Similar stories:
•
Old arguments
In their Nov. 30 pro and con commentaries on a single-payer health care system, Amy F. Isaacs touts its virtues, including huge savings on overhead, while Devon Herrick points to the Canadian single-payer system with its long waits for treatment. Mr. Herrick argues health savings accounts are a better option.
We've heard both arguments before. What we haven't heard from Ms. Isaacs' side is just how we could fashion our system differently from the Canadian one so as to avoid the problems faced by Canadians. And what we haven't heard from Mr. Herrick's side is how people who can't afford health insurance could afford to contribute sufficient funds to a health savings account.
Curtis Sisk
•
'Destroy the morale'
It is very disappointing to learn that Rep. Dennis Cardoza is supporting his party's plan to cut funding for our troops in Iraq. Less funds? It makes no sense at all.
Then to top it off, he proceeded to support a deadline to remove our troops! What else can Rep. Cardoza and the Democratic leadership in Congress do to destroy the morale of our troops? Congress must stand together to support our troops.
Chelsi Silva
•
Strong currency Grinchy for Canadian tree growers
PORTLAND, Maine -- The drooping value of the U.S. dollar means Canadian Christmas tree growers are seeing less green this season.
Canadian Christmas tree growers have seen their U.S. sales decline in recent years because of increasing costs and competition from U.S. growers. But it’s their own currency that’s causing them the most grief these days.
Compared to the U.S. greenback, the Canadian dollar is 15 percent higher in value than it was at the beginning of the year.
•
Canadian border crossing can fray nerves for hunters, anglers
Every border crossing is different, as smugglers will tell you. The same is true for hunters crossing into Canada and returning to the United States. Sometimes they're waved through without question. Other times they and everything they own are torn inside out. Or they're denied entry altogether.
Particularly since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, hunters - and to a lesser degree, anglers - possess the same feelings of trepidation some friends and I had the other evening when we left this small North Dakota border town headed for the Manitoba line. Our checklist: We weren't carrying too much liquor. Or any tobacco. Or dope. And we weren't over our 200-rounds-per-hunter ammunition allotment. Also, we had a health certificate for our dog, passports, vehicle registration . . . and guns.
This last, we knew, would earn us a trip into the Canadian Customs office to sign firearms importation certificates and pay fees for the privilege.
•
'The Bible is perfect'
Many letters have been written lately about God's word. The Bible is perfect.
Humans, in our own disbelief and rebellion, seek to dilute and adapt the Bible to our own moral codes. God did not pen his word so we could empower ourselves, feel better about ourselves or superior to others. When we twist God's word to say what we want, we show no respect for God, his word or our fellow man. In doing so, we condemn ourselves, not others.
Jesus does love and forgive. The challenge for us is taking his grace and not turn it into disgrace.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly apologized to Maher Arar, a Canadian Arab computer engineer who was wrongfully detained at the New York airport by U.S. authorities on the basis of a tip from Canadian intelligence. He was sent to Syria as a terrorist suspect, where he was tortured in solitary confinement. The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police resigned for his role in this terrible ordeal.
The Canadian prime minister criticized the United States for not accepting the findings of the exhaustive Canadian investigation in this case for fear of public embarrassment in the U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., complained that it is beneath the dignity of this country to send somebody to another country to be tortured. The attitude of the Bush administration could be summed up as, "We are too big and too powerful to make any mistakes."
This kind of irresponsible behavior by the administration is making us lose our basic American morality and sense of justice, and causing irreparable damage to our credibility abroad. Moral victory is essential to win the hearts and minds of our partners in the war on terror.
Mohinder S. Poonia
Fresno
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@