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Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009

This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, Oct. 13

Let doctors be doctors

In spite of there being only an eight-hour trip between the U.S. and my country, it has been a long journey for me to adapt to a private health system. I went through all phases of denial, disbelief and anger when I experienced what it meant to be a doctor in a system that deprives you of your function.

I believed in all that rhetoric about being a doctor, which was reinforced by a National Health System as we experience in Europe. So, the first question you ask is: “What brings you in today?” and not “What is your insurance?”

But last week was the worst. My patient was admitted after a very serious suicide attempt. Insurance denied his staying. I was begged to discharge the patient. The patient had tried to commit suicide because of a lost job. There was no way the patient could pay for the hospitalization. It would only increase the burden the patient was already experiencing. In times of economic crisis, mental health becomes more and more of an issue, yet we find ourselves bound by the dictations of health insurance plans.

The profits that health-care insurance companies make are at the total disregard of patients’ needs.

It is time for doctors to go back to doing what they were trained for: Taking care of patients. And this can only happen with a health-care reform plan featuring a public option.

— Pat Riccardi

Macon

Kudos to Obama

Congratulations to President Obama for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

We also want to extend congratulations to every voting American who showed the courage and bravery to cast their ballot for the candidate they knew would stop the dishonest war, illegal torture of prisoners and uncontrolled Republican spending. Yes, President Obama will receive the prize in December, but it represents the world’s respect for every American voter who looked to the future and chose a minority leader with the valiant vision that makes us a greater democracy.

— Christine and Meyer Samet

Macon

Get over it

To all you crybabies who think President Obama doesn’t deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, I have three words for you: Get over it.

He showed his Nobelity potential by bowing to Saudi nobility; the man showed originality worthy of the prize.

If Al Gore deserved it for inventing the Internet and Jimmy Carter deserved it for eating goober peas, then Obama deserves it, too. He has $1.4 million for his effort, and all you have is change. He wins; get over it.

— Tommy Parker

Macon

So much for leadership

A few weeks ago, a young man was viciously attacked by a large mob of young people on the streets of Chicago. He was beaten to death, and the story was featured all over the media. This young man was an honor student and had plans to attend college.

A week after his violent death, the president of the United States traveled to Denmark to lobby for the Olympics to be held in Chicago, his hometown. The ever-popular and adored talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey went there as well.

Neither one of these public figures has uttered one single word about this young man’s brutal death.

The president sure had a lot to say about his friend, professor Henry Louis Gates, when he was arrested by the police about three months ago.

As for Winfrey, she is constantly talking and teaching the masses how to live better lives, but she is strangely silent about a good young man whose life was cut short by an enraged mob. She is also from Chicago.

So much for leadership, compassion and recognition of the fact that many of our young people are in serious trouble. I wish we had a good, strong president in the White House, but it is what it is. Some Americans were very taken with this tall, charismatic and glib politician.

God bless America.

— Ellen Endres

Warner Robins

The real WMD

We’ve spent trillions of dollars and nearly 10 years, lost thousand of lives (plus veterans care) and distorted millions many civilian lives. Now, the general say that’s not enough.

What’s it take to defeat our enemy? Who is supporting our well-equipped and trained enemy?

We’ve supplied our military with the best gadgets of the trade, but we never provide them with enough. What’s the deal here? We won World War II with less, and in less time.

Who has more enemies then the U.S.A.? The weapon of mass destruction is the cost of these wars.

— Victor T. Volskay Sr

Warner Robins

Three real reforms

I’m for improvements in the health-care system, as are most Americans, but that doesn’t mean we want to buy into “Obamacare” as presently presented in five different Congressional plans.

If this administration would give more than lip service to bipartisan inclusion, it would seriously consider these three cost-saving reforms: Tort reform, allowing small businesses to join together for group health insurance and allowing health insurance to be sold across state lines.

None of these reforms are included in pending plans because of special interest groups to which President Obama and the Democrats are beholden, such as trial lawyers.

With President Obama, it’s his way or the highway, with no real consideration to the many, many proposals made by the Republicans.

— John T. White

Kathleen

Thanks for column

Thank you for publishing the informative column on Moses Jacob Ezekiel. I have shared this with my friends in the Order of Confederate Rose and United Daughters of the Confederacy.

I have enjoyed reading many of the pieces written by Calvin Johnson. He does an excellent job of researching stories and making them come alive to the readers.

— Lainie Cross

Missouri Society Order of Confederate Rose president

Father above, gratitude fills my heart because you love me. Thank you for loving me even when I disappoint you. Give me a loving, caring spirit as I live for you daily. I feel your mighty presence every day, and thank you for being my good shepherd. Amen. Alice M. Pritchett Hawkinsville