It’s often said that the loudest and most shrill voices will be heard in the debate and never before has that been clearer than right now. We have petulant children currently controlling the debate in this country.

Petulant, tantrum-throwing children like Glenn Beck and Lori Moreth who cloud the debate with false and extremist claims in hopes of confusing and scaring those who don’t know what to do.

With people like Beck saying that President Obama’s health care plan is akin to Nazi Eugenics, and Moreth advocating torturing other human beings, the debate is being controlled by those whose voices are the loudest and most shrill. What has gotten the most news coverage? If you’ve watched the news at all, you know the answer: it’s those shouting down the others.

In 18 months, we’ve seen a vast improvement in the American health care system, according to Beck. When he was working for CNN, Beck had an operation that didn’t go exactly as planned. When he got back to work, he trashed the American health care system, calling it broken and saying that it needed to be overhauled. Now he’s at FOX News, saying that the health care system isn’t broken and that the Obama administration shouldn’t fix what doesn’t need to be fixed. Yet according to the World Health Organization, this is untrue. It sounds like Beck needs to make an actual decision and stick by it.

According to the WHO, Americans pay the highest percentage of their gross domestic product for health care, yet the quality of care is ranked 37th, behind countries such as Singapore, Colombia, and Costa Rica. How are we allowing this to happen? How can we possibly say that our health care system doesn’t need to be fixed when we pay the most and yet are only 37th best in the world at something?

Let’s move on to torture now. Moreth advocates torturing those who might be a threat to America to keep Americans safe. It is sad to see how far this country has degraded. We widely chastise Michael Vick for torturing and killing dogs, while many Americas feel that it’s alright to torture other people. Do we see the disconnect here? Michael Vick spends more than a year in prison and whenever anyone wants to prosecute those who ordered torture, conservatives cry bloody murder.

A quote from "The American President" applies here: "People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they’ll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone." Right now, the only ones stepping up to the microphone are the loudest voices. Step up to the microphone, Mr. President, and answer your critics. You’ve allowed them to fester for too long, and Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst during your long-overdue address of Congress exemplifies that.

Step up to the microphone, Mr. President. The shrill voices of those trying to control the debate are drowning you out.