Editor's Note: Monday’s American Morning story on the SATs garnered divided response, as some felt such standardized tests were nothing more than a barrier to higher education. Others believed the tests were important to help maintain a higher standards for educational institutions.

• Mickey: Recently my daughter was studying to take the GRE's for entrance to a masters program. Her life long dream is to be a Doctor of Psychology. After several rebellious years she turned her life around. She has her BA in Psyche. Faced with the GRE's, she did not do well because of her severe anxiety. I know she has a deep love and passion to help people with mental illness. If the GRE's like the SAT's makes it unobtainable for her that is a tragedy. Abstract thinking can not always be measured. I think they should not be required to have that much weight.
• Jonathan: Carol Costello's report on the SATs was grossly misleading. They are not designed to measure intelligence but knowledge. She also presents some air head kids who complain about how hard it is. The great problem with education is that students and their parents want everything to be easy. And CNN goes along with the rest of the media encouraging that self pity. Soon we will have a nation even dumber that it is, unable to do much and certainly not to compete with the children of other countries who require that their children learn even if it is tough. The SATs may be the only generalized measure of how much or how little kids know going into higher education. It is moreover terribly wrong to try and twist this story into an investigation of SAT staff salaries. I took the SATs years ago. It wasn't such an agony. This report of Costello’s was a misrepresentation of facts, an editorial rather than a report and an encouragement to a backward ill educated public.
• Kathleen: The SAT is a valuable measure of one's learned knowledge, which needed to advance that knowledge and succeed in college. We have had enough dumbing down of our educational system, television and other media. Let's keep our standards high. And what is wrong with a little angst?

How do you feel about the SATs? Are they useful or outdated? What has your experience been with the SAT and other standardized tests?

Editor's Note: The former AARP member arguing against the Obama administration’s health care proposal garnered the most attention on Tuesday’s American Morning, with the majority angered that only one side of the argument was presented.

• Linda R.: It is unbelievable how many elderly "conservatives" are misinformed about the president's healthcare proposals. They are against it, simply because they perceive it to be a "liberal" plan. They don't like Obama, they don't know the facts, and worst of all, they are not aware that social security and Medicare are government programs, from which they benefit because of......"liberals"!!
• Shawn: These seniors turning in their AARP cards says nothing. When they start turning in their Medicare cards and start buying private insurance for there principles then they are saying something. Did they ever think that by bringing in younger healthier people it will sure up the system and save it.
• Joan: Why didn't someone tell Bonnie the anti-AARP person who opposes a single-payer system that what she has is a single-payer system. Obviously, admittedly she is a Republican therefore no health care reform passed by Democrats would be OK with her. Why do you continue to put these ill-informed people the opportunity to spread misinformation?
• Jane: I watched the AARP interview this morning with interest. An AARP recording was left on my answering machine on Friday, July 17th. It asked members (we are not members) to call their House representative at no change, 800-211-0907. to support the health care bill. The recording said that the bill would make a huge difference to AARP members and their families. The recording sounds to me like they support the bill; however, on TV this morning, AARP gave a different impression.

As one of the largest senior lobbying group in the United States, do you believe that AARP will play an important role in the acceptance or rejection of President Obama’s proposed health care plan? Should the organization be neutral, or choose a specific stance on this issue?

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Editor's Note: Various elements of heath care reform were debated among Monday’s American Morning viewers. Many believed that Americans did not understand that current government health care was “public,” while others argued that these very programs were headed toward bankruptcy.

• Ruth: Please explain our current health care programs: Medicare is a public program for those over 65. The Veterans Admin. is socialized medicine, i.e., gov't owns the hospitals, docs work for the gov't., and Medicaid – a federal/state program for low income citizens of any age. Some states limit Medicare coverage due to state budgets. I believe that if people understood these three programs, they would have a better idea of what is being proposed by Congress. Thank you.
• Hubert: COST TOO MUCH???? If we fix health care, we would save money. Cut the fraud, cut the high cost of insurance. Cut the lobbyists. Cut the (CEO's) bonuses. Cut the politicians kickback from pharmaceutical, and only god knows how many more. UNLESS congress want to payback the lobbyists and give them money that they might have made buy cheating us. The people that don't want a change must be making $millions from fraud and overcharges.
• Ginspelts: Congress's answer to everything is spend now and worry later about how we will pay for it. Is that what they did years ago when they passed Medicare & social security? Because both are now fixing to go bankrupted. Why don't they concentrate on fixing both of those government programs? Their answer is to worry about it later when it comes crashing down on our heads

With the various problems faced by Social Security, the Veteran’s Administration, and Medicare, is the government capable of running an appropriate public health care program for all our citizens? What are your concerns about this?

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Editor's Note: American Morning’s Thursday audience continued to express their opinions towards the Obama administration’s health care reform proposals. Viewers were split on whether a public option should be made available and viewers questioned how President Obama intends on paying for the reforms.

• Carol: I wish that you would stop saying that we can keep our own insurance if a public plan is passed. Many clips of the president have been shown in which he says that eventually everyone will be on the public plan–either by choice or being forced on it. Businesses won't be able to afford the high taxes put upon them by the gov, so people who work for small businesses will be forced on the public plan. Also, what is going to happen when private insurance companies downsize or go out of business???–millions of middle class Americans who work for insurance companies will start to get laid off and they'll be without jobs. This will definitely put this country into a depression.
• Larry: Why is it, if this health care bill is so good (per the US Congress) why did they exempt themselves from it? If it is good enough for us, shouldn't it be good enough for them?
• Bernard: Good morning. I am surprise about the negative the Canadian health care that your country suppose to know about. The republican and some other organizations know what about our system. John Robert should know better as a Canadian. He should take a week to do interview and explain what our system is all about. It is not bad at all. Is it perfect? No, but it is working.
• William: I just viewed your piece on how Obama's healthcare plan is similar to the universal healthcare plan in Massachusetts. Your piece seemed to reflect how successful this plan has been. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I was surprised that there was no interviewing done with doctors in some of the major hospitals in Boston. I know I have read articles in a health newsletter put out by Public Citizen that were written by these doctors and pointed out the several problems this program has produced.
• Noah: not being discuss as an option for the shortage in Primary care providers, these provider have been practicing for decades

What do you think? Continue the conversation below:

American Morning’s Tuesday audience continued to express concern over health care reform with viewers remaining confused as to why President Obama and his administration apparently stepped back from supporting a public insurance option over the weekend.

• Susan: Those conservative democrats need to get on board and vote for the public option. It appears to me they are trying to put a damper on this thing. OBAMA needs to twist some arms. This is no plaything. It has to be a public option or all people will not be covered. This is something Obama must pass.
• Donna: Amazing, now the Union and Acorn members are out protesting, they are not considered a Mob or organized group even though they have their professionally made Obama signs; this isn’t about dems, reps or indps, it is about a government take over plan that can not get Medicare, Medicaid and SS right;' fix those programs first. Doing the same thing over again, which doesn’t work, is crazy
• Marlena: Although the stock market dropped considerably yesterday, all health insurance companies spiked up because there was talk of dropping the public option. Those who say they support the insurance companies obviously have not needed to use their policy. If they had, they would find out their deductible is more than they thought and the coverage was less.
• Elvira: why aren’t members of congress showing their support of house health reform by signing up to single payer and giving up health coverage taxpayers grant them?
  are federal employees exempt?
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Editor's Note: Monday’s American Morning generated heated opinion on both sides of the health care debate. Most believed town hall disruptions were orchestrated by Republicans, insurance, and pharmaceutical companies. Others suggested that the U.S. democracy was founded on civil disobedience and Americans should be heard.

• Carole: The loud protests at the town meetings, are due to people wanting answers as to that is in the health care reform bill. People are scared that interests are not being taken into consideration. They want their questions answered. The majority of people I talk to do not want the government involved in telling them what medication or medical procedures they can and cannot have. The seniors in this country are the backbone of its structure and need to be taken care of and not just given end of life consultation.
• Allan: Your stories on the heated healthcare discussions at town hall meetings this morning advanced the idea that the anger was "organized" and implied in the interview with Sen. Brad Miller that it is not legitimate. Why not? Our elected President started his career as a "community organizer". His job was to organize events, just like the town hall meetings, for the Democrats. Why are today’s events different than Obama's events? It seems that in the CNN world, organized protest is only ok and legitimate if the Democrat Party is doing it.
• Aljoy2: The whole problem with healthcare reform is this in a nutshell. The media has given huge coverage to the Republican talking points that are designed to kill healthcare reform and destroy the President of the United States. The Insurance companies are backing their efforts to continue their billions of profit. The undercurrent that is showing up primarily at the town halls began with extreme conservatives who are fundamentally racist against the Obama administration. They were clueless in terms of any facts. They did not even know Medicare was a government run organization that they hugely benefiting from while there are people like me who have nothing. Now it has all turned into true chaos with no one benefiting. Every time a Republican talks, put a truth o meter on what they have to say. Especially put one on dangerous Sarah Palin who exploits her family every humanly way possible for attention, power and political gain. She incites and she is dangerous and she is without knowledge and truth. She is just popular among the extreme right.
• Larry: These orchestrated disruptions aren't protests. The Republican Brown Shirts are intentionally trying to suppress truth and democratic processes, spreading lies in service of their masters at insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
• Barbara: I believe both sides deserve to have their questions asked and answered at the town hall meetings. One side is making sure that no questions are asked or answered. This is not fair to the health care debate. These people should not be allowed to disrupt the town hall meetings.
• Sylvia: People and CNN need to start reminding ourselves that Obama was elected on a platform of HealthCare Reform!! Loosen up and do your homework. He is trying to do what he promised and those Blue Dogs should do likewise!!

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