To the Editor:

With America having been established as a somewhat Christian nation, most citizens have, until recently, lived under the injunctive, love thy neighbor as thyself. Love means compassion in action, especially in relationships to our most vulnerable populations: the young, the elderly, and the sick.

We still recoil when we hear reports from third-world nations of hollowed-eyed street urchins with begin bowls extended to passers-by, and of having to pass the dead and near-dead on the streets. We like to think we are better than to allow that; that such lamentable sights do not belong in America, the land of plenty.

It is not socialism, but rather social justice that we, especially the great middle class and charitable organizations, have always supported. But now, as it has been said, the times are out of joint.

Some individuals become wealthy on the backs of those who are not earning a living wage and have no discretionary funds to buy health insurance. And even those, who have done everything right to remain self-sufficient are often unaware that they are hanging by the thread of fate under the possibility of being put out on the street.

All it takes is one serious illness or medical operation for the walls of security to come crashing down. We learn that one-half of our bankruptcies are provoked by a medical crisis and that one-half of these cases were people who had health insurance.

Surely, it is slowly dawning on the populace that insurance companies make their profits by denying coverage to their clients; therefore, the more coverage denied, the higher the profits. This formula provides compensatory awards in the millions to executives.

Senator Al Franken has proposed a bill to regulate the percentage between the pay-out and the denial rate for claims submitted by clients. Will this bill survive? Will the insurance companies be powerful enough to stop this bill?

The very shadow of such regulatory actions has in recent days resulted in enormous increases in premiums all over the country.

Are we to be a country where the gap between the haves and the have nots is obscene? This situation haunts us all; daily we are assaulted by stores of incomprehensible suffering and misery. It is depressing. Did we learn nothing from Charles Dickens heart-rending account of Tiny Tim? Do we want a country of Lords and serfdom?

Self-reliance is a noble ideal- one that is often expressed as, I am a self-made man; I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps; or more succinctly, I worked hard for what I have.

This kind of reasoning ignores the fact that successful people had at least one good parent, supporter or mentor and perhaps a little inheritance or windfall of luck; while an ill person, the enfeebled, a baby, or those made poor by the criminality of others this group has always needed help from others in order to survive.

It seems that now we all could use advocates when dealing with insurance companies.

Recently we have read of some companies abolishing or restricting coverage for mammograms which help detect early stages of breast cancer this as a cost-cutting, profit-enhancement tactic.

If regulations were to prevent such denial of claims and services, perhaps these same companies would establish programs designed to keep clients healthy; this would be a positive way to reduce the number of claims filed.

There seems to be hope for passing the present health care bill despite the untruths spread about it and despite the legislative lobbying, trickery and political bribery in action. Although this bill isnt perfect, it is a start and can be amended.

Some of our elected officials are stating that the American people do not support universal health care. I do not believe this. Financial disasters, foreclosures and ruin cut across the board and can potentially befall any of us.

&bsp; Mayme Sellers