Common sense and quiet

Editor:

Let’s face it folks, the reality is that train whistles serve no legitimate purpose other than to aggravate the masses who hear well. Train whistles have no warning value whatsoever for those who are deaf. Yes, deaf. The last time you were at the mall or your favorite big box store, how many seeing eye dogs did you see compared to the number of people wearing hearing aids, possibly from listening to too many train whistles. Of course blind people don’t have drivers licenses but deaf people do. Is your government telling you that deaf people don’t deserve to be protected, just those who hear well? This is called discrimination. However, you say, they have crossing gates with flashing lights to warn the deaf. Is this to say that people who hear well are too ignorant to know what the deaf people know? I think not.

It follows then that the only warning device that would truly serve ALL drivers would be visual in nature since you have to be able to see to drive or get a license. Remember, you only have to be able to see to drive a vehicle to that rail crossing, not hear. I would suggest something like bright white and/or multicolored strobe lights which by the way make no sound at all and do an amazing job of getting ones attention. WARNING, that's what's required to be safe, right? Even a falling down drunk, a crack head, or a screaming meth head will react to a well-placed strobe light even when the sound of a train whistle has been drowned out by that MP3 player plugged into their ears.

This addresses the sighted, what about the blind pedestrians who would walk in front of a silent train. When the gates come down the "bells" go off and ring as long as the gates are down. I don't believe a seeing eye dog would allow his pedestrian master to walk in front of a train. If it does, this is something a train whistle won't prevent. If there is no dog, the blind know what a crossing bell sounds like and wouldn't proceed until the train has passed. If one has decided to commit suicide, does anyone think a train whistle is going to prevent it? Again, I think not.

There are viable and effective alternatives to train whistles to fully warn at rail crossings and adequate warning can be provided for thousands of dollars instead of millions. If only we had elected officials that had open minds, common sense, and could accept the fact that you can't effectively legislate against foolish behavior. Well, they can try but it doesn't do any good, just like train whistles. If some idiot is going to drive or walk around a downed gate with flashing strobe lights on it and bells ringing, they're going to do it whether a train is blowing a horn or not. You just can't fix stupid so why does our government waste their time and our tax dollars trying? Let's do something positive and productive for a change.

Ben DeRose

Galesburg

War with Iran?

Editor:

I am extremely troubled by recent reports about continued violence in Iraq and the prospects of armed aggression against its neighbor to the east, Iran. As badly as the war in Iraq has been going (remember it was supposed to be "quick"), any thoughts of attacking Iran should be met with extreme trepidation and horror. Any conflict with Iran not only would be extremely deadly and costly, it could very well lead to World War III. It is now time to let our political representatives know that we do not support armed aggression with Iran.

Do you think that your government will only use violence when it is absolutely necessary? Remember the Gulf of Tonkin (which provoked us to fight a long, bloody conflict in Vietnam) or "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (which we were told definitely existed but, curiously, were never found) that led us to invade another sovereign country. (When I was a teenager, I was told that the Soviet Union was some evil empire when it invaded Afghanistan as well as countries in Eastern Europe in earlier years. Why is it now okay for us to invade other countries?) It isn't surprising now that so many people overseas see our country as the greatest danger. In 2003, Time Europe – the European version of Time Magazine – asked readers which of the following three countries they thought were a greater threat to world peace: United States, Iran, or North Korea. Of the 700,000+ people that responded, 87% voted that the U.S. was! And this is in Europe and in 2003, mind you. Just imagine what this number must be now in the Middle East? We must be somewhat delusional if we are surprised that our military is having such difficulty convincing people overseas that we are peace makers?

Just so everyone is aware, Iran is no Iraq. Iran's population is over 65 million people, more than twice as large as Iraq's. In geographic area, Iran is almost four times as large as Iraq. And perhaps, most importantly, unlike Iraq which was undergoing weapons inspectors and other internal surveillance for more than a decade preceding the U.S.'s invasion, Iran has been largely immune to these types of regulations. Hence, Iran, if provoked, is much more prepared, than Iraq, to deliver a very deadly response. So if Iran was attacked by the U.S., whom do you think they will take vengeance on? Israel. Perhaps they will. And if they do, don't you think this will lead to World War III? Do you think such a war is winnable? Unfortunately, I think there are elements in our government that have convinced themselves that it is (just as they once thought that an Iraqi conflict would be short-lived). If you have any doubt about the gravity of the situation, just keep in mind that Russia and China have good relations with Iran and Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, has warned foreign powers, implicitly referring to the U.S., that any attack on Iran would be considered completely unacceptable. Also remember that Russia, albeit less powerful than it was just 20 years ago, still has ample nuclear weapons of its own.

And please don't think the upcoming election will spare us an attack on Iran. Hillary Clinton said this week that she would "totally obliterate" Iran if they ever attacked Israel. This comment may not have been widely heard in our media (surprise), but it has been spread quickly throughout the world. Do you think this makes things easier in diplomatic arenas?

In closing, please become informed about the situation we are currently in. We are in a very precarious position. It is in our collective interests to speak up now before an armed conflict begins. Waiting until bombs start dropping will likely be too late to avoid major escalation and massive casualties (on a scale unseen since World War II).

Peter Schwartzman

Galesburg

Editor:

CODEPINK has a seven-point list of what people can do to prevent US aggression against Iran. I especially like #7: "Ask Your Press to be Critical and Vigilant."

We're already in an endless war that Bush and company justified with false claims of weapons of mass destruction. We don't need another war. We also don't need more lies and more Bush propaganda, especially from the media that we need to be able to rely on!

Going to war against Iraq was immoral and completely without justification. War against Iran is even worse, if that's possible; we seem unwilling to see ourselves as the rest of the world does – as aggressors, a soulless country run by corporations whose leaders' one philosophy is the hedonistic pursuit of everyone else's wealth via unfettered greed. In an area of the world where our abysmal behavior, leading to the deaths of nearly 100,000 Iraqi citizens, has escalated anti-US sentiment, we're likely to add to it. It would be especially useful for our press to ask: Why?

The first answer is, of course, oil. But the second reason is profits – war is tremendously lucrative, especially since US citizens keep blandly accepting the footing of the bill. War profiteers rake in the big bucks, often at taxpayer expense, “privatizing” other sovereign nations' infrastructures, publicly-held utilities, and so on, with no accountability (and often no actual work other than money-gathering).

While it's easy for US citizens to sit back and claim blamelessness, all this is going on under the US flag – it's all being done in our names. If we aren't actively objecting to it, then we are complicit. The likelihood of retaliation is increasing already, without warring on Iran. What are the consequences of yet another act of US aggression going to be?

How long can we endure under this pretense of citizen innocence? It's our country, it's our government, and so it's our immorality and shame, as well. Even more, we seem to be itching to use our nuclear arsenal, even if it incites a level of retaliation that reaches within our own borders.

Are we really ready for a nuclear war on US soil? How well does feigned innocence work against nukes dropped on US cities? How complacent in our ignorance can we be when the war comes home? Where, now, is this message in our press?

diana Mackin

Galesburg

Editor:

The aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, fuel, bombs, and personnel are all in place. The Pentagon CONPLAN 8022 is programmed and set on 1200 targets. The one military chain of command obstacle, Admiral Fallon, has been removed and replaced with General Petraeus, a yes-man for Bush and Cheney.

Some feel that Congress has already given the required congressional approval with the passing of the Kyle-Liebermann resolution. "Bomb, bomb Iran" McCain and ultra pro Zionist supporter Clinton made sure that the Senate passed it with their enthusiastic support. Durbin and Obama by the way opposed the resolution. In his recent trip to the Middle East, Cheney reportedly arranged with neighboring countries for fly–over permission. The day after the Cheney visit to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi newspaper, Okaz, reported that the Saudi government is now preparing plans to deal with any sudden nuclear and radioactive hazards that may arise from the attack on Iran.

What about the causa bella? As we all know, finding a cause for war is not a problem for this administration. The beauty of the neo-con preemptive wars is that a country only has to exist and hence possibly be a threat sometime in the future to justify war.

So, all that remains is for Bush to give the word for the fireworks to begin. With the high probability of nuclear weapons being used, this should make the "shock and awe" of the Iraq invasion look like a backyard fireworks display. Initially, some estimate 3 million innocent Iranians will be slaughtered.

Scott Ritter says this about Bush. "Here's a man who speaks of WW III and the apocalypse and has his hand on the button and he talks to God. I don't know, if it's a dangerous show, if it's real, we should all be scared to death."

Or as Francis Boyle says in his recent book Breaking All the Rules, "In post-9/11 America we are directly confronted with the prospect of a nuclear war of extermination conducted by our Judeo-Christian White Racist Power Elite against People of Color in the Arab and Muslim worlds in order to steal their oil and gas. The Crusades all over again. But this time nuclear Armageddon stares all of humankind right in the face!"

I got to get out Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" and watch it again – especially the ending with the haunting song "We'll Meet Again" playing as the mushroom cloud appears.

Paul Appell

Altona

Editor:

The United States is marching toward war with Iran. The Bush administration's aggressive and escalating rhetoric toward them has made this abundantly clear.

Some say that they can't wait for Bush to leave office, so this war can be avoided. But that is not at all realistic. We cannot place our hopes in the next President. (Especially if our next President is Hillary Clinton, who threatened to "obliterate" Iran.) Remember the Golden Rule, "He who has the gold makes the rules." There are people and companies that make far more money than the President of the United States. And they want more. And war is very profitable. So, if Halliburton demands it, the next President will send us into an entirely new war.

And what has Iran done to us anyway? They supposedly harassed one of our ships. No shots were fired. And the validity of the tape that "proves" their speedboat threatened our ship is widely disputed. By Iranians and Americans alike.

And of course, there's the issue of nuclear weapons. There is "solid evidence" that Iran is seeking nukes. There was "solid evidence" of Iraq's WMD's too.

And let's assume they are seeking them. Who are we to say who can and cannot have nuclear weapons? We are the only country that's ever used them on another nation. (Used them on cities heavily populated with innocent civilians, I might add).

To be fair, though, Iran is not lead by an angel or a saint. Ahmadinajad has seen to it that the situation in Iraq has gotten worse. We are told that there is mounting evidence that Iran is offering training and weaponry to the insurgents. And Ahmadinajad, we are lead to believe is a nut with his finger on the big read button. Do we really want to provoke that?

Do not think for one moment that, should we go to war with Iran, we will be viewing it from afar via the evening news. We will be living it. Iran has a formidable, organized military. And they have the ability to hit us here, at home.

And so, in closing, let me just say, "We don't need another war." Our military is stretched thin as it is. It is true that sometimes defense means attack. It is true that sometimes the wisest course of action is to fight. This is not one of those times. We need to tone down the rhetoric. Now is the time for talking, diplomacy, and calm.

Aaron Schisler

Knoxville

Big profits for Big Oil

Editor:

Very many Americans are complaining bitterly about the price of gasoline they have to pay at the pump to fill up the gas tanks of their cars.

A quick reading of "Big Oil has little reason to lower prices," written by syndicated columnist Malcolm Berko, informs us that all the major oil companies that serve the United States are truly making a killing for themselves at our expense. The companies buy cheap and sell high. Those companies claimed to the US Congress that they net an average profit of in and around 8 cents per gallon of gas sold. Congress didn't fall for that little story, and neither should we, the American consumer, if Mr. Berko's facts can be relied upon.

He claims that Exxon pays only $5.45 for each barrel of oil it purchases and that Chevron (also in on the game) pays $5.35 a barrel, with Royal Dutch paying $5.77 a barrel. These companies make a profit of over $95.00 on each barrel of oil purchased, and with their favorable tax treatment from the US government their enormous profits come out of the taxpayers’ pockets; well, who is making out like a thief?

All these companies (and others) run expensive ads in glitzy magazines telling us how generous and hard working their devotion is to the alternative and renewable fuels industry. Yes, they are. So far, Exxon has put forth 0.1 percent of its profit for the good cause, Chevron 0.5 percent and Conoco Phillips 0.7 percent.

Congress didn't get anywhere encouraging Big Oil to lower their profits. Let us hope that the government's tax "gravy train" gets an overhaul from Congress. Write your Congressman/ woman and suggest that the tax give-away to the oil companies be reevaluated.

Jane Johnson

Gilson

Dog Show

Editor:

A big thanks to all sponsors, volunteers and participants who made Knox County Humane Society’s PAWC 2nd annual Eastminster Dog Show a wonderful success. After having to change our event from Saturday to Sunday because of rainy weather, the sun finally came out and all those beautiful canines could strut their stuff.

Trophies and ribbons were awarded to winners, but the true winners of the event were the shelter pets. Without community support we wouldn’t be able to give those pets a chance to find a loving home that they deserve. Who knows, maybe one of them will be Best of Show in a future dog show, as was the case this year.

Because of all of you, some homeless pets’ dreams really do come true. Watch for our future Catminster Show.

Erin Buckmaster, Shelter Volunteer

Dahinda

Muslims, radio and trains

Editor:

I believe that it is not at all surprising that Muslim groups from every nation on earth are hoping and/or praying that Barack Obama becomes the next President of the greatest God loving nation on the planet.

Re: Christian Schock’s “Radio lies and distortions,” Zephyr, April 24th:

The two local radio stations, WGIL and WAIK, air the programs that appeal to the majority of their listeners. Smart business, Schock. What’s wrong with that? Many liberals have attempted to get hordes of listeners. All to no avail.

Schock knows full well that Rush Limbaugh was hooked on pain pills, but no longer is. Schock is speculating in a nasty vein about Limbaugh’s private life, but has no proof. Remember when Bill Clinton, the biggest womanizer since JFK, had them brought to him two at a time. Everyone said of Clinton, “It’s his private business.”

With 20+ million listeners each day, Rush must appeal to a broad spectrum of listeners. Suck it up, Schock. You ain’t gonna change it!

On another subject: Most readers know that the former Santa Fe and CB & Q (Burlington) have crossed in Galesburg for many years. What they may not know is that they ran side by side through Ft. Madison, Iowa. The Santa Fe crosses perhaps the most unique bridge in the world at Ft. Madison and goes through Lomax, Illinois, on through Galesburg to Chicago.

The former CB & Q (now BNSF) went up the Iowa side and crossed the railroad bridge just north of Burlington and on through Galesburg to Chicago. Louie and I lived in the country along the Cameron Road (the main line of the Burlington RR).

In 1948 Lomax was under water by a flooded Mississippi River for nearly two weeks. During that two week period, both railroads, freight and passenger trains, went within 100 yards of our house. For that period of time, every other train was a CB & Q, then a Santa Fe. Both passenger and freight went by with no more than 20 minutes apart.

When you consider that in 1948 they did not have today’s technology where the location of every train is known at any given time, just the red/green lights along the tracks and “fuzees” and radios, to my knowledge no accidents occurred.

Larry Anderson

Abingdon

Workplace abuse

Editor:

This is in regards to the letter that Tricia Jacobs wrote about "Unfair treatment" that she wrote about Head Start. She said from the facts she gathered, the employee didn't make a racial slur, she had only made a comment. From my understanding any negative comment about anyone's race that may offend that minority, is a racial slur. Whether it was meant intentionally or as a joke, it is not ever appropriate at the workplace. And as far as the "abused employee" that from what I heard never even told the director about the incident, maybe it would be a good idea to review the so-called facts that you gathered, Tricia. What I think is unfair, Tricia, is how some employees do scrapbooking on work time, take personal items from other employees, and how they start up these petitions and gossip about work and things that happened in the past. So Tricia, I couldn't tell you if any other things that you mentioned in your letter go on at Head Start because the majority of us at Head Start are here to do our jobs, take care of children and help families. So either way you look at it, Tricia, you are too occupied with causing trouble to do any good for anyone, including yourself! So do me a favor Tricia and go get yourself a hobby so you can keep yourself busy, then you won't have to worry about anyone but yourself. So good luck with your petition Tricia, I hope it works out for you until you find that hobby you so desperately need.

Jen Marshall

Monmouth

Educate, don’t vaccinate

Editor:

Nassau County, N.Y. is the first municipality to hold a vaccine safety press conference in the history of the United States. Hundreds of parents were on hand to voice their opinions and concerns as this controversial topic was discussed at the county's health committee meeting. The National Institutes of Health have invited members of the National Autism Association, TACA NOW, Defeat Autism Now (DAN!) and many other like-minded organizations, to discuss the strategies that are working to recover autistic children. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has invited parents and these organizations to begin work on next years strategic plan regarding autism research.

This issue is finally being addressed as useless organizations like the CDC, WHO and Autism Speaks continue to waste time and valuable resources on purely genetic research, as they lie in bed with the pharmaceutical companies in a state of perpetual post-coital bliss. The NIH has finally decided they can no longer ignore the very real positive results attained by these truly groundbreaking organizations that are recovering kids in spite of the lack of governmental assistance.

Autism recovery is being accomplished even as those in mainstream medicine continue to look the other way. We have pediatricians’ offices right here in Knox County calling parents to tell them to get their children into the office to get caught up on their vaccines. The local health departments continue to peddle their poisons to the poor in our community and then turn their backs on them when their child becomes impaired. Anyone who thinks that this government helps families affected by autism is truly out of touch!

On a national level we have clinics like the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio that run a therapy center for children with autism that actually make the parents sign a statement claiming that they will not pursue "alternative treatments" for their kids while enrolled with them. They continue to look the other way at the evidence that shows that these alternative treatments are the ones that are working.

Authorities in Dallas, Texas held a press conference Wednesday to discuss a study by Raymond F. Palmer, Ph.D. (Assoc. Professor; Dept. of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Texas). The results of this study indicate the prevalence of autism in children that show an increased risk of exposure to mercury from coal fired power plants.

This is news? While 99% of the pediatricians and health departments continue to inject mercury and other neuro-toxins directly into our children?

I guess the liberal, Green Peace activists concerned with global warning and the poisoning of our planet don't consider a young infant’s blood system to be "a part of our environment." These people are truly pathetic.

There is little doubt that these alternative treatments work; the proof is in the results. Just two weeks ago my wife and I held a seminar that gave hope to the parents of autistic children in this community, and the local media had their heads stuck in the sand (or perhaps a lower part of their own anatomy). The majority of the members of our local health community also decided that there were more important things to do that evening. I want the parents of this area to remember this as we continue to fight for our kids – your community doesn't care about you! Rest assured however, that more of these meetings will be taking place, and sooner or later, they will be forced to listen as parents educate themselves.

China paints a child's toy with lead based products and we scream collectively for justice as we hold our child in our laps and allow a nurse at the Knox County Health Department to poison them right here at home! Where are we headed as a nation if we can look the other way as this very real tragedy unfolds around us?

Educate, don't vaccinate!

Curt Linderman

Galesburg

School of respect

Editor:

I am going to start a charm school! Have you noticed the lack of respect, good manners, civility and decorum there is today? (Read the papers.) Children to parents and vice versa, husband and wife, teacher, politician, rich man, poor man, beggerman, thief? (I recall the 50s when things were more simple, and respect was the order of the day.) Insult, put-down, banter, rudeness has become acceptable! My 5th grade teacher and godmother, Miss burke, told me you could never go anywhere in life without good grammar and good manners.

I plan to teach courtesy, diction, courtesy and the golden rule. I’ll charge 900.00 per student, and starting July 26, 2008, the country and world will begin again anew.

P.S. The wars we presently “foster” for oil will cease the following Monday. I’ve heard it can take only one person to change the world/country. I could donate 50% of profits to stop hunger and homelessness in the USA. A most noble cause!

P.P.S. A scathing but brilliant idea, no?

Don Harlan

Galesburg

Governor’s troubles

Dear Box:

Governor Rod Blagojevich has learned, if he did not know it before, that he should have no trade or truck with Republicans. After he took office, he reappointed a Republican named Stuart Levine to the board of the Teachers' Retirement System. It may be he did so at the behest of a staunch supporter named Antoin Rezko.

Rezko has been indicted on charges of fraud, and is being prosecuted in federal court. The witnesses against him have been a motley lot, led by the aforementioned Stuart Levine.

By his own admission, Levine has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on illegal drugs. He has testified his memory is faulty, largely because he was in a drug-induced haze during much of the time and events he described from the stand.

He has recalled conversations with Governor Blagojevich that others have denied ever took place. Allegedly, one occurred on a flight to, or possibly from, Washington, DC. Levine was unclear about the direction.

To call his claims dubious suggests a greater degree of credibility than they deserve. To be sure, the Springfield press corps has given them wide coverage, without bothering to question some of Levine's more lurid claims.

Also mentioned in the testimony of Levine and others have been Republican wheeler-dealers William Cellini and Robert Kjellander, both of Springfield. The two men have attended events at the White House as guests of George W. Bush. Doubtless their entree was obtained through Kjellander's close friend, Karl Rove.

Governor Blagojevich is accused of spending too much time in Chicago, and away from Springfield. Given people like Levine, Kjellander, Cellini and the hostile press corps, he probably wishes he had spent even more time in the honest air of Chicago.

Christian Schock

Galesburg

City problems

Editor:

About a year ago, I wrote two letters to the editor for the City Council and general public. I'm back because I really love this town and our barely treading water saddens me.

Again, please use the resources we have wasted – Knox, CSC, WIU. We should be looking forward to production of pure biodiesel. Pure biodiesel does not contain any petroleum or fossil fuels. When I wrote about this last year gas was under $3. Look where a year has taken us. If thinking "Green" isn't your thing, wouldn't you at least love to kiss OPEC good-bye?

Wind farm instead of a logistics park. Mr. Rude, you're right on!

Wind, a renewable cheap energy for the community, surrounding area and future "high tech" businesses – jobs of quantity and quality, mass manufacturing jobs are gone. Cheap energy is what the new world of technology jobs require.

We need more than a few warehouse jobs. A dozen jobs which will aid in the loss of even more of the precious few manufacturing jobs left to overseas. And precious farmland for food covered in concrete.

(Food the coming shortage will be far worse than the expensive gas we're experiencing now.) When it was said, "If it ain't paradise put up a parking lot," folks, they were kidding!

Quiet Zones – I live by the intersection of the BN and the SF railroads so I know what it is to not be able to hear yourself think. Yet when considering crossing closings it should be at the railroad’s expense. What they will save in maintenance now and in the future would be a windfall for them. The future may hold even more trains passing through town. A compromise of crossings and a lower maximum decibel volume should also be explored.

Since last Council meeting it seems they are laying on the horns even more to annoy the citizens, so the City will pay for something they shouldn't.

If we're looking for a place to spend money how about the bridge, which is the only access to the Soangetaha residents, before it falls into the tracks? How about spending more on public transportation to reduce traffic, gas consumption and emissions, or allocating more money to the infrastructure (water, streets & storm sewers) or possibly residential rejuvenation?

Margaret Hall

Galesburg

Other people’s business

Editor:

First just a short question in response to “Never declaw”: Now if I was a tomcat and had my choice, would I choose to be declawed or neutered? This question came to mind, as the latter was not mentioned in the mutilation sentence of your letter Mr. Spott.

The real reason I even mention this is to point out how certain people or groups of people can jump on a subject and be so sanctified by having a “subject.” How about the poor doggies that get their tails cut off and their ears reshaped so they look better. To me, if you are going to jump on a bandwagon and play a song, you should play the whole song or put a pie in the pie hole.

I have a declawed cat and I cringed at the idea of getting rid of the claws. Well, we got rid of those pesky little parts and we also had him “detuned” from Mr. Tom to Mr. Kitty. This has been one of the nicest pets I have known, and the way he rubs his little paws in the furniture with no claws, I can only imagine the damage that would be done with his little weapons intact. Just for the record, we have had this cat for ten years and he is a very healthy “house cat.” Through this experience with Mr. Kitty, I may have discovered what some of my own problems were in the younger years. Also I would like to mention, Sammy, my St Bernard, is neutered and is healthy and seems quite happy, but then I suppose you folks could tell more about that than I. Her real name is Samantha, by the way.

Now the real point I intended to make was how you folks that need an issue to get you through your day are in fact the ones that need the help. What I contend is just this: I live my own life and keep my nose out of other people’s business. This seems to be an impossible feat for some, they want to tell me what I can do and when I can do it. Now I am not saying you folks are always wrong about these things, just that it usually isn’t any of your business to become involved in my affairs as I learn quite well from my mistakes.

Now the real truth is this, an inordinate amount of you folks that “intrude” are card carrying members of the group I have tried not to mention thus far, it is the “L” word. There have been others that are just as nosey but few as intrusive as the proverbial Liberal, or it might simply be the far left radical Liberals. Just as a side note I would like to mention that there are many of you Liberals that I truly care about, please don't be offended.

Now while I am at it I would like to briefly mention another aspect of this intrusiveness. It is health care, or more aptly “universal healthcare” available to all. What a beautiful thought, we could ultimately all have any luxury that we chose. If we can get free health care, what is next? Free porterhouse steaks? Free Cadillacs and Corvettes. The truth is we can go to almost any hospital in America and get taken care of if we have a problem, not a private room, but we can be taken care of, patched up, given shots, stood up and put back on the road. This is one thing I seriously wonder while I am sitting here waiting for something to do. If fleas, mosquitoes, and cockroaches come close to extinction would you same people form an organization to save the nasty bugs?

Tim May

Jersey (one more week, maybe)

Thugs in power

Editor:

I am a strong Democrat who believes we need the fundamental change from the disastrous Bush and Cheney Administration. I will support either Clinton or Obama in a heartbeat. I am writing, however, to protest some of the letters that have been sent asserting ridiculous things about Obama and his supporters, most particularly the idea that "they" – i.e. code word for African-Americans – will riot if he does not get the nomination. Now we hear the hateful Rush Limbaugh actually saying his dream is to see a riot in Denver at the Democratic National Convention this summer. Seems like Rush is inciting a riot – isn't that across the line from outrageous radio-hype to criminal behavior? I have long suspected a certain faction of right-wing Republicans to be made up of the grown-up version of the bullies we remember from our schooldays. We saw these thugs pounding on Florida election offices in 2000 to insist that Bush be installed as President – and look where that has gotten us. A tragic, needless war, outrageous energy prices, growing unemployment, a full-blown, recession, and horribly tarnished image throughout the world. Eisenhower, Goldwater, and even Nixon would be spinning in their graves if they saw the Republican Party of 2008.

Judith Squires

Burbank, CA

Ignoring Constitution

Editor:

When U.S. citizens make contracts for goods, services, or other reasons, each party to the contract is expected to abide by it. However, there is one contract that seriously affects every citizen, but few pay attention to it. It is the U.S. Constitution, a contract between our citizens and the federal government.

The original 13 states established our federal government with very limited powers, primarily to repel invasions. Individual states were responsible for most government actions. If a state became too oppressive, people could simply move to another state.

The Constitution authorizes only Congress to make federal laws. Hence, a Supreme Court decision or a presidential Executive Order cannot become a law. Yet, these decisions and orders have been used as laws. In the more than 200 years that our Constitution has been in effect, only 27 amendments have been ratified. Today, those who want to make a change simply circumvent the Constitution. There is no constitutional power to have federal involvement in education, housing, health, foreign aid, and many other activities. Therefore, about 80% of what the federal government does is unconstitutional. See www.thenewamerican.com for details.

We are living in a partial police state because the feds do not obey our Constitution. Unless enough of our citizens demand that the feds abide by the Constitution, we soon will be living in a total police state.

Alex Randis

Northridge, Calif.

Stimulus package

Editor:

George Bush's economic stimulus package will give individuals who have an income between $3,000 and $75, 000 check amounts of $300 to $600, according to www.jbs.org/. Married taxpayers who earn up to $150,000 will receive $1,200. Included in this package is also a $300-per-child tax credit. According to CNNMoney.com, "The package also includes tax breaks for equipment purchases by businesses, as well as payments to disabled veterans and some senior citizens."

Critics of the measure included congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul. In his weekly column, Paul stated: "I am in favor of taxpayers getting some of their money back, however temporary tax cuts and one-time rebates will not 'fix' the economy. What we desperately need right now is real deep significant tax cuts that are enabled by big spending cuts and reduction of government waste that is so rampant. Unfortunately, too many in Washington still believe we can spend our way into prosperity, which does not work and never has."

I agree. The government is merely returning money that was ours to start with. Instead Congress should abolish the Marxist Progressive Income Tax by repealing the Sixteenth Amendment and return us to the freedom to invest in unregulated production for prosperity.

Frank M. Pelteson

Las Vegas, Nev.

Seniors’ rights

Editor:

In Illinois, many nursing homes operate without any insurance.

HB 5213, now in the Illinois House, would make it mandatory that nursing homes carry at least $1 million of liability insurance.

Currently, the Nursing Home Care Act of 1979 contains a private attorney general provision that allows nursing home residents and their families to sue privately to enforce their rights to a quality standard of nursing home care. The Act also allows victims of nursing home abuse and their families to seek fair and reasonable compensation for injuries and wrongfully caused death.

Many nursing homes now purposefully carry no insurance or have a corporate structure intended to shield the owners of the homes from liability and make them "judgment proof." This means that victims and their families cannot vindicate their rights when unjust conduct occurs.

This is why HB 5213 is essential. Insurance is vital for protecting the rights and safety of nursing home residents; without it, Illinoisans cannot realize the protections of the Nursing Home Care Act. Mandatory insurance from HB 5213 guarantees that injured nursing home residents and their families can seek fair and reasonable compensation for their injuries.

As an advocate for seniors' rights and a founding partner of Levin & Perconti (www.levinperconti.com), a Chicago-based nursing home abuse and neglect law firm, I suggest that everyone learn more about the bill and contact their legislators to encourage them to support the bill.

It's time we take a stand for our seniors.

Steven Levin

Chicago