Robert Englund aka Freddie Krueger Afraid of 'Tea-Baggers'

Despite helping to create one of the most frightening characters of all time, Robert Englund, aka Freddie Krueger in the hit horror series "Nightmare on Elm Street," is actually afraid of "tea-baggers."

So wrote Englund in an article published at the Huffington Post Friday.

Though Halloween might be over, the following nonsense is likely to scare the Dickens out of many people afraid of the country's increasingly leftward shift (h/t Big Hollywood):

Normally, I embrace fear. I traffic in fear. Fear has been good to yours truly.

But if there's anything scaring me these days, it's the blatant misuse of fear in regards to health care reform. I am appalled at the brazen lies being propagated by opponents of reform specifically to scare the elderly and other vulnerable segments of our society. Pushing untruths about "death panels" and "pulling the plug on Grandma" are not helping the debate.

If we're going to achieve effective health care in this country, we need an honest public discussion based on facts: how do we pay for reform, how will it work, who will be covered?

These are important issues than cannot be solved while lobbyists, pundits and "tea-baggers" are muddying the waters by marketing fear. The only people who should be scared by health care reform are those who make a profit off of other people's suffering and illness.

So, if you remove lobbyists, pundits, "tea-baggers," and "those who make a profit off of other people's suffering and illness," who does that leave in the "honest public discussion" you seek, Robert?

Shouldn't such "an honest public discussion" include all those with an interest in the subject matter?

Or is that idea too -- ahem -- frightening for you?