply be the attitude that one group is superior to another group for some reason.

Personally, I do not believe that people who object to Obama's health care plan are racist; why is the assumption that they are? I believe that the objection is more bipartisan than anything. I know of no republicans who support this plan because Republicans, by nature, advocate for a smaller, less involved federal government. Democrats, by design, promote big government and big social programs and let's face it; those things cost money.

Speaking only for myself, I object to the administration's policies and this has nothing to do with Obama himself; I would have the same objections if he were white!

And just to stir the pot, how come when Democrats vocally and voraciously objected to Bush's plans (not that I'm a big fan of him or his policies) no one said that their behavior was inappropriate?

In reply to #8: Illogical mistrust? Exactly why is Obama "the most serious and talented president?" What program, other than getting himself elected and making people believe in him, has he ever seen to fruition? What government program, other than national defense, has ever been efficient and effective? Amtrac? Medicare? Social Security? Why should anyone believe Obama can do what has not ever been done; rather, he will do what has been done far too much -- take from the haves and give to the have-nots; for no other reason to get elected again.

And as far as Bush wrecking global stability, I think Islamic extremism was the culprit there. I don't recall Bush killing thousand of innocent people in dozens of countries in the name of God. I do remember that post 9/11, we've kept the conflict in the right place, their backyard and not ours. And do recall that people who never participated in a democracy now are. Racism is not the only malady that causes blindness.

 I don't recall Bush killing thousands of innocent people in dozens of countries in the name of God.  - Aquamarine

I'm guessing you haven't bought a newspaper since 2002 then.

I do remember that post 9/11, we've kept the conflict in the right place, their backyard and not ours. - Aquamarine

If we're talking about unconcious racism, I'd say that comment may well be borderline. It is certainly 100% ignorant and obnoxious. How is Iraq 'the terrorist's backyard'? How is Iraq responsible for 9/11? (The 9/11 terrorists were Saudi, a country whose oil George Bush remained VERY loyal to) The respectable estimates for civilian deaths in Iraq range between 100,000 and 600,000, mostly civilians, mostly killed by the American military.

Your lack of awareness of the regional situation is the reason for your hugely simplistic comments. Apart from anything else, 9/11 was not unprovoked. America's 50 years of support for disgusting oil-rich dictatorships (such as Saudi Arabia) infuriated many Arabs. (and then of course there's the whole tangled mess of Israel)

Racism is not the only malady that causes blindness. But it is one of the major ones.

Why is it that every time a person of color is opposed the issue of race always comes up?  This is a cop-out and an excuse when the heat is turned up for those whose policies are under fire.  If we don't stop resorting to this, we will never overcome the history of slavery in this country.  If everyone will stop automatically pulling out the race card, we will be better able to deal with ISSUES and not skin color.

Amy-lepore makes a great point. Those who disagree with Obama's policies are not racist, they're not anti-American and they're not prejudiced in any way. They simply disagree with the plan and the policy.

I'm not a huge fan of Bush, but his critics were numerous and vociferous. There were massive rallies in protest of his policies throughout his administration and some were in very poor taste. Of course, the people rallying felt that they were within their first amendment rights.

No one has even mentioned the idea that opposing Obama is within our first amendment rights as was the interruption during his speech. The first amendment protects our right to freedom of speech but doesn't mandate good manners.

In reply to #14: Dearest Frizzy, Which paper were you reading that stated we engaged in a conflict in the name of God and justified our behavior for killing non-believers? And the only obnoxious thing about this exchange are the egregious data you use in an effort to cast insidious dishonor on our Nation. I suspect you admired Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler and regret their regimes' destruction. For me, I say democracy anywhere is better than any theocracy or dictatorship; alas, the price is that we put up with your persiflage in the name of free speech. That simplistic enough for you? And oh, by the way, when were you last in Iraq?

Never been to Iraq. But I spent 9 months teaching in Syria in 2005. I chatted with several Iraqi refugees in the coffee shops. And you? When did you last leave Palookaville? By the way, nice logic jump from my statement that "The war in Iraq is illegal" to, therefore, "You support Hitler and Saddam". I can't argue with brain-power like that.

And Bush cast serious and long-term dishonour on America, not me, ably helped by his second-term voters . You did it all by yourselves, I merely watched in abject horror. Only a backwoods potato-head tries to suggest that criticising America is unpatriotic. Whereas, supporting an anti-demoractic, war-mongerer like GW, that's seriously unpatriotic.

"I can't run no more, with this same old crowd,

While the killers in high places say their prayers out loud." Leonard Cohen

These are very sensitive issues, and I ask all posters to remember that this forum is in the spirit of exchange of ideas and debate, and not personal attacks. Your points will live or die on their own merits, the personal jibes do not add to the discussion. Thank you all for keeping that in mind, and keeping the discussion civil.

It seems to me several factors have coalesced (and been directed by some with their own agendas) around the issue of health care reform, creating the "perfect storm" of disturbing public behavior we have been witnessing. In many ways, President Obama has been cast as a scapegoat, the lightning rod against whom this behavior has been directed.

One major factor, I think, is the fear of change, and change is here. In 1963, the population of the U.S. was 180 million; today it is 360 million. For better or worse, government has grown as the population has grown. The racial composition has changed; projections indicate that white people in the country will be a minority group in a few decades. The social fabric has changed significantly. Abortion is legal; women and racial minorities can no longer be discriminated against by way of law. The cry of "I want my country back" suggests difficulty accepting these changes.

Another factor is the loss of faith in government--and with many good reasons, for sure. However, people have also lost faith in Wall Street and big business. They are angry and frustrated by greed, incompetence, and the general abuse of power. Much of that anger is now directed at President Obama.

The current social and economic climate has encouraged the blatant expression of racism in ways that have not been seen previously, except at a KKK rally. The open racism and hatred cannot be denied or ignored. It does not represent a majority view, by any means. The term "lunatic fringe" is misleading. The people who wave hateful signs and those who call for violence aren't lunatics. They speak of their "love of country," but they are Americans who have no respect for the democratic process. They are just racists.