LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — You can't have it both ways

At 17, when I first took an oath to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution, I honestly didn't give it much thought. I wanted to be a good citizen, a good patriot. I was proud of my country. It was a no-brainer for me.

With the latest infringements and potential infringements of our federal government upon the lives of private citizens, I have to ask: Have our federal legislators even read the document?

How on God's green Earth is the federal government going to manage public health care without violating the Fourth and Ninth amendments? The very first medical record that gets rolled up into a national database or the very first federal employee who even looks at a private citizen's medical record will violate our sacred protection against the government's intrusion into our privacy.

Let me get this right. The liberals would have us believe that it is a violation of privacy for government to interfere with a woman's medical decisions involving her body, but we're now supposed to allow the government to control our health care because said liberals are now in power?

You can't have it both ways. Read the damn Constitution. If the government does not have the enumerated (by paragraph reference) power to govern something, it can't touch it. Feel free to report me to the White House for this "fishy" view of health care and the Constitution.

TROY ELAM North Little Rock

Welcome to Arkansas

I hate to beat a dead horse like this lottery thing, but that dang mare keeps jumping up and running away with our scholarship money.

Oh, I don't blame anyone for taking a 50 or 70 percent pay raise, I could be bought much cheaper-just kidding, boss; wouldn't leave you for any amount of money-which is my point: Couldn't some of these folks have been lured here for less? Did we even try?

It burns me up that Sen. Bob Johnson effectively called us all dummies right after that Mr. Passabuck had done so. Johnson seems to think no one had the sense to get riled up without the Democrat-Gazette pointing out that we were supposed to be mad.

That dratted Democrat-Gazette is always stirring things up and giving Arkansas a bad name. Just ask Lu Hardin about that. 'Specially that dang-gum Paul Greenberg fella. He just don't love Arkansas the same way that Johnson and Ray Thornton do. Anybody can tell that much.

It's reassuring that at the second coming of ticket sales, we will be in such rapture over all our scholarship money that we'll be embarrassed for quibbling over such trivial matters, but why wait for then when you can be embarrassed right now?

I would like to thank Ernie Passailaigue for saving us $700,000 in consulting fees by hiring these high-dollar folks from South Carolina and for allowing Arkansas to participate by hiring many trusted friends of Johnson and Thornton. Washing hands and scratching backs is our way of saying, "Welcome to Arkansas!"

PHILLIP A. RAMBIN Bigelow

Civil exchange is vital

For all of those who decry "government-run" health care, I have a couple of questions.

First of all, how many of you are on Medicare? If you are receiving Medicare, but are against government-run health care, maybe it's time to give up your Medicare. For those who think health reform is going to cost you more money, it already is.

When the uninsured go to the emergency room to receive treatment, they are generally unable to pay. When an insured person goes to the hospital, he is charged many times more than he should be because the hospital has to make up for the losses of the uninsured, costing you more in higher medical bills and insurance premiums.

My second question: If government run health care is so awful, then why do we provide those we claim to honor above all others, our veterans, exactly that type of health care? If they deserve the best, why in the world would we provide them with such an abominable system?

You don't want government bureaucrats making decisions about your health care? Insurance bureaucrats, looking to make a profit, are doing that now. They denied surgical procedures for a newborn with defects because of a cord around his neck at birth, and another with cerebral palsy. The reason given in both cases? Pre-existing condition. These afflictions were present in the womb.

Sorry, but those are not the types of bureaucrats I want authorizing or denying my health care. Allow debate and civilized discourse. It's important.

P. K. CRANFORD Pine Bluff

Cost limits availability

The most troublesome part of health care in the U.S.A. is the cost, which limits availability. Medicaid and Medicare are going broke and the escalating costs only portend a disaster in the near future for all but the truly wealthy.

Our government has put forth several versions of a bill that do not contain one iota of a defined cost savings. The baloney about eliminating waste and fraud has been used so many times that it is infuriating that it is even mentioned, and it is well known that preventive medicine will add cost, not save money. So what are we to do?

What happened to our system of capitalism? Are we to abandon it? I don't think we have to. We have real problems with our health care system. One of the most glaring is that we don't have enough doctors. There is nothing in the proposed legislation to address this. Let's do something positive to get more people to go to medical school; scholarships maybe. I believe the American Medical Association controls the number of doctors. Is that a good thing?

Another issue is the lack of competition in providing health care. Competition always lowers costs. I am sure that there are tenets of capitalism which could be identified that would enhance competition in our health care system. Prohibiting vertical integration is one. And why do the pharmaceutical companies own generic companies? Let's give capitalism a try and just maybe we will continue to have the kind of country we were provided by our parents and forefathers. If you support this concept, write to your congressmen.

DAVID WILLIAMS Hot Springs

Perceptions exact costs

Cap-and-trade and national health care are passionate political issues that represent rare risk for incumbent politicians. This risk is rare because at the same time voters can both detest Congress and at least tolerate their local representative. "He's no worse than the others" is a rational if not uplifting reason to cast a vote.

Our political process consists of people voting for other people who spend other people's money on other people. This process continues without interruption as long as incumbents are not guilty of outrageous arrogance. The best indication of perceived outrageous arrogance is widespread public indignation, which we are now witnessing.

In the present political environment, another rational if not uplifting solution is to cast a vote for anyone but the incumbent. Are we fast approaching this?

GOODWIN WHITE JR. Camden

Disruptions intentional

The news media have labeled the current health care forum disruptions as the president's losing control of the issue. However, the truth is that health care anarchists have collaborated withthe help of the Republican Party to hijack efforts by the Obama administration to address the health care crisis in America.

As Americans we should be appalled that antagonists are prohibiting intelligent and civil dialogue in our communities.

History will reflect that, just as Moses, President Obama continues to demonstrate the characteristics of a leader when confronted with unruly and ungrateful dissenters. He will not abdicate his responsibility as some did, but will continue to work to lead us out of this health care wilderness. Our president will continue to assist with the creation of a health care system that addresses the needs of the poor and neglected.

If the American people continue to allow this matter to become convoluted by those who seek to sabotage this issue due to selfish, economic and political reasons, then we will remain stagnant as a nation.

Hate has no specific color, but the faces of those who espouse such feelings of discord and mistrust have become not only popular but attractive as potential leaders of our country. We need to take the Ten Commandments off the walls and "In God We Trust" off our money and place them in our hearts.

Will our spiritual leaders ever take a stand on issues other than abortion?

DEBORAH SPRINGER-SUTTLAR Little Rock

Some values are basic

Having read letter writer Mike Jenkins' comments about homosexuality, I had to make a statement. He spoke of being enraged by reading of the horrific rape of a girl allegedly by a man with HIV and then proceeded to rant about the evil of homosexuality and Christians who do not try and stop it.

That does not make sense. Was not the child a girl? HIV can be contacted by heterosexual intercourse as well, you know. People like Mike seem to want to see us gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as capable of terrible evil since their religion condemns us.

We are human and we desire the same freedom, love and happiness. We are only demons in his eyes, for our sexuality is consensual and does not harm anyone. I also would like to applaud those passive Christians I know who believe that true faith is not based on fear of retribution and that faith is not something you can force on someone. People like them remind me that many Christians are not hateful and persecuting but believe in the values of liberty and individual freedom and the basic need for compassion that we all have. I deeply respect that.

RYAN WILLIAMS Benton

Get rid of the tricksters

Never thought I'd see it happen in America. At public meetings, if you disagree with these dictators, you're removed by security. Instead of listening to the people they supposedly represent, they want to impose their views because they know what's best for us.

It's getting harder to buy groceries and pay utilities, yet they don't have this problem. They just vote themselves another raise. They're shoveling out our tax money to foreign nations and they're needing new jets. All they know how to do is raise taxes.

Hillary Clinton is flying all over the country dancing and pouring out more of our tax dollars. It's time that people realize that we're not being heard. Kick these people out and get someone who will listen. We need moral, successful business people running our government, not scammers and flim-flammers.

PEGGY KING Atkins

Limit everyone elected

I am a senior citizen who is concerned about the direction our country is going and the way it is governed. I would like to see a national referendum system where we the people could initiate laws without the necessity of our worthless Congress thinking it knows what is best for us.

One initiative I would like is term limits for all elected officials. Our president is limited to two terms, so how about the rest of them? Our Founders never intended that these jobs be permanent. A change like this just might ensure that our Constitution will be preserved.

HOWARD GANN Hot Springs Village

Feedback Nails will be optional A few years ago, I heard an anecdote on Paul Harvey about the government paying $400 for claw hammers. Anyway, I came up with a plan to keep health care private, save money and save jobs.

First, once a month mail two claw hammers to the government and charge $350 for them, saving the government $50 per. Take the $700 check and invest in a private health plan. If there is a hundred or two left over, fill your lawnmower with gas.

If you lack a hundred or so, chip in with your unemployment check. The people who work at the claw hammer factories will have job security.

Jobs saved.

I call this the Obammer Hammer Plan. This should keep health care private, the ultimate goal, as my common sense leads me to believe that a government stupid enough to pay $400 for claw hammers is not one I trust to streamline health care and help hold costs down.

JIM METCALF Greenwood

Young, old devalued The health care proposal is not about health or care, it is about population control. It is intended to devalue the very young and the very old.

Rahm Emanuel's own brother has written many pieces on just that subject. The productive portion of the population will have greater value and government will have the power to enforce those values. Do we really want to give government the ability to determine our value?

JUDY STEVENS Fayetteville