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Letters to the Editor

Congress might not pass cost cap

EDITOR: You hear that Congress might cap your prescription costs at $2,000 annually. Millions are thrilled. At last, you think. But then you hear that Congress might not pass it. Now they might have done this one thing by the time you read this so take it as an example. In any case, what must you do about that? I can tell you what you should do. You should call them and remind them that they are your employees and they must do your bidding. And if they do not, you fire them. That means you do not re-elect them again. Now they give themselves high-sounding titles and they ...

Vote dishonored US veterans

EDITOR: Can a political party and individual elected officials lose all sense of purpose and honor for veteran? I ask that because on July 27 the Senate voted on a health care bill to ensure that veterans exposed to toxic substances while serving our country have access to medical evaluation and treatment. This bill was a specific bill that was only for the care and medical treatment of our veterans. This seems to me this was a “no brainer” for anyone with a sense of compassion and human decency. The bill would go to the president and become law if passed. The bill was Senate ...

Without faith in loving God there is no hope

There was a Letter to the Editor a short time back that spoke of the lack of provision for mental health in America. The writer’s opinion was that the nation needs to offer more mental health care. I do not disagree with that notion, nor do I disagree with the idea that lack of hope can contribute to feelings of despair and uselessness. In my opinion, it is here in the realm of hopelessness that depression takes root and begins to damage one’s psyche and could possibly cause them to be uncaring about the consequences of their actions. However, hope is not achievable in a hopeless ...

When we know better

EDITOR: After attending the Dickinson County Library Board meeting last Tuesday, I learned that many of the people there are ignorant. The word ignorant is defined as “lack of knowledge.” I’m going to attempt to correct that by explaining what the word lifestyle means in relationship to all of us, and how demeaning it is when speaking about people in the LGBTQIA community. A lifestyle is a choice one has on how they want to live their lives. Example: Choosing to live in a van down by the river, or embracing a vegan diet is a lifestyle choice. I was born a white, heterosexual ...

Some thought on mass shootings

Another mass shooting and some more hand wringing and few thoughts and prayers. But no solution. Why is that? Because this is not a problem of just guns. My guns do not go out shooting anyone and neither does anyone else’s guns. Guns are just a tool and must have a “user” to operate. In the case of mass shootings, what seems to recur too often is a history of mental illness on the part of the “user.” We could do something about that, but it would be expensive. Therapists cost money, hospitals dedicated to mental health cost money and long ago we as a society decided we would ...

A plea for more organ donors

Few of us are doing enough. Enough to save and extend the lives of those in our community. Not enough of us are organ donors. My husband, Jim, was a cardiopulmonary patient in Madison. Ultimately, he lost his life to the cardiopulmonary illness he had, but before he did, he was the recipient of a lung transplant. That lung transplant gave us more time. It gave us more memories. It gave us more laughter together. So many of us look for ways to extend our lives, our youth, our time, but we do not give what we can to extend the life of others. Organ donation is a free and simple way ...