But many representatives aren't hearing what they expected to hear, and they're reacting by tuning the people out and canceling future community discussions.

    That's foolish and wrong on their part.

     Members of Congress should understand that people are apprehensive about the major health care changes being proposed, and the blinding pace of the debate. Citizens are speaking up because they're not sure if the proposed reforms will be good for them, their families or the nation.

   It seems like every day we hear about another plan being bounced between the House, Senate and White House. By the end of August, three House committees and one Senate committee had all approved, as the New York Times put it, "competing, sometimes contradictory" plans.

    Many versions seem like they would threaten the private health coverage many already enjoy, leave major medical decisions in the hands of Washington bureaucrats, and ration the amount of care that would be available for needy citizens.

    In some instances there's disagreement about what a specific proposal might mean.

     A perfect example is a heath care reform bill currently before the House of Representatives. Some claim that that a section of the bill would require senior citizens to have "euthanasia counseling" every five years, apparently to convince some to die a bit sooner and save the government  some money.

     Yet others claim that the language would simply provide reimbursement for older people to receive "end of life" counseling every five years, so they can learn to deal with the many difficult decisions they face.

    The point is that nobody is certain what the language really means, or how it might be interpreted in the future.

    I have had numerous conversations with health care professionals on all levels, and they're all concerned with the current legislative process, as well as the potential product that's being pushed through.

     It's no wonder citizens are showing up in droves to express their concern. Granted, some of those folks have gotten a little carried away, and could have been a bit more polite to their elected representatives.

     But members of Congress are wrong to dismiss the dissenters, and they shouldn't cancel plans for future forums.

    Worse yet is Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's description of the dissent as "un-American," and the inexcusable physical assault of a protester in Missouri by administration supporters.

    During my time as district director for Congressman Hoekstra, I arranged dozens of these "town hall" forums. At times the discussions became contentious, but they were always insightful because people were allowed to share their honest thoughts with their congressman, without being filtered.

     So instead of attacking or dismissing dissenters, our leaders should listen to what the people are really saying - Slow Down!

     Health care reform is far too critical an issue to put on a fast-track timetable, like President Obama and Pelosi have attempted to do. There is simply too much confusion and disagreement at this point.

     Republicans and Democrats seem to agree on a few basic principles, like providing assistance to  lower-income people so they can pay for insurance, and forcing insurance companies to cover people  with existing conditions.

    But most Democrats want to create a new federal health program to compete with private insurance companies. Republicans and some "Blue Dog" Democrats believe the many private insurers would react by getting out of the business, leaving government as the lone insurer for many.

    The goal of health care reform should be to preserve the private insurance system we already have, and find ways to expand access to that system for the uninsured.    

     Nothing has to be settled this fall, or even by the end of the year. This is an issue the President and Congress must address carefully, with cautious, rational deliberation. There should be no rush to beat the calendar and make national headlines.

    I hope citizens keep telling their representatives to put the brakes on, and think long and hard about what they're doing. If they're smart, their representatives will listen.