Was this response too harsh??

[kentuck]

I get emails forwarded from a long-time friend who gets these right-wing emails all the time. He sent a "must see" You Tube of some congressman from GA speaking about how health care was going to take all our freedoms away...etc.

I responded:

****,

I have seen this Congressman speak several times. He does not want health care reform. He wants the status quo. We did not vote for that. Get out of the way or get run over. Change is coming.

I am not convinced. The Republican Party and much of the Democratic Party have taken millions of dollars from the insurance companies and Big Pharma. They don't want any reform. They like everything just the way it is.

And since they made $400 billion dollars in profits last year, who could blame them. That is $400 billion dollars to someone that cannot give you an aspirin if you get sick.

By the way, if you do get sick, very sick, you may find that you have no insurance. Although you think you do. You will lose your house. You will lose your job. You will have nobody watching your back but the insurance companies. Good luck!

All those folks that talk about "government" being the problem don't know what the hell they are talking about. We, the People, are the government. Do they hate the "people" when they hate the government?

Anyway, if you want to keep what you have now, go ahead and keep it. But don't be so arrogant to keep everybody else from getting health care if they need it. The insurance companies do not want competition because they may not be able to make $400 billion dollars if they have to compete. The "socialism" arguments and "big government" is going to take over is a bunch of malarkey. Republican malarkey. BS. Simple and plain. They are not speaking from the facts. I think they are lying intentionally.

ken

[hlthe2b]

1. I find it excellent... I just hope they read and absorb your reply

[Lost-in-FL]

2. Not really, nt

[Salviati]

3. No, in truth probably not harsh enough :)

But that's just me. I've got no time for those who are not trying to govern our country in good faith, or those who support them.

[gmoney]

4. Malarkey? That was crossing the line...

I think "Balderdash" would have been more genteel. ;)

[BirminghamExaminer]

5. No you weren't too harsh.....

but I was when my cousin kept sending me that freeper craziness. I got in an email shouting match with her and then put her email address in my filter so all of her emails now go directly to the trash. I don't care if she is related to me or not. She's a moron.

What you wrote was much more diplomatic. That's how I started too, back in 2000. My advice for you is that if you sincerely want to stay friends with this person, ignore all their political emails.

My best friend is a Republican. She is under the influence of her husband I hate to say but it's true. We agreed a long time ago not to talk politics because we like everything else about each other so much.

So....with my cousin, I didn't really care. I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing from or seeing her again. But my best friend, that's another story, she is someone I have a long history with and worth avoiding politics altogether for. Plus she lives in another state.

My point is that if you really want to stay friends with this person, give it up now. Ignore the stupid emails and go on. In my case, my cousin started in 2000 and I ignored and ignored until 2004 when it started up again. I started out sort of like you did, diplomatically. But diplomacy doesn't work with people who believe Obama was born in Kenya and that health care companies care about people and not profits.

[noamnety]

6. Who are the congressman's corporate sponsors?

I would have included the specifics.

[Grey]

7. Sounds about right to me..

[Mira]

8. This is a beautifully simple reply...explaining it at the base level and

hopefully some can learn from it to keep things easily explained for those who can only hear that type of thing, if they, and we, are lucky

I hope this gets a ton of recommendations other than mine.

[Maru Kitteh]

9. perfect. n/t

[Enthusiast]

10. No way was it too harsh.

You did a fine job.

But these people want to believe their kind have all the answers. He also probably sent you pro-Iraq War shit like I got from my GOP acquaintances.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. I would have asked if your friend is declining Medicare and Social Security since it's government

run? Have they ever received unemployment benefits, VA care, or any military benefit? Ask them how they could possible accept those things as they're all government run programs.