WASHINGTON, D.C. – We were standing in a long line last Saturdayat Union Station while waiting for a train to the airport inBaltimore. Standing behind us was a youngster along with hisfather.

With the innocence of youth, the little boy looked up to his dadand inquired as to why so many people were getting off the trainand dressed in red, white and blue, wearing big floppy hats andcarrying funny looking signs. Amused, I turned and smiled at theyoung fellow and his dad.

“They are protesting,” the father responded.

“Why?,” the little boy inquired.

Without skipping a beat, the father looked down at his son andsaid, “Because they have health insurance!” The emphasis was on”have.”

Like the little boy, as well as everyone else in the line, Amy,Meredith and I too had been keenly watching the parade of folkswalk past. Unlike the mental image most people likely have ofprotestors – angry, poorly dressed, yelling obscenities – theseactivists were fairly well-dressed, laughing and carrying on witheach other.

They were orderly and no obscenities were being yelled, but therewas no doubt these folks were on a mission and wanted theirpresence to be known and their voices heard.

Many of them likely had children or grandchildren at home. Allprobably did have health insurance.

The next day the House of Representatives passed the landmarkhealth care legislation pushed by Democrats and the cornerstone ofthe Obama Administration agenda.

For the past 12 months, tension across the country has beenmounting. Who should be surprised, for when change happens tensionsalways rise.

Reports have been surfacing in the last few days of nasty phonecalls, threatening e-mails and windows broken at congressionaloffices in a few states. One senator reported finding a bullethole.

Leaders of both the Republicans and Democrats have condemned theincidents. However, at the same time members of both parties haveblamed the other for either being slow to condemn or trying toratchet up the anger.

Thursday afternoon during a speech in Iowa, President Obama joinedthe fray chiding Republicans with his comments, “I welcome thefight,” in response to Republican vows to use the Novemberelections to repeal the law. “Go for it,” he declared.

Mocking health care opponents, the president commented how theworld had not come to an end as opponents had predicted andcommented that the sky is yet to be full of asteroids and fallingmeteors. He celebrated his victory chanting to the crowd avariation his campaign slogan of “Yes we can.” Fist in the air; heyelled, “Yes we did!”

Meanwhile in Washington, security was being tightened.

I was not around when President Franklin Roosevelt soothed strainedAmerican nerves in the 1940s with his fireside chats. I was tooyoung to understand the purpose of President John F. Kennedy’scalming voice during the Cuban missile crisis.

But I do remember President Ronald Regan’s grandfatherly commentsto reassure a nervous nation 25 years ago. Even President GeorgeBush put a fatherly arm around a fearful nation in the daysfollowing September 11.

One of the jobs of a president is to pull together a nervous nationin times of turmoil, calm us when we are scared and unify us whenwe are in dispute. That is what good leaders do! During times ofmonumental change, it is what successful American presidents havealways done in the past.

Obama missed that opportunity Thursday afternoon. Like the littleboy at the train station, we have to wonder why?

Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602, or sende-mail to bjacobs@dailyleader.com.