Last week I was at the National Communication Association Convention in Chicago. As I rode the shuttle from one location to another, I overheard a gentleman pontificating about the “fact” that the overwhelming majority of Americans oppose health care reform. He continued in this vein the whole trip back. I sat there, struggling with myself. One side of me said “It’s been a long day…This guy isn’t going to listen anyway… If he’s going to blatantly make up statistics that are totally contrary to the findings of actual polls with actual people, there’s no room for discussion….They’re not talking to you anyway and it would be rude to interrupt.” The other side of me was saying “Seriously, if you don’t challenging these uninformed blowhards at every opportunity, people will accept what they say with such confidence even if it IS blatantly inaccurate”….”You’ve got the stats, call him on this!…. “Seriously, speak up!!!!!” The tired side won out.
However, that means that you, dear readers, who may have found yourself in similar circumstances and chose not to speak might benefit from the attached powerpoint. Tammy Allen, Lynn Stephan and I developed this for The Group in Wichita and thought we might share it here. Let us know what you think. Agree…. disagree…. whatever you think. For us the critical issue is that we engage….which I regret to say I did NOT on the bus ride in Chicago.
Deborah's Deliberations 
I think the talking points are quite good, but if I may make a point about the “death panel” section…
The insurance companies are the real death panels right now and a Harvard study from July 2009, says that right now, 122 people are dying per day for lack of care. I think that is an important statistic.
The other issue, as you experienced on your bus ride, is the misconception that a majority of people are opposed to health care reform. This is false. The Docking Institute for Public Affairs released their study of what Kansans think. There were 2 questions dealing with health care. Kansans overwhelmingly support change in our health care system and believe the government is responsible to provide for those lacking care.
Is the current bill anything other than some reform of the most horrendous practices of the ins. cos. and the delivery of millions of the uninsured into the hands of the private insurers at some govt expense? What do you think of Medicare for all, and improved and gradually expanded single payer system for everyone?
Your powerpoint makes very strong stand against the private insurance companies having their chance and blowing it.