Letters to the Editor Sept. 12, 2009

Stop reform now. I am writing in regard to the proposed health plan, I am not for it. And if it goes into effect, a lot of small businesses will be out.

If it is so good for the people, why isn't it good enough for our high officials? Why can't they take the money it is costing and put it into Medicaid and Medicare?

We wouldn't be broke in Social Security if they would put back the trillions of dollars spent on pet projects, like building an $8 million bridge to nowhere, and who knows how many other things?

They sit in office and say, "Well, I wonder what our next project will be. It's fun spending the old retirees' money."

What will we do when it's all gone?

Alice Beck

Carson City

Your editorial cartoon depicting Dick Cheney as a torture guru is despicable. Here is a man that devoted his time to keeping America safe, including you, and you portray him as an evil man writing a torture manual.

We have not had another attack on our soil by terrorists because of his help. If we have another attack, will you apologize to all of us? I won't hold my breath.

Walt Aster

Minden

I am stunned, disheartened and disgusted by the reaction across America leading up to the recent speech by President Obama to the school children of America. I am equally disgusted by the lack of spine shown by school administrators across Nevada.

Regardless if one agrees or disagrees with the political stance of a president, the president of the United States should always be accorded a modicum of respect by virtue of the office held. Apparently, partisan politics as practiced by the current Republican party and its cohort of right-wing rabble rousers would have you believe that the speech would somehow indoctrinate American children such that they will become Marxists, Socialists, Leninists, Trotskyites - take your pick - or worse, independent thinkers. We just cannot have our children being told to study hard and aspire.

Could it be that a sizable portion of the American electorate just cannot accept that an African-American is now our president? I do not recall any such controversy during the administration of any previous president, especially during that of George W. Bush; I do not recall any letters of parental consent being required when he addressed the nation.

The current movement to restrict the access of our children to this speech is both undemocratic and an absolute insult to their intelligence and ability to process what they hear.

Once again, Americans are the laughingstock of the world, mouthing democratic platitudes while practicing censorship. For shame!

Sam Broyles

Fallon

In his recent recent letter to the editor, Bill Sweetwood expressed concern that he "look(s) at countries such as France and see(s) this country in another couple of decades in the same predicament as they are."

Cherrypicking data to substantiate positions is a common affliction, but since Mr. Sweetwood did not elaborate on the "predicament" of France, here are some statistics to consider. According to a study by the World Health Organization:

Overall quality of health care: France No. 1., United States No. 37 (nearly a tie with Cuba).

Longevity: France 79.4, U.S. 77.4.

Happy with their health care: France 65 percent. U.S., 46 percent.

Annual cost per capita: France, $3,300, U.S., $6,400.

I could go on in the same vein. These carefully cherrypicked numbers are available to anyone who can use a search engine and, as usual, nothing is ever really that simple, is it?

My point is, let's all do our homework and become informed on this vitally important topic. The French system may not be perfect, but as Goldilocks observed, maybe it's "just right." Or maybe it's not even "just right," but from everything I can discern, it's a major improvement over the expensive, complex system that continues to contribute to the bankruptcy of our nation.

Steve Waclo

Carson City