FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Gays serve honorably
in America’s military
In response to the letter to the editor, “Reasons why Putin disrespects America” (Readers write, March 20), the writer states that one of the reasons Putin has no respect for President Obama’s military is “he knows our military allows women and homosexuals to serve.” This is written in such a way that the reader can only interpret it to be degrading and shameful.
Never have I read such an idiotic commentary. As a homosexual who served in the military long before one could “openly” do so, I can assure the writer of this letter that I can stand head to head and toe to toe with the best of them. My sexuality has absolutely no bearing on my ability to serve my country. One question I pose to the writer of this letter is this: God forbid, if you were in a combat situation, would you really care if it were a female or homosexual soldier who was fighting alongside you and could quite possibly be the one who saves your life?
KEVIN LEDFORD, ATLANTA
Putin no ‘booby’ for
showing up Obama
Mike Luckovich’s cartoon on the Crimea as a “booby prize” (Opinion, March 19) made me laugh at its absurdity. Booby prize? He would fit in perfectly at the White House or State. Without firing a shot, Putin carved out for Russia 10,000 square miles miles of what was once considered a part of the free world. Luckovich must have some inside information that Putin is finished — but I, and many others, doubt it. Even if he is finished, he has shown that Obama is weak and has no stomach for principled world leadership. Putin may be a thug, but he is now at the top of the heap among the nations that hate the U.S. Where is Obama’s standing in the free world?
DONALD C. WILLIAMS, ROSWELL
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Canada points way to
fair health care policy
While the Affordable Care Act is a step in the right direction, a much simpler and more comprehensive solution to what ails the American health care system would be a single-payer system as in Canada — effectively, Medicare for all Americans, not just those over 65 years old. Recently there was a Senate hearing on comparative health systems in other countries. When Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina asked the testifying Canadian physician, Dr. Danielle Martin, how many Canadians she would estimate die while they are on waiting lists for elective health care, she replied that she did not know, but she did know that 45,000 Americans died last year because they did not have health care insurance.
DR. EVAN WEISMAN, SANDY SPRINGS
