Letters to the editor

Arm teachers with Tasers, not gunsI have read a lot of ideas about what to do after the Newtown massacre. Outlawing guns has been suggested. This has been shown to be ineffective. With all the guns already out there, guns will always be available to those who want them. Arming teachers with guns also has been promoted. While this has some appeal, the possibility of accidents with a school full of curious kids seems to be an unacceptable risk. Trained and armed security guards would be a great deterrent, but this too has drawbacks. The guards would most certainly be out-gunned and he or she would have to make sure that an innocent was not accidentally shot. This would give the intruder an advantage. The idea that I have not heard discussed is training and arming the teachers with Tasers. These non-lethal weapons could be kept under the same rules that guns would be, but the chance of an accidental death would be greatly reduced. I believe that there would be a lot less resistance to doing this than arming with guns. There is strength in numbers. If you had 10 or more teacher armed with Tasers, the chances are that the gunman would be incapacitated. This may not be a perfect solution, but at least it would give the teachers a fighting chance.Tom RuhoffCarson CityPlenty of patients are left behindThe 10 doctors in the Carson City area deserve great appreciation for their sacrifices and dedication to the “No Patient Left Behind” initiative to provide health care to the uninsured. However, it is sad that 200 physicians were asked to participate, but less than 10 responded. This may be due to the doctors being overwhelmed with work already.According to the Commonwealth Fund foundation, in 2010 studies showed the U.S. as having the most expensive health care system compared to six other industrialized countries, and at the same time the U.S. ranked last in quality, efficiency, access to care equity and the ability to lead long, healthy and productive lives. Although the findings are two years old, it is unlikely that things have improved since then. There is a glimmer of hope now in the form of the Affordable Care Act, but even if it works perfectly, it falls far short of providing adequate health care for all.It is sad to know that there are Americans who have played by the rules and worked hard for many years, but who are unable to get essential health care through no fault of their own. It is an indictment of our society that they are reduced to begging for charity.Profit motive is immoral when it locks out people who are dying or suffering. Plenty of patients are being left behind. Charity is no substitute for universal health care.Andy HaroldCarson City