Letters to the Editor

August 13, 2009

Limbaugh's health care column was divisive

To the editor:

In the Aug. 12 edition of The Herald-Mail, you included an op-ed piece by David Limbaugh ("Health care costs are bound to go up under plan").

I'd never seen an article in your paper by Rush Limbaugh's brother. But you chose to publish an article by this right-wing pundit on the day U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin is holding a town hall meeting in our community. I question your motive.

Your front page included a wire service story with the headline "Healthy debate." The president has followed a path of conciliation in dealing with the Republican Party. It is very important that our nation finds a health care plan. A fear-based campaign was successful in derailing a health care plan in the early days of the Clinton administration. Fear has allowed the profit-takers to have another 15 years of windfall profits. The quote "we have the best health care system in the world" is misinformation. We do not. Too many in our society fall through the cracks in this system. I can start with prenatal care and go from there.

Democrats are not above using fear in their desire for power either. When the Republican Congress attempted to take a look at our Social Security system, the Democrats mobilized their "fear machine" so that any potential changes to the system died in committee. Personally, I was not in favor of giving my (or others) Social Security payroll deductions back to the taxpayer, but there was no "healthy debate" on this topic either. My point is our nation will not move forward unless we find the middle ground.

Democracy is about government for all. Extremists want nothing to do with democracy. They want things their way. We've been down this road before. We have the opportunity in our democratic system to avoid class warfare, sectional strife and distrust of one another if we listen to and respect one another.

Publishing Limbaugh's article is a divisive act full of fear and name calling. I feel it was counterproductive to any kind of "healthy debate" this topic deserves.

Bob James
Hagerstown

Our government is not universally incompetent

To the editor:

With all the uproar about health care reform lately, it was a breath of fresh air to read the editorial written by John M. Crisp in the Thursday, Aug. 6, edition of The Herald-Mail ("Government is hardly universally incompetent").

Crisp makes many valid points as to why our government is not universally incompetent, as some people would like you to believe. His editorial was well written and well thought-out.

I have discussed health care with Canadians and British residents, and 100 percent of the people I have talked to like their universal health care.

One man had suffered a heart attack, and he had to have heart bypass surgery. The man did not have to pay anything, plus all his medications were free. A woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and all her treatments were covered by their universal health care. Another woman visiting this country from England couldn't believe that she had to pay for Tylenol in a pharmacy - it's free at home. The list goes on and on.

This country is great, but there is always room for improvement. Let's see if we can get a health reform bill passed during the next session of Congress that benefits all Americans.

Kathleen Lake
McConnellsburg, Pa.

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