I have spent a good deal of time speaking with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America about their strategy to help inner city youths find meaning and purpose – and head off inactivity and obesity at an early age. They are doing great work, and many of the kids graduating from their program are inspirational.

I think we all have to stop saying change is impossible, and rally together to reproduce and expand the programs that have worked. Let’s remain optimistic, folks – there’s no other way to make this work.

As long as one percent of the population controls over a quarter of the national debt and the gap between rich and poor continues to widen your vision for the future is far from realistic.

Exercising, eating a proper diet, not smoking or misusing alcohol and getting enough rest at night are luxuries denied those living paycheck to paycheck, working an extra job and hoping that old piece of junk car will make it another week or two. (And that doesn’t take into account bad hands dealt from the genetic deck of cards.)

I see no reason the US should not join the rest of the modern world in regarding medical care as a birthright, not a consumer product.

(Dental care, too, incidentally, as well as long-term care — two gaping holes not yet on the radar. No matter what the diagnosis Medicare ceases payment for long-term care after 100 days. After that the beneficiary is considered “custodial,” which means “spending down,” becoming officially destitute in order to qualify for Medicaid. Lifetimes of assets evaporate for those at the bottom of the economy while others who can afford long-term health insurance or have sufficient assets are allowed to pass them to the next generation. See “working poor” above.)