I don't think Richard has been listening.

Richard Huff of Keithville, Louisiana, is worried about Romney and Ryan taking away his father's Social Security and Medicare. He says that if the GOP has its way, his parents will be returned to the "poverty want of their youth." But something about Richard's lament is off.

Romney and Ryan have both said that their plans will not affect anyone 55 years of age or older. So that means anyone born before 1958 will still have the same Social Security and Medicare plan available today. Either Richard hasn't heard this and, therefore, isn't educated enough to comment on the issue; or Richard doesn't know just how old his father is. You see, Richard says his father is a WWII veteran. I'd like to know how a WWII veteran was born at least 13 years after the war ended.

Another angle for Richard to consider is that Social Security and Medicare cannot be sustained as they currently operate. That means that under Obama's non-plan for reform, his father IS in danger of losing his benefits. 

Think about it like this, Richard. What if your father's house and your house next door are in the path of a raging wildfire? The Republican fire official says to your father, "We can save your house if we use your barn as a firebreak, and that will probably save your son's house as well. But if we don't burn that barn, both houses will definitely be lost." The Democrat fire expert comes along and says, "He wants to take away your barn! You didn't build it (current Obama philosophy), but he wants to take your barn! You worked hard to build that barn, and you and your son deserve to keep it." Which option would you choose?

If Social Security and Medicare are not reformed, nobody's house will be saved. Jo Anne Barnhart, Commissioner of Social Security, said, ". . .doing nothing will have serious consequences for our children and grandchildren." The GAO says, "It is estimated that once the Social Security trust fund balances are exhausted in 2037, annual revenue will be insufficient to pay benefits in full on a timely basis, thereby making program changes an important priority."

"Don't kill 1900s' best legacies." The Dallas Morning News; September 1, 2012; p. 20A.