Doubt is spreading across America. That doubt is feeding individual worry and anxiety.

As personal awareness seeps further into the minds of more Americans, the doubt deepens. It has now taken root.

As a result, growing numbers of American citizens are so upset, with their incumbent elected representatives in Washington, that anger is a more appropriate descriptor.

Then, when citizen constituents show-up at town halls to voice their concerns, worries and anger to their “representatives” about the incumbent’s position on issues affecting everyone, they are called mobs by so-called “leaders” in the U.S. Congress.

When people get angry, reason is almost always put at risk.

That’s why dismissive and even hateful, comments by such political luminaries as Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Chuck Schumer of New York that the “protesters are irrelevant,” and worse, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying that “some were carrying swastikas” is particularly disturbing. Schumer knows better; Durbin should know better; and, Pelosi, well, who knows?

In any case, their comments as well as comments by many other incumbents seem indicative of apparent statist attitudes of political power — including arrogance and belligerence — that confirm The unconscionable ‘“D.C. disconnects” reported in this space more than two years ago. (Still available online at http://baldwincountynow.com/articles/2007/07/02/columnists/doc46894f0497caa132900132.txt.)

Comments like those noted above say more about specific congressional leaders, who are the legislative cause of citizen frustration and anger, than the reaction by citizens attending district town halls.

As a result, the increasingly apparent disconnects between representatives and represented is the major cause of the doubts, the concerns, the worries, and the fundamental loss of trust in officials and government. Such disconnects also reflect the out-of-control arrogance and elitist mindset of almost all incumbents in Washington.

Why do so many incumbents go along with the worsening disconnect?

Perhaps Edmund Burke provides insight into the working mindset of the energetic statist in government and other institutions when he said: “this unprincipled facility of changing the state as often, and as much, and in as many ways, as there are floating fancies and fashions, the whole chain and continuity (of the country) will be broken.”

Is that the objective? Is that their agenda? Some will think or say “no.” Some will think or say “only time will tell.”

While others, apparently, have thought, concluded and then went to district town halls to tell representatives to stop and to start representing them.

The response from some incumbents has been to cancel district town halls or reschedule them in order to buy time to get pack the hall with supporters.

Such actions by incumbents confirm the unconscionable D.C. disconnects as well as the attitudinal comments quoted here.

Continuing such actions will further fuel the doubt, the anger and actions of Americans.

It’s only just begun.

Richard Olivastro is president of Olivastro Communications, a professional member of the National Speakers Association and founder Citizens For Change. He can be reached at Rich@Olivastro.NET or 877.RichSpeaks.

Editor’s Note: If you would like a copy of the full text of the health care bill currently in the House of Representatives, it is a bit tedious but doable.

Go to: www.house.gov; click on “Legislative Archive”; next screen, click on “Bill text-111th Congress”; next screen, type in America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, then search; No. 1 on the list will be “H.R.3200IH,” click on that; next screen, click on “GPO’s PDF Display”; next screen, click on “Continue to GPO Site.” The next item to appear on the computer is the bill text. Do a “save as” to your desktop.