Traverse City Record-Eagle

Opinion

January 27, 2013

Letters to the Editor: 01/27/2013

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Get rid of the rest

I just heard from a friend that her company has let go of several people and cut hours on many because Obamacare has mandated that employees who work 30 hours are full-time and must receive health benefits. I would like the companies to ask who voted for Obama and those should be the first laid off. They wanted it, give it to them. Keep those that believe in working for a living and get rid of the rest.

William Deniston

Grawn

Docs, judges culpable

Abortion, as I see it: In January many Americans focus on the sacredness of the life of the unborn child. It breaks our hearts that over 55 million unborn children have fallen victim to the horrific brutality of clinical abortion while their mothers allowed their bodies to be violated in the most morally reprehensible way possible.

We also mourn the deaths of the hundreds of millions of newly conceived children who were unable to implant in their mothers' wombs due to the abortifacient effects of hormonal contraceptives or intrauterine devices.

Those who terminate the unborn, and in so doing, wantonly violate the bodies of their mothers, we honor with the title of "doctor." The judges, who have made this practice of mass extermination the law of the land, we address as "your honor." Yet, these men and women are, in my opinion, morally culpable of the ultimate in physical and sexual abuse of women and children.

Babies are a profound tribute to the culture of life in all its truth, beauty and goodness and a powerful antidote to the culture of death which promotes contraception, sterilization, abortion, euthanasia and sterile relationships of all kinds. Let us pray.

Leonard Dezelski

Traverse City

Impressive service

On a recent Saturday the Traverse City Coast Guard Station hosted an open house entitled "All Things Aviation." The event was sponsored by Aviation Explorers, a consortium of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Northwestern Michigan College, the Coast Guard and the Boy Scouts. More than 400 people were in attendance.

Our Coast Guard Station should be commended for an outstanding job. These service men and women continuously go above and beyond their incredible call of duty. Their impressive service to the community is so impressive and the open house was a great example of that.

Bill Donberg

Kewadin

Ban health care?

Should health care be banned? Article date, Aug. 9, 2004, "An average of 195,000 people in the U.S.A. died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, according to a new study of 37 million patient records, that was released today by HealthGrade, the health care quality company."

From Wikipedia: "Of the 30,470 firearm-related deaths in U.S. in 2010, 19,392 (63.6 percent) were suicide deaths, and 11,078 (36.4 percent) homicide deaths."

David Curtiss

Traverse City

A clear prescription

The causes of our deficit provide a clear prescription for how to put our country back on a firm foundation.

Since the Bush-era tax cuts account for a fifth of the 2012 budget deficit, it would be appropriate to reduce this source of the deficit by raising taxes on millionaires.

Since war spending accounts for 15 percent of the 2012 deficits, ending the wars will help reduce our deficits. In addition, scale back our defense spending since we spend more on defense than the rest of the world.

Another source of our 2012 deficit is the Medicare Part B, which precludes the government, the largest buyer of drugs in the world, from negotiating prices. Allowing the government to negotiate drug prices could save a half trillion dollars over 10 years.

Lastly, the biggest source of the deficit can be reduced by putting our country back to work. Forty-eight percent of the entire deficit was a result of the under performance of the economy, which led to lower tax revenues and higher expenditures on unemployment insurance, food stamps and other social protection programs.

Ronald C. Marshall

Petoskey

Time to say 'enough'

As a retired elementary principal, since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary I have many times imagined, with horror, the scene on that terrible day. So many questions come to mind. What would I have done? Why did this happen? What can be done to prevent future tragedies such as this one? Why aren't we equally concerned about the number of children killed every day from violence in our cities?

While there are many and conflicting answers to these questions, I offer some thoughts from the perspective of my experience and belief.

First, I wholeheartedly support President Obama's proposed legislation and executive orders. While they will not solve all the problems of a complex issue, they are a good beginning.

I have a particular concern over suggestions that there should be an armed presence in elementary schools, whether staff or guards. What does this say to children? That our world has come to this? That we must arm our elementary schools? To me, the psychological damage this inflicts on millions of children as opposed to the possible danger to a tragic few is not a good exchange.

We must de-escalate this vicious ramping-up of arms. It's time to say, "Enough!"

Nan Horstman

Traverse City

What an idiot

Here are the reasons to not turn your lights on in bad weather and poor visibility.

They are only for use at night.

I might forget and have a dead battery.

I'm a kid and I don't know better.

I'm in "stealth mode" and cannot be seen.

I'm just going to the store and it doesn't look all that bad out.

When you neglect to make your vehicle seen by means of illumination during daylight occasions when visibility is diminished by either weather conditions or smoke from a fire, you are driving carelessly without regard to anyone else on the road. You are not only a danger to all of us who need to travel but also to yourself and all the passengers in your vehicle.

When I see a car during bad weather with no lights on, I think, "What an idiot!" And I'm not alone there. So just remember, if you drive with no lights on, everyone you pass is saying, 'What an idiot!"

Deni Whaley

Traverse City

Lends creative energy

The Artcenter would be a great use of the barns at the old State Hospital property. This unique historic structure would undoubtedly lend creative energy to artists working within.

Keith M. Nielson

Traverse City

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