Speak Out 8/20/09

Voting decision

I voted for President Obama hoping for change. All he's done is divide our country. When he runs again, I'll have to think hard before I vote for him. This is America, and we should be able to choose what we want.

Light pollution

YOU would think people would have respect for their neighbors. Some have bright lights on in their driveways that shine into our bedroom windows all night, even with the blinds shut.

Excellent column

THANKS, R. Joe Sullivan, for your Friday column on health reform, "No, revolution." That was excellent. I do appreciate your writing.

No choice

I don't think President Obama's health-care plan is about choice. Didn't I read that every American would be required to have health insurance? If that's the case, that's not choice. That's what people are complaining about. It would be different if the government was going to provide health insurance for those who don't have it, but to force you to have it is a different thing.

Dangerous mowing

I agree with the person who commented about the grass being mowed onto the highway. People throw junk on the side of the road all the time. If you're on a motorcycle and pass someone mowing, you don't know if glass or rock is going to be thrown in the road. This is dangerous.

Second chance

I want to say how ridiculous I think it is that everybody is on Michael Vick's case regarding his comeback to football. I think we have learned over time that there are a lot of people in the spotlight who make big mistakes. The reason people are on Vick is because the spotlight is on him. Does the guy not deserve a second chance?

Curious scandal

THE Southeast Missouri State University basketball scandal is not a matter of sexual misconduct, illegal use of drugs or alcohol, player ineligibility, academic fraud or payola. It was a matter of a coach visiting his players while they were in training. I wonder if this ruling was handed down by the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat or the Queen of Hearts. As Alice said, things just get curiouser and curiouser.

Changing list

SCHOOL supplies: Try having a list before school starts and after the first day getting another list from the teachers.

Good column

WITH regard to Joe Sullivan's column in Friday's newspaper, this is the best article I have ever read. I wish he would call me every hour of the day and ask me what I'm eating. I am fat and getting old. I wish there were more Joe Sullivans, I really do. Thank you for a good column.

Taking a position

I was impressed by Sen. Kit Bond's statements on health care. He speaks in favor of eliminating the possibility of denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and he's in favor of restricting malpractice awards. Why didn't he and other Republicans push for these things when they had control of Congress? Then Bond could retire with the knowledge that he had made a difference.

Testing gap

This needs addressing at all levels of government. It has been ignored for far too long. The disappointing standardized test results in some area schools reflect a dangerously growing socioeconomic gap.

Monitoring parents

GREAT Britain has installed cameras in about 10,000 homes to monitor parents. They are trying to improve the quality of education, so parents are expected to supervise homework and study time, limit TV and video games and engage their children in conversation. I wonder how some of our parents would feel about this intrusion. Do you think they would get mad enough to trash these stupid MAP tests? Do you think they will ever wake up and discover they are the key to their children's academic success?

Healthy reform

WHEN it comes to the health-care debate, are we concerned about health care or political positions? The smart approach to reform is to look at those nations that have health-care systems scoring above the U.S. on international comparisons and ask what they have in common that we lack. It will not take an intelligent inquisitive mind long to figure it out. Those nations beating us, whether developed or developing, have some system of universal nationalized health care. Those nations have committed themselves to the idea that access to health care is a right and should not be restricted only to those who can afford it. From whatever religion we derive our ethical principles, whether we have a Christian, some other religious or a humanistic basis for our views, it should be difficult for us to argue in defense of a system that allows folks to suffer or die rather than receive appropriate treatment.

Fear of denial

I have pretty good medical insurance, but when I was diagnosed with cancer I lived in extreme fear that some bureaucrat in the insurance company would deny the treatment my oncologist recommended. Fortunately, it was allowed, and I am here now as a result. But I know folks who have died because an insurance bureaucrat denied their treatment. Can there be anyone who has not been personally involved in such a stressful situation or had a friend of family member suffer through it? There is nothing wrong with businesses making profits, but let's be clear: Insurance companies make money by denying treatment, not by allowing it. This is the fundamental conflict that so many of the health care reform opposition screamers seem to fail to understand.

Affording care

EVERY analysis that has been undertaken over recent years has placed the U.S. health-care system lower than it should be. One of the criteria in these studies is usually availability. While those who can afford medical treatment may be well-treated, many cannot afford it. This is why well-heeled folks from overseas come to the U.S. The fact that one can get good medical treatment if one has money does not mean the entire health care system is effective or serves us well. The poor rating of the U.S. in infant mortality is a clear indication of the consequences of our overall system. The U.S. should not be below a number of developing nations in this statistic.