The 2010 health care debate caused a serious stir of emotions in many residents across the country. Health care is an important part of every person's life and when opinions differ on how the government should handle the care of our health, people take the very serious issue very personally.

One elderly Michigan man was deeply affected by the debate and concerned that a Michigan congressman was on the wrong side of the issue and heading in the wrong direction. The man was arrested and charged for a threat he made against the congressman. The man stood in front of a federal judge in Bay City this past week and was sentenced to remain under house arrest for six months.

The man charged with making the threat was a veteran who spent two decades serving in the U.S. military, protecting the rights of individuals across the entire country. The 74-year-old man also holds two master's degrees. According to the court filings, the elderly man was suffering from dementia at the time of the threat and had consumed alcohol before making it. The threat was made by way of a letter written and sent to the congressman.

House arrest consists of wearing an electronic bracelet that transmits a person's position. The elderly man was also ordered by the court to pay restitution. The restitution was to cover the cost to the Capital Police for increased security in response to the threat although no physical actions were ever taken against the congressman.

Source: Chicago Tribune, "Man who threatened Stupak gets house arrest," Feb. 2, 2012