Though I minored in political science at UGA, my life wasn't political as a young mother.

At least not until Hillary tried forcing Americans towards government-managed health care in the early '90s.

I vividly recall scraping wallpaper one day, happy to finally be living a normal life after the roller coaster of caring for a spouse with brain cancer for five years.

Then came Hill on the radio, invoking the Veteran's Administration as her model for the new American health care, saying she wanted children to be first to experience this government benefit. The children again.

Rather than rejoicing that she wanted my daughters in a VA-like system, I was sick with fear for all of America's kids. For I'd just seen, way too close-up and personal, what awaited America if we modeled our care after that government-run nightmare.

People say it's not so bad now (I always look deep into their eyes when they do). I have met some wonderful individuals who either volunteer for or got training at the VA hospital in Decatur, and wouldn't want to disparage anyone, at any level, who works hard (often thanklessly) on behalf of our veterans. Many VA employees are unsung patriots who try every day, from within, to better the ridiculous system. But The Government System was still a nightmare for my family.

Lost records were the least of the problem in the early '90s. Wait times to see specialists were more than four months, even for priority patients (my husband was a 30-year-old active duty officer, classified as a service-connected casualty). The wait time just to schedule was about 14 hours - a whole day sitting with a patient in pain on hard chairs, telling his story again and again to multiple layers of people (Who were the docs? We were never sure) until we finally left with return appointment dates. He died before we made it to any.

When he was admitted once, our floor had just one nurse on call, resulting in restraints being used, despite all protests. Dignity was left at the door for us; this Marine never even received a basic sponge bath in the 10 days he was the responsibility of The Government System.

My days-long, multi-floor search for a functioning wheelchair was fruitless, so forget moving him to the bathroom, though I eventually got his hair washed. I've blanked on many other details, but know I'd have done anything at the time for a clean room (with clean sheets) and real care at a WellStar or Northside Hospital.

And now, just last month, Obama has re-instated the mandatory handout of a disturbing end-of-life pamphlet to all VA patients (authored under Clinton but suspended by Bush) that adds to veterans' pain by reminding them of the burden they put on their families and suggesting "other options." Some say it steers them towards the death "option." In any case, the re-constituted pamphlet shows a callousness we should all abhor.

If this is even close to Obama's proposed model, we should all be afraid.

Government run health care: Not our friend, but our national nightmare.

Lbarmstrong3378@comcast.net