When an unruly patient or client enters your hospital, office or work area, how do you react? What about a continually disrespectful and rude student in your college class? Someone who swims out too far at the beach? Someone who distracts others in the library? I certainly can share stories about disruptive situations during my 34 years of teaching: They take time away from the work at hand, they intimidate and frighten others who are trying to learn and, while you're trying to get back on track, much is lost in the time wasted.

As I write this column, I can't help but wonder about the reactions of some of our members of Congress who, while trying to conduct town hall meetings on health care reform, were met with deliberately disruptive and rude behavior. Some commentators and pundits argue it's the American way of politics. I disagree. I'll go with the American philosopher Eric Hoffer's wisdom, "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."

Like most of you, I'm closely following the debate over health care reform. It's a debate that we must have because it's about a critically important issue — guaranteed, quality, affordable health care for all. It's a justice issue, both economic and social. And it's an issue fundamental to one of the root causes of the achievement gap: access to adequate health care.

Like many NYSUT members and — if the polls are correct — most Americans, I'm disappointed that the Senate Finance Committee defeated amendments that would have established a public health insurance plan to compete with — not replace — private, for-profit plans. The public option would make health insurance coverage more affordable, drive improvements in quality and keep private, for-profit insurers honest. A public insurance plan would make health care accessible to many of the millions of working families who have nowhere else to turn. Fortunately, the Senate Finance Committee — even some members who voted against the public option — has turned back a number of amendments that would have dramatically weakened efforts at genuine reform.

Now our attention turns to the full Congress, on track to take up consideration of health care reform in the coming weeks. New York's two U.S. senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, are resolutely on the right side of this issue — it's the side of working men and women. It comes as no surprise to NYSUT that Sen. Schumer has emerged as a leader in the health care debate, crafting one of the two public option amendments that were considered late last month. We're confident that Sen. Schumer will continue that fight and his vitally needed leadership as the debate is brought to the floor of the Senate.

Most of New York's House members have clearly demonstrated that they support labor's position on health care, but not all. The AFL-CIO, which has become a significant and influential player in the debate, has identified five New Yorkers — Reps. Michael McMahon (CD 13), Scott Murphy (CD 20), Michael Arcuri (CD 24), Daniel Maffei (CD 25) and Eric Massa (CD 29) — who still need to hear from their constituents that meaningful reform can't wait.

NYSUT is working with the AFL-CIO and our other national affiliates, the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association, to ensure that the message is delivered.

There needs to be a sense of urgency to this debate. We've talked about it and worked for it for so long. Now, finally, with a progressive administration in the White House and, at least numerically, in control of Congress, reform seems within our grasp.

Yet, all could much too easily slip right through our fingers. Historically, the party in power loses congressional seats in a mid-term election. That means that President Obama could face a more hostile Congress after the 2010 election. Health care reform and other important legislation could be lost. Those who oppose these policies know that the passage of — or failure to pass — good legislation can tip the mid-term election scales in either direction.

Urgent action is needed for another reason. The president has made it very clear that until meaningful health care legislation is enacted, other issues important to us will have to wait. The Employee Free Choice Act, for example, which would make it easier for working people to organize and have a say in their professions, remains on hold. There are also priorities that, as educators, we know must be supported if we are to close the achievement gap. These, too, will have to wait. It is critical that attention be paid to these issues, but the president sets the national agenda and No. 1 on his list remains health care reform.

The president is right. Fixing our broken health care system is central to regaining control of our economy and turning it around. It's critical to opening the middle class to more and more Americans. Labor needs it and business needs it, and it will be needed if we are to close the achievement gap.

It's up to all of us to actively participate in the debate, and to do what we must in order to convince policymakers that now is the time to provide access to quality health care for all.

It's our fight. We can no longer afford to leave it to others to wage or to surrender it to the rude and the bullies.