Letters to the Editor
Penny Barrett Hornsby
Published Letters: 45 Editor's Choice: 3
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tina tina tina
[Read the article: Beyond the Multiplex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Darling Tina. Are you joking? Have you any idea how much it cost to have a baby in the hospital? I find it amazing that you would actually consider it abusive to give birth to a child with a professional person assisting in the comfort of one's own home. I think most mothers who are warned of complications, make an effort to anticipate problems. Do you have any concept how many people die because of our hospitals every year? Do you know how many staph infections, misdiagnoses, and errors occur in our for-profit healthcare system? I had both of my children in hospitals. I was left alone for great periods of time - the first time I was in labor for 40 hours because they decided to put me on a medication that induced labor. Unfortunately, that didn't work out so well and I was in hard, painful labor - alone - for what most people consider an entire work week. Once I gave birth, people were allowed to come in but for the most part, again, I was left alone with my baby. Fortunately, I was in a very liberal city with a pretty comprehensive program, but I shuddder to think what it's like now. I would much prefer to have my child at home, surrounded by comfort and the comforting. Add to that the fact that we paid out the nose to have a gynecologist in the room for, oh, what was it...5 minutes? Max? Give me a break. The natural occurance of a birth, the beauty of bringing life into this world, expanding one's family is a glorious moment that is sharply contrasted by the glare of fluorescent lighting, noise, pseudo-sterility and indiffernce of the hospital environment. Couple that with the freakin' sticker shock when the bill comes in the mail.If there is a problem, trained mid-wives know what to do. They have been around a long time. Longer, in fact, dearest Tina, than your sacred ob/gyn. Our overly inflated health care system is in business for one reason. Profit. The doctors have little to no say. Insurance companies and business managers run hospitals. So, yeah, Tina. I would prefer to have a trained mid-wife than some business manager monitoring my pregnancy.
Your reasoning is flawed. What if you simply don't have the coverage? Your beautiful baby, bouncy and healthy, will slowly deteriorate due to bankrupcy caused by a hospital stay. Wake up. Going to a hospital is certainly no guarantee.
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Voting Accuracy
[Read the article: The Clinton-Obama contest gets rougher]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I find it extremely suspect that 72% of this country is against the war but we now have two pro-war candidates - McCain and Clinton - as front runners. With the bloggers going nuts over the incredible discrepency in the result in New Hampshire, I am hoping that we start sounding the alarm in regards to our screwed up voting system. We will not get an accurate count this time, or any time for as long as our machines incorrectly tally the votes. The republicans want Clinton. She is the perfect candidate for them. I don't think anyone understands how much righ wing..heck centrist republicans despise her. I don't really get why, but that's the reality. They will come out of the woodwork to vote her down. They don't want Obama, which the majority of the people in this country do want, because he is highly electable.
I think Clinton is a good politician but she comes with an incredible amount of baggage.
We must, as citizens of this country, push for accurate measuring devices for our voting public. This is going to be one of the biggest turnouts in our history - especially for our youth. We must show them that their vote is worth something otherwise, we will lose them to apathy and contempt. And we will end up, again, waiting another four years for sanity to be restored and healing to begin.
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Vote anti-establishment
[Read the article: Undecided '08: Should I vote for Clinton or Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We've had enough of those that represent big business/corporate interests. I love Edwards because I felt he was genuine. But I am voting, as a white, suburban, TEXAN, woman for Obama because he will be able to beat anyone. We put up Clinton and we are doomed to another pro-war president...even if she does win.
All that aside, isn't this wonderful? Can't you just feel it? Change is all around us. We are positioned for tremendous success. I am so optimistic right now...a feeling I haven't had in 8 years.