Letters to the editor Jan. 23

Socialized medicine still comes at a cost

Tina Dupuy, in her Jan. 19 commentary, makes some very good points about how consumers can overspend and get into trouble. Using Canada as an example showed that regardless of the degree of socialism, as people, we tend to satisfy our wants beyond our needs. Primarily, food and shelter come first. Whatever the social system in place, we can agree that it should, at a minimum, satisfy those basic needs.

As evidenced by the Canadian family's credit card balance, they are simply out of balance in filling likes beyond the needs. Health care is logically high on the list of wants and many would consider it a need that the social system should fulfill. The question becomes how?

In Tina's love of the socialist system, she has not looked at the overall picture. The average health care cost of $15,000 is probably a good figure, but under a socialist system, that cost just doesn't go away unless we stop paying doctors and hospitals.

Tina is trying to convince us that the Canadians are not paying anything for their health care. What many don't seem to get is that the government has no money and no way to earn money except from taxes. So the only way that the government can provide us that health care is to tax us. That is why the Affordable Care Act/free health care is priced at $800 billion tax dollars.

Bill McCullough

Carson City

What causes the left to fear differing views?

I am adding my thoughts on recent comments by Eugene Paslov, Sue Morrow and Randy Carlson as they expressed their opinions on the shootings in Tucson.

Paslov, Morrow and Carlson all reacted in unison with echoes of unfounded accusations being drug through the media by hooking their horses to the empty wagon brought out by an uninformed sheriff who spoke his own opinion clearly not based on any facts.

There has been plenty of evidence that the shooter was not spurred on by any person, radio program, rhetoric or by any voices other than those within his own head.

But as all three mentioned have done, what is it that causes those on the left to fear differing opinions and in the process do that for which they condemn the right?

Paslov leads the parade on a local basis in condemning opposing opinions rather than point out any factual errors. As Paslov has written, "Early on I was taught that I and only I am responsible for my behavior..." Why the change in attitude in this instance, Paslov? Convenience? Pushing your own brand of fearmongering?

But analyzing that and a few other comments by Paslov: "The right wing gangsters' weapons: Distortions and lies..."; "Texas Board of Education massacre"; "The right wing media('s) toxic messages..."; "GOP ignores history, twists the truth."

Perhaps it's time for the left to recall the words of Joe Friday and just give (readers) the facts.

Dennis Johnson

Carson City

Shooting used shamefully to advance agendas

This past incident of the congresswoman and others tragically shot in Arizona reveals a lot about us as a people. These tragedies have become commonplace. But only when there is a child or celebrity attached, or if there is potential for controversy, do we respond, enforce.

The leaders of the Jewish community take Sarah Palin to task for the use of some obscure reference to 1st century Jews, crying anti-Semitism. I suspect she was no more aware of the meaning of the term than I, or had any intention of being indelicate. She was only defending herself against her more progressive opposition who tried to make mileage out of the Arizona tragedy over a campaign poster, months in the rearview mirror, that had nothing to do with real-world violence.

We are in a time in our county, and in the world, where we face not only the threat to our ways and means, but to our very existence. Now is the time when we should lay aside our differences and come together to solve our very real, common problems.

Instead we show our overwhelming self-involvement when we take a tragedy and the remarks around it to exploit, to bicker and posture and grind whatever axes we may bear. Woe to us, ridiculous people.

Kelly Jones

Carson City