Letters to the Editor
Wrenching sights from Haiti Watching the terrible sights of the Haitian earthquake is devastating. I saw a young boy about 13 years old lying on a blanket all by himself. He had been pulled from the rubble, and the doctors had to amputate his leg. The leg was amputated up to his hip.
Wrenching sights
from Haiti
Watching the terrible sights of the Haitian earthquake is devastating. I saw a young boy about 13 years old lying on a blanket all by himself. He had been pulled from the rubble, and the doctors had to amputate his leg. The leg was amputated up to his hip.
The sight of seeing this young boy lying there with nobody to comfort him just tugged at my heart. That sight will be etched in my mind.
I can empathize with the lad only in a small way, because I am a kidney transplant recipient, and I recently had all five toes amputated on my left foot. I know how devastated I felt. This poor boy has to live the rest of his life without his leg. My prayers are with him.
George J. Walton
Upper Darby
Investing in Israel is
good for our security
One of your writer's anti-Israel (I hesitate to say anti-Semitic) letters questions the $3 billion annual U.S. aid to Israel and asks, "Why?" ("Haiti needs more U.S. aid," Wednesday.)
All nations since recorded history invest in their own best interests, charity excepted, and that is really as it should be. Israel is our only friend in the Middle East, and it is in our national interest to keep it strong.
From a selfish point of view, our export and import trade is important, as is our intertwined military situation. Israel is conceivably our first line of defense in an unstable nuclear atmosphere. It is also one of the few countries that consistently repay their loans, and is one of the first to respond when disaster strikes.
The Palestinian/Israeli situation is unfortunate but not unique between nations. I am constantly amazed that a country smaller than Vermont can engender such hatred.
Ralph D. Bloch
Warrington
Congress failed
on health plan
I am disgusted with Congress. Elected officials are supposed to represent all of the people, but look out only for themselves.
We need a health plan. The rest of the industrialized world manages to give its people a workable health plan, but unless someone pays our congressmen, they are incapable of doing anything constructive for the people.
The Republican Party had complete control of our central government for eight years and did nothing for the middle class. Republicans left the country in a complete mess, yet we expect the Obama administration to correct everything in one year.
He is trying to have a just government for all, and the Republicans are doing nothing but being obstructionist. This is from a disgusted registered Republican. It is quite obvious that Congress is for sale.
Jeanette Evans
Bryn Mawr
Obama should
lower his sights
President Obama has bitten off more than Congress can chew or the voters can swallow. Why doesn't he try something more modest for a change, such as fulfilling his campaign promise to get rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? Unfortunately, his dawdling on filling federal court vacancies now faces the prospect of filibusters.
Aaron M. Fine
Swarthmore
There are a lot of us
out there in America
A letter to the editor Wednesday proves what I have felt for a long time now: In the arena of public discourse, people have removed any sense of civility ("And you thought Florida stood alone").
Apparently, Scott Brown was elected by a bunch of stupid Massachusetts people. After voting in a losing cause the past few years, I sought out civil political discussion to hear other opinions. I found none. I have been called a Bushbot, a Nazi, and worse. Name-calling means you have nothing else to say.
People who think like the letter writer should be wary; there are a lot more stupid people out there prepared to vote to take our country back. Name-callers need not apply.
John F. Bielicki
Philadelphia
Christie's good start
at inauguration
"Today, change has arrived." This was the sentence that was strategically placed six times in the inauguration speech of Gov. Christie. He asked State Sen. President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver to come to the podium and join in a handshake of resolve and friendship.
This gesture - asking the leaders of the two branches of state government, who are members of the Democratic Party - was a very appropriate thing to do as a member of the opposition party. Christie obviously realizes that any changes he wishes to accomplish must be voted on favorably by the Democratic-controlled Assembly and Senate.
Christie has demonstrated his desire to work with Sweeney and Oliver to serve the citizens of New Jersey. With their cooperation, Christie can begin his journey for the next four years, and make New Jersey a better place for all of us.
David M. Levin
Vineland