President Obama, asked about the Keystone XL pipeline in a local news interview, took full responsibility for making the decision. He related a full understanding of the public health risks, though he limited that to the immediate risks of a pipeline spill, rather than the extraction and burning of tar sands oil in general.

Only total transparency and an end to secrecy on these issue will bring an end to this kind of illegal experimentation and the human tragedies that result. “National security” for too long has been a shibboleth to justify the worst violations of human rights.

With this mammoth step toward civilized behavior, SA becomes another better country to live in. Hopefully, one day the United States will catch up.

Our country became substandard by yet one more nation when SA took this impressive stride forward. Presently the U.S. is 37th in ranking for health care among nations. South Africa stands at 175th. This will set it forward, and the U.S. farther back.

And, finally, we showed that people can demand that their government help find the solution. Given modern, technologically advanced 21st century medicine, it is, in fact, the least we should expect from our government.

A government that is the solution, not the problem — like the one you promised and delivered for so many of my dead friends.

Next week is the State of the Union address, and I thought I’d offer a little last minute, unsolicited advice to the president and the White House speechwriters. Some may think it presumptuous, but as one of “we, the people,” I think it’s allowable. It’s not like they have to take the advice, after all . . . but it sure would be nice to see and hear something like this.