Dear Editor,
Even intelligent people can let their emotions get the better of
them. A case in point is Alan Viarengo (Letters to the Editor, Aug.
28). He resorts to the classic Straw Man tactic to avoid grappling
with the serious problem facing 20 to 40 million Americans.
Can’t we agree that the healthcare system could be improved?
Dear Editor,
Even intelligent people can let their emotions get the better of them. A case in point is Alan Viarengo (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 28). He resorts to the classic Straw Man tactic to avoid grappling with the serious problem facing 20 to 40 million Americans.
Let’s ignore things I didn’t endorse like “government-run health care,” “deportation to Canada,” and “mandatory helmets,” but focus on the real issue:
– Our country spends twice as much per person on health care as other industrialized nations.
– Our health outcomes (like infant mortality and longevity) are worse than in these other countries.
– Millions of our citizens can’t afford insurance or are bankrupted when their policies don’t cover a major illness or accident.
Alan: Can’t we agree that waste could be eliminated from our present system, which would free up money to cover the uninsured? Can’t American physicians, insurers, drug manufacturers, hospitals, and elected representatives use creativity and imagination to accomplish this goal? Wouldn’t it be better if all American citizens could have reasonable security of health care?
Chuck Flagg, Morgan Hill
Give me a public option
Dear Editor,
I am in full support of President Obama’s proposed health care reforms. I especially support a public option as part of health care reform. Private health insurance has adversely affected my family and I will work to help others get better health care.
Daniel Burnham, San Jose
Which is faster: A high-speed rail train or a flying pig?
Dear Editor,
Bullet Train will be profitable when pigs fly, but will make Amtrak and Caltrain taxpayers’ subsidies seem small in comparison to the motorists’ tax dollars we throw down the Bullet Train Black Hole.
Joseph P. Thompson, Gilroy
‘I was just following orders’ not an acceptable excuse
Dear Editor,
After World War 3, the Nazis were put on trial for war crimes. Many of them used the excuse that they were “just following orders.” Although the scale isn’t as great are WWII, members of the CIA who tortured and killed prisoners are using the same excuse – I was just following orders. If we don’t prosecute these people, then it sends a message to the CIA that they can break any laws without having to pay a price. That is the wrong message.
I want CIA members to know that torture and murder are wrong no matter if the president is ordering you to break the law or not. In the future, if a criminal president orders the CIA to torture and murder, I want them to have a good reason to say, “NO – this is wrong and I will not do it!”
Marc Perkel, Gilroy
Don’t be led astray on health care
Dear Editor,
As the debate over national health care reform has grown increasingly heated, it’s become more and more difficult to separate fact from fiction based on newspaper accounts alone, despite journalists’ best efforts. In that spirit, here are a few points people should know the truth about before reform comes up for final votes in Congress.
When you or a loved one is incapacitated near the end of life and unable to make decisions, would you like to have your family involved in making the relevant decisions about your care or making sure your wishes are carried out? Some versions of health care reform bills encourage doctors to offer counseling to help you prepare for this type of situation. If you support that, you should support health care reform – and you should definitely ignore disingenuous or misinformed opponents of reform who try to scare you with bogus stories about so-called ‘death panels.’
A lot of the misconceptions out there about health care reform can be traced to the powerful lobbying and misinformation campaigns of the very industry with the most to lose when the system gets fixed – the private insurance companies who are taking advantage of current holes in regulations. If it sounds too BAD to be true, it probably isn’t true.
Vincent Cipolla, Campbell