Brian,
We do appreciate the "Trading Places" series and the alternatives and divergent variances that the segments show in the treatment of our aging Americans. (Personally, both my parents died during a fierce family feud over controlling the assets and a forged power of attorney and will's that were executed by my parents that were medically incompetent as documented by their physician, though [not adjudicated](please itallicize preceding for emphasis) incompetent at the time these wills were executed.)

Hence this posting's purpose: Should there be a national legislative effort that protects all citizens over 55 or 60 or some pre-determined age for a medical opinion required to validate a new from an existing will(s)???? That effort could likely save some of us heartache, protect our parents wishes,reduce the courts dockets and especially deflate the wallets of attorneys.

Aren't most lawmakers usually attorneys?

Are there any Senior Citizens advocacy groups that would endorse a Bill Of Rights for Seniors not to be robbed blind by their children for the sake of convenience and greed?

Proof of mandatory medical competency and its protections could make an astounding impact to protect us as we age. My parents didn't get those rights or that type of basic legal and common sense protection. What about the rest of you??? What do you think???

Think about quality of life when the parents' assets are depleted and "Spoiled By Division" gratis and carte blanche....even [before] (please itallicize preceding for emphasis)they have died! All too common in the land of the attorney.

Obvious protection under the law gets expensive to seek in court, and my parents and I suffered as a result. Not to mention my disaffected family that foolishly believes, quite obliviously to the truth, what they were told by the culprits.

No wonder at the depression, divorce and misery it has caused me. I would spend that money again on the attorneys, but they should be prevented from being able to 'take me' and fleece others for wanting to protect our parents.....all because we Americans as seniors are not protected CATEGORICALLY!!

This should be a federal mandate and eliminate the blood letting of a state by state effort.

Are our Congress members not charged with protecting us????

Brian,

As always, I am a fan of your work and your nightly broadcast.

I am very interested to hear your opinion on the HPV vaccination situation. I feel that people will have sex regardless of whether there is a vaccination or not. When I read the statistics of the number of people with HPV, I was appalled. I used to live in Los Angeles, and I learned that a large number of teenagers in Orange County (a high-income, highly affluent region) have the virus. It's hard to figure out the core cause of the statistic, but it is said that many people feel that since they are highly educated, they feel safe to be intimate with one another being careful. Like genital herpes, it is frustrating and scary to know that many people don't even know that they have it, and end up carrying it on to others. I feel that the HPV vaccination requirement helps people understand that STDs are real and helps safeguard people who unknowingly get intimate with others.

Since I am not a parent, it's difficult for me to speak from the standpoint of one. I'm sure it's quite different to be on that end. I'm hoping you would mention how you feel about this in a future entry.

Did you know that the general counsel in the Scooter Libby trial identified Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, as the reason and cause Scooter Libby is lying in the case of the CIA leak? You'd think this would be a leadingstory on all the major news outlets but you can't hear about it there. Why?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2007/02/22/libby_trial/

The baby who was born at 21 or 22 weeks gestation is truly a miracle. Our third granddaughter was born at 31 weeks and weighed just over three pounds. We have always thought she was a miracle, not that all babies aren't. She was full of spirit and fight right from the get go. Considering all these premies go through they need to be. Three years later she is still full of spirit and life and brings great joy to everyone. Developmentally and intellectually she is either level with or ahead of those her age who were full-term. We wish Amillia and her parents all the best.
I also have a comment about the HPV vaccine. I doubt that there is a parent alive who would not encourage their children to not engage in pre-marital sex. We raised four children and I know it certainly was emphazized that according to our Christian and moral values this was not acceptable behavior. It is my understanding that that the HPV vaccine will only protect girls from cervical cancer. This means that there are any number of sexually transmitted deseases that parents can use in expounding on the dangers of promiscuous behavior. If the science is in place as to the safety of this vaccine, why would parents not want to protect their daughters from any kind of cancer?

Thank you Brian,
Because of you shining the light on the needs of New Orleans fire fighters, another station will soon be normal again. You never know how wonderful normal is, until you lose it. In the recent tornadoes in NOLA, when over 600 houses were damaged, and 79 homes destroyed, one of the fire staion trailers was hit. So in actuality, you are saving lives also. How do you thank someone for that? Thank you for keeping my hometown in your heart.

If you look into long term care insurance, be very careful. My husband and I were collecting quotes from several different insurance companies and we decided on one, based on the 30 day exit clause. We wrote a check for $700 and during that 30 days, we found a better deal and we cancelled the original policy. The sales rep came to our house and used various fear/abuse tactics. We almost couldn't get him to leave. It was nearly 60 days later (plus the 30 days) before we got our refund, and it was only because my husband emailed corporate headquarters and told them what happened. Watch out - there are sleazy sales reps out there who think senior citizens are stupid or crazy. We are neither.

Brian, thank you for telling the story of the NOFD. I was thrilled to see that Frito Lay has been able to help them rebuild their station. I know what they deal with day to day, as I am a native New Orleanian living here Post-K. Our firefighters deserve the best that money can buy. I hope that your story will serve to inspire many to help New Orleans. We still so much help and volunteers. There literally aren't enough hands to do the rebuilding. Also, New Orleans is OPEN for business! The French Quarter and Garden District are as beautiful as ever. The music is as hot as ever. Everyone reading this, please come and see for yourself why NOLA is culturally important to the rest of the United States. It is vital that my city not be allowed to die. Brian, again I want to thank you for your continued coverage on NOLA and not allowing the rest of the country to forget about the largest natural disaster in United States history.

Hello Dear Brian,
The Brits occupied Iraq in 1917 and have created most of these basic problems. They stayed 41 years and finally were defeated badly by General Qasem on July 14, 1958: The Independence Iraqi Day which was abolished by the recent occupation of the country under the pretext that it was Saddam’s creation. At any rate, the Brits know that they can not stay longer and can avoid another humiliation by leaving Iraq sequentially. The Brits, given their knowledge of the Middle East, also know that this new century will not be a century for building empires, because human, social, political, and financial costs are way higher than the overstated (oil) benefits. Once the Brits become rational they are very objective and know how to get out. This should be a simple example for the Bush administration to imitate. Hope the Mighty God inform our President to put his emotionalism aside and to become rational to bring the troops home. Many thanks.

The availability of prescription drugs over the internet is another non-problem that the government has decided to protect us from. The Bush administration is probably making sure that the insurance and drug industries keep reaping high profits. Letting the public buy drugs themselves over the internet cuts out the middlemen, and obtains lower cost drugs from out of the country, and we apparently can't have that in a "conservative" and "free" society.

Those who whine about kids getting drugs on line should ask themselves who is giving the kids the credit cards they are using, as they ain't buying the stuff with their lunch money. Too many parents enable bad behavior by their kids and then want the government to be the babysitter.

Note that our neighbors to the south (Mexico) can buy all kinds of drugs over the counter at their pharmacies much more easily and cheaply than we can.

Brian any positive progress in New Orleans is because you keep the media attention as the White House has moved on.
I really thing Blair had no choice as Harry would have gone as a true young man when called to duty. As in Vietnam Bush and Cheney could have protected the US but choice not to. The Brits should be proud of both Harry and William as examples of leadership. I know the families will be glad their love ones are safe at home. When Blair does step down a total withdrawal will be done.
Yes as the jurors are out the pressure remains on the Defense. To bad Wells didn't give a defense for Libby that the jurors could judge. Fitzgerald was brilliant in his rebuttal. Libby now sees who his real friends are as no one in the White House that he worked closely with stepped forward to help. It reminds me of Abramoff who was the best friend of the White House but after being indicted Bush said he didn't know who he was. And what ever happen to Porter Goss? He was once all the White House could talk about now it's as if he never existed.
Let's hope Congress can help our injured troops as the White House has left them to help themselves.

Dear Mr. Williams,

I watched your story on the HPV vaccine tonight. Maybe I don't watch enough news, but I have yet to see a thorough interview of a person advocating against mandatory immunization (I have only seen interviews of people advocating the opposite), and would like NBC News to conduct one. I would like to know why a person would prefer to use a communicable disease that causes cancer as a deterrent to sexual activity, rather than having it cured. And I would like you to ask the person whether we would be having this discussion if this were a vaccine for HIV? Would the benefit of using HIV as a deterrent to sexual activity outweigh the burden on society of not having the disease cured?

Sincerely,

Brian

Well, here we go again..

Now the drug companies want to mandate the use of a drug developed, produced and sold by a single company for profit. And you want me to believe it is done only in the best interest of our nations health... What a farce!

This move to legislate the mandatory use of drugs is a worst case scenario for the abuse of our individual rights and freedoms.

Education, not Legislation should become a mantra for the citizens of a free and democratic society..

Fight, Fight Fight don't let them take away our rights!

Brian,
I have not yet had a chance to read about the latest controversy surrounding the HPV vaccination (will do so) but I truly cannot understand why there is any controversy in the first place.

I was recently diagnosed with cervical cancer (thankfully appears to be very early stages and quite treatable) but it is HPV related. If only this vaccination had been available when I was young enough to utilize it I dare say I would have been the first patient at my doctor's office. Instead I tend to get up on my soap box with anyone I know who has a daughter to beg them to make sure their daughter has it and is protected. If it's your fatherly instinct that keeps this story alive, so much the better.

PS Great news about the New Orleans Fire Department, you did GREAT!

When the rebuild their firehouses, let them know to include bunk bed accommodations for crews to preposition themselves before a disaster. They should be segmented into 8-person rooms that could also help with displaced families. They should have vehicle bays large enough for National Guard supply trucks, ambulances, and amphibious marine APC's that can go out in any conditions to rescue people. Emergency medical facilities don't take much to accommodate, a rooftop-landing pad is a no-brainer, and you could even combine it with a police station that is protected from small-arms fire and high winds alike.

Chris Eldridge
Author of Preparing for a Super-Disaster 08/04

What work if any is being applied to stopping the spread of the HPV virus? When can we expect the vaccine, that will be mandated for boys, to stop the spread?

Brian,
Once again thanks to you and the entire news team at NBC. You've all made a difference on so many fronts. Trading Places, the continued coverage of Katrina and all the other stories you cover has brought results more so than our current govenment. I hope the NBC news team knows that they have many "fans" out here that depend on them. And being one of those fans, they have never let me down. Please keep those issues on the front burner. Thank you.

I was hoping you would give some of the submitted personal stories (of REAL people) some AIRTIME, too.
Maybe you could spend the first week as you did - celebrity Trading Places, then real people actually trading places, then a week of education for all of us (long term care, nursing home issues, etc.)

You've lost me on Trading Places - seems like it was all for yourselves anyway - your episodes could be on Entertainment Tonight or something. I'm sure you're all real - but if we live in two different worlds and you keep telling us you know that you're all an exception...then, show us us in the same light you show yourselves - interesting stories with at least some complications so we can learn from each other. All we learn from some of you is that if we had money...happily ever after. We manufacture happy, you buy it I think (at least you think you do).

Looking forward to the continued follow up on the Walter Reed report. I couldn't believe what I was reading when it broke Sunday in the Post. Hope you'll let us as viewers know how we can get involved.

That is news to be proud of--the fact that because of your report the New Orleans fire department has enough funds to rebuild and refurbish every firehouse in the city. You and NBC Nightly truly made a difference. Also, thanks for the chance to hear Wynton Marsalis live last night--his music was wonderful and I'm going to be looking for his new CD when it comes out next month.

I am glad that you finally are giving attention to the Walter Reed story. But your self-serving reference to NBC "breaking the story" on Saturday night was spurious - NBC News didn't do any further reporting about it until Tuesday. What is under the rugs at the other military healthcare facilities across the country? How are servicemen and owmen with brain injuries and mental illness managing their own care and decisions when they are least able to do so? How are the routines and requirements impoverishing them and their families and causing yet more suffering? Where is the Army Nurse Corps presence? Where is the reporting that details how professional nursing care lowers morbidity and mortality rates and leads to higher rates of recovery and rehabilitation?

NBC News is ill-served without having a nursing consultant. Your healthcare stories are physician-centric, lack depth and focus, and they do not programmatically address patient advocacy needs.

While not an academic reference, my blog does address health policy, healthcare quality and patient safety, patient advocacy and professional nursing issues, as well as provide an extensive links reference list by topic. Please let me know if I may be of assistance to NBC News around investigative health stories.