Opinion Letters
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The human cost of war
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Published: October 23, 2009
How sad to read the column by Susan Reimer, "A mother's anguish, losing a son to war" (Oct. 17). It is terrible to think about the thousands of deaths and the horrific injuries that have occurred in the current wars.
At the Winston-Salem Friends Meeting we publish the names and ages of the dead in our weekly bulletin. This makes the losses very personal and stark. Some are only teens, others seasoned warriors who all leave grieving families and friends. The wars cost unbelievable amounts of money, but the human cost is far worse. Are we accomplishing anything with these sacrifices?
Recently, you had a guest column about declining interest in photographic coverage of the returning caskets. What I would prefer to see in the Journal is the list of names every week. It is a stark, sobering reminder and it honors those who have sacrificed their lives.
People can access this information @www.icasualties.org.
ELIZABETH WILSON
Winston-Salem
Out of control
The cost of this health-care plan is unacceptable in this time of recession. The costs will go up as we will be putting millions more into a system that does not have enough health-care providers. I am not aware of any discussion of that issue.
There is no question the insurance companies have not been acting in the best interests of Americans. There is no question this needs to be changed. But you cannot make them morally responsive by taxing them into oblivion. They will just pass the extra cost onto the taxpayers.
This brings up the issue of illegal aliens -- a delicate topic in this ignorant age of political correctness. They are breaking the backs of our hospitals, schools -- our entire infrastructure. Many don't pay taxes or have health insurance. They use the emergency rooms as doctors' offices and seldom pay their bills.
Altruism does not work in all circumstances of life. Overtaxed Americans and unemployed and underemployed Americans need a break. They need a break from this tax-and-spend Congress whose members don't even read the bills they endorse. If we continue down this path, we will become a broken country and achieve third-world status before the next millennium, or perhaps within the next 50 years. Our young Americans don't deserve to pay for the sins and excesses of our out–of-control federal government.
Does anyone have any logical solutions? By the way, patriotism and nationalism are not dirty words.
CHRISTINE PULISELIC
Winston-Salem
Besse stays visible in the ward
I'm reading the anti-Besse letters and thinking that these people aren't talking about the Dan Besse I know. And after seeing the one from Advance, I learned that a lot of the anti-Besse writers don't live in the Southwest Ward. If they actually lived in the ward, chances are they would know more about him because Dan stays highly visible in the ward by attending neighborhood gatherings and by face-to-face campaigning.
I met Dan years before he ran for the city council when he served on the Ardmore Neighborhood Association board. Being involved at that level gave him insight into the complex issues that affect our neighborhoods. There are continuous negotiations between the large institutions in the neighborhood -- the hospitals, churches and businesses -- and neighbors over traffic congestion, zoning and land use and the benefits they bring to our community. It takes a lot of patience, persistence and creativity to keep the various groups talking to each other and working together to arrive at compromises that respect each side's needs and values. Dan is a master at forging these compromises and has brought these skills with him to the city council.
Those of us who actually live in the Southwest Ward know that Dan always does his homework. He will always respond to our questions be they about speeding cars, spending on sidewalks or his position on an issue of greater community necessity. If you live in the Southwest Ward, vote early to return Dan to the council.
CAROL EICKMEYER
MEMBER, CITY-COUNTY PLANNING BOARD
Winston-Salem
Friendly, clean energy
I take issue with your Oct. 13 editorial "Coastal wind power," concerning the possible negative effects on tourism from placing windmills off our coast and spoiling the views. Our ocean-horizons views are already "spoiled" by boats, ships and planes, but we don't mind because we're used to them.
Additionally, these conveyances pollute the air and water and ship garbage that pollutes the sea floor. Windmills, placed 10 miles at sea (or even considerably closer) are far preferable. They are clean, quiet, elegant, non-polluting and capable of producing prodigious amounts of environmentally friendly, clean energy from a renewable source (the wind) for us all. The damage they'll cause to the sea floor only occurs when cables are initially laid and is quickly and naturally repaired. Such damage is far, far less than that caused by commercial fishermen's drag nets, for example, which we permit.
The Journal should be promoting with gusto all forms of clean, environmentally friendly energy from renewable sources and you should certainly re-write your editorial.
KENNETH R. OSTBERG
Winston-Salem
Never assume
Some notes to journalists and TV news reporters: You honor the living; you remember and/or memorialize the dead. If you are on land, you fly the flag at half-staff; if you are at sea, you fly the flag at half-mast.
Last, news reporters (especially TV, in its quest to be first on the scene) should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for the sensationalistic way in which they conducted their reporting after the shooting involving the police officers, Sgt. Mickey Hutchens and Officer Daniel Clark last week. They should never, ever assume anything -- just about every other word out of their mouths was along the lines of "I assume." They have no idea of the facts; they should keep their mouths shut and make no speculative announcements until they know the facts. They have no idea of the anxiety they cause with their assumptions and speculations to the families of law-enforcement officers with those kinds of words and that kind of reporting.
Readers may ask why I feel entitled to make these statements. It is because I have lived practically my entire life as the daughter of a slain state trooper. My heart goes out to the families of both officers as well as the Winston-Salem Police Department and my prayers are with them. My blue light is shining. May God bless.
TRICIA GOFF
Pfafftown
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