Dear President Truman

Over the weekend, my spouse and I were in Kansas City to visit family, but also to do some sight-seeing, and to attend the American Idols concert.

On Saturday morning, we went to the Harry S. Truman museum. What a treasure! We watched a 45 minute film narrated by David McCollough that was based on his biography, Truman, then went to the exhibits. My spouse spent most of the time on the lower level looking at personal artifacts of his and his family's personal belongings. I spent more time looking at the presidential years on the upper level. The details, including recordings, were amazing, and in particular, I appreciated a dichotomy of views about his decisions, such as whether Israel should be have recognized and the controversy behind it, Korean Conflict, reliving General McArthur from command of the East Asia forces, and also approving the development of a H-bomb that created an arms race.

I also learned that most of his second term agenda, the Fair Deal, hardly passed. Legislation proposed but didn't make it at the time: national health insurance, public housing, and federal aid for education.

Among the interactive exhibits was this one, in which one could write a note to President Truman about an issue one cares about one way or another. Here's what I would write on this note--since there wasn't much space provided.

September 1, 2008

Dear President Harry S. Truman,

National Health Care is very important to me. We need more than just national health insurance, although certainly that is a decent start. Many in our country depend on the government providing children's insurance to help take care of their kids, but yet the parents have to do without. Many cannot change jobs in fear of losing what health care they have or because of draconian pre-existing condition clauses. The American people are worth the investment of having health care, and I want Congress to do something about it. I want President Obama to make it so. It's time.

Sincerely, Benny

CEO's of companies were very against National Insurance back then, as they displayed letters of disapproval, because they would be levied a tax based on the average salary of American workers. It was clear they didn't want to pay it.

And they still don't today.

Candidate McCain is totally against government supplied health care, even though he has it. His health insurance plan would even exclude him as he has pre-existing conditions.

What would you write to President Truman?