Whether it’s propaganda put on by the old guard insurance industry or a defense tactic formulated by ultra-conservative broadcasters, the misinformation put out about national health care reform is equal parts comical as it is disheartening.

The result is citizens from across the country and right here in Acadiana expressing their fears about such topics as death panels, a slippery slope toward socialism and rushed Washington reform.

None of those things are true. Like any president before him, President Barack Obama wants his domestic agenda to pass and be supported by a majority of Americans. With that in mind, it would be impossible to sponsor any legislation that has anything remotely tied to a “death panel” or single provider system akin to socialism.

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Yet at every major town hall, including last week’s event hosted by U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, residents are fearful Obama’s next move will have the government pull the plug on grandma.

Such a provision could never be true, if for nothing more than the fact that grandmas vote. It would be political suicide and universally ignorant to create a national system that supported such nonsense. Yet, from small town to small town and big city to big city, people are still expressing those fears.

Why? Maybe they are being supported by the group that stands to lose the most through national health care reform — insurance companies.

Wendell Potter, a former insurance company communications executive, told CNN the insurance industry deliberately spreads false information with the goal of disrupting the debate.

A CNN.com story about health care myths posted last week said the insurance industry hires public relations firms that create front groups to try to “destroy health care reform by using terms like ‘government takeover of the health care system’ or we are heading down a ‘slippery slope toward socialism’ or ‘we’re going to kill your grandpa’ because of these health care regulations,” said Potter, now a senior fellow at the Center for Media and Democracy, which calls itself a nonpartisan watchdog group on public relations spin.

The issue has gotten so twisted in some circles that at many town hall events, the false issue of preventing Obama’s Socialism takeover is being debated instead of the sad state of our current health care system.

The debate, at least in the South, centers not on the 40 million plus Americans sitting without health insurance or the shady insurance company henchmen who now stand in between the insured and proper medical care but on false socialism fears.

Instead of real talk, powerful opinion-makers have shaped the debate from what Americans deserve in health care.

During Vitter’s town hall meeting in Lafayette last week, a man who identified himself as a U.S. veteran thanked the senator for showing his morals and values in fighting health care reform. It’s hard to believe Louisiana’s junior senator has many morals and values to display thanks to his connection with a Washington escort service that has opened a window for porn star Stormy Daniels to consider running against him.

Vitter’s not displaying morals and values. He is simply towing the hard line his national party has adopted in its fight to stem Democratic momentum built up during the last election cycle.

Administration proposals call for creating a government-funded health insurance plan for people who otherwise lack coverage. The previous sentence has nothing to do with socialism, death panels or rushed legislation.

Whether you disagree with the premise or its possibility, make sure not to be a pawn in a Washington power broker sand box game that has been going on for decades.

The American people spoke loudly and decisively in electing their current leadership. Health care reform will be a result of that choice.

STEPHEN HEMELT is city editor of The Daily Iberian. He can be reached at stephen.hemelt@daily-iberian.com.