Health care should not be political pawn
I’m a two-time cancer survivor. Without quality health insurance, my family’s finances would have been deeply impacted and my survival to raise my daughters less certain.
Republican lawmakers eager to repeal the Affordable Care Act have forgotten that our healthcare system affects real lives and livelihoods. It should not be used as a political pawn. Hastily repealing Obamacare without disclosing details of its replacement will not only create short-term uncertainty in the healthcare system, it deprives Americans the right to judge whether a replacement plan is better or worse than the current law.
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll says that 75 percent of Americans agree — only 20 percent support an immediate repeal. Why should we blindly trust Congress with the future of our health care?
All Americans should demand the opportunity to judge a replacement health-care plan before the current law is repealed. We deserve nothing less.
AMY SWYGERT, DUNWOODY
‘Sleep-out’ is symbolism over substance
Cathy Huyghe’s sleep-out is another example of symbolism over substance (“Sleep-out opens eyes to homeless plight,” Opinion, Jan. 7). This was done to raise money to “raise awareness” of the homelessness. Exactly what would that do, considering nearly daily reminders in media of the homeless, especially in winter? This group had nearly all the comforts of home, from toilet facilities to sleeping bags. They were in no danger, unlike many homeless. If they really wanted to experience what the homeless face, they could sleep among them outside or in a shelter and see what it’s really like. This stunt will do little or nothing to alleviate homelessness. I suppose it made the people involved feel good about themselves.
EDWARD WATKINS, LILBURN
Security does need upgrading at airports
The story (“Shooting raises security questions,” News, Jan. 8), discloses a definite weakness in the effort to protect citizens in airport terminals. Of course it is impossible to create a foolproof procedure, but certain actions could easily be enforced. For example, even though passengers may check their weapons (unloaded) as luggage, currently they are also permitted to include ammunition in their luggage. Simply make and enforce a rule that prohibits transporting ammunition (or any explosive items) on aircraft. If a person feels he/she has (or might have) the need to arm the weapon after landing, then they could arrange to find a local source at their destination that can provide the necessary ammunition. These provisions could not provide 100 percent protection against some lunatic who is determined to murder innocent people, but it most certainly would make their task more difficult and complicated. It would certainly lower the odds of a recurrence of the disaster that just occurred at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
BOB GRAYSON, CUMMING
Christians should use Christmas as weapon
Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? The argument for using Happy Holidays is concern for Jews, Muslims and folks that are not Christians. There is something to be said for using Happy Holidays. However, it is Christmas that is being celebrated and not a winter holiday. Christmas is very important for Christians. More to the point, we are seeing a vicious war on Christians and a war on Christmas. Atheists have virtually destroyed Christianity in Europe and have set about destroying Christian belief in America. Vicious haters of all things Christian, like the late Christopher Hitchins, are on the march. Under the circumstances of this war on Christianity and Christmas, I believe Christians should proudly and resolutely say Merry Christmas. In fact, I believe Christians should try to get Congress to pass a law that mandates that between Thanksgiving and Christmas, businesses can only use the words Merry Christmas and not Happy Holidays in their advertising. It is time for Christians to wield Merry Christmas as a weapon against those who so hate Christianity.
WALTER KEITH, BROOKHAVEN
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