Letters to the editor

Is government really so bad?

— It is my hope that President Obama is successful in his drive to reform health care in our country. I don't pretend to know all of the details of the reform issues. But I do know enough to know that the public option is vehemently opposed by the Republicans.

As I understand it, if one has private insurance they are happy with then they can keep it. If not, they have the option to sign for public insurance. That's simple enough and would keep the cost of private insurance within reasonable parameters.

Many object to the public option solely because it is public and they do not wish any public insurance owned by the government because they think that is socialism. What I don't understand is that they object to the option being public, yet voice no objection to a considerable number of other public programs that are operated by the government.

For instance, there are public libraries, public transportation, public streets and highways, public parks, public swimming pools, public hospitals, public schools, and public golf courses. Medicare and Medicaid are run by the government for the public. The Veterans Administration medical system is operated by the government.

And then there are public toilets. I am unaware of any objections to these operations, particularly the public toilets. The Republicans are quite aware of those facilities.

God only knows what they would do in a public swimming pool!
Budd Saunders / Durham

Evil? Or politics as usual?

John Terry's take on evil [Times, Sept. 19] as some supernatural force in opposition to good misses the point. Evil is what we call a failure by others to respect what we consider our rights and legitimate interests as they pursue their own interests (or the interests of somegroup, nation, religion or ideology that they have accepted as absolutely good and always right).

It also works the other way around. When we run roughshod over the rights of others in order to pursue our personal or national interests we are seen by them as evil. Demons and devils make for convenient fall guys, but the roots of evil lie within ourselves.

Terry disagrees with Socrates' notion that evil is merely ignorance. I would agree, but only because I believe Socrates' definition could stand a bit of expanding. Sometimes evil can be explained by ignorance or insensitivity; in other cases, its sources are prejudice, selfrighteousness, fear, greed or sheer perversity. The evil done to Socrates by the men who feared his ideas and the evil done to Christ by the men who feared his influence was not supernatural. It was all too ordinary - politics as usual.

Interestingly, Christ did not call those who murdered Him evil. "Forgive them, Father," He said, "for they know not what they do." So before Terry brands the people behind the movement that put Democrats in Congress and the White House "evil," he should consider the inflammatory effect of such a pronouncement and the real evil to which it could lead.
Alex Mironoff / Fayetteville

Right on the money

When Rep. Joe Wilson called Mr. Obama a liar, Wilson was right on the button. I think that Mr. Obama is a more frequent liar than even Bill Clinton, and that says a lot.

I think one of his biggest lies must be exposed. When Obama says his medical "reform" agenda (read: socializing the whole system) will give people the choice of insurance coverage and that they may keep their own if they wish, he knows better.

He and his cronies (god, I wish we had Dick Cheney still up there) will put you and everybody else under government dependency.Should his desires be answered with the government "option" included, then the "option" will go like this: Sure he will maintain the lie that you have the "option" to stay with or select another insurance provider. That's where the old switcheroo will come in. Obama has plans already in place to regulate the present insurance companies out of existence.

He will force the companies to insure every person with a full, cheap, capped policy along with restrictions excluding enrolling people with preexisting conditions, even if they are on their deathbed. Of course, no free market company in any category can exist without making the profit necessary to keep its employees working, pay the exorbitant taxes Obama will force them to send the wasteful and incompetent monkeys in Washington, and stay in business.

With that done, what choice will the American citizen have? Of course the government "option" will be the only "option." He will then expand and socialize the best medical care system in the world and drive it into bankruptcy, just like Social Security and Medicare already are:

I don't think there is any sentient person in the country that doesn't recognize the fact that Obama is a socialist. And he knows that socialism can only be brought about in America through lies and misleading promises. That he is doing on a daily basis. His actions are right out of the Marxist playbook.

The biggest step in bringing about socialism is socializing the medical system and private property. He has practically accomplished this as I write this letter.

Folks, we have slipped to the bottom of the slippery slope of collective governance. I can't understand why any intelligent person would want to subject millions of people to slavery. And make no mistake about it, socialism is slavery. And Mr. Obama knows that. I think slavery is his goal.
Don Bright / Fayetteville

Opinion, Pages 4 on 09/27/2009

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