Health-care-reform foes act as pawns(Columbus Dispatch, March 19, 2010)I was at the rally at the office of U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, D-Columbus on Tuesday, and as I looked across the driveway, I saw people who probably will be or already are living on Social Security and who will be grateful for Medicare in the near future ("War of words," Dispatch article, Wednesday).
I saw people who certainly weren't acting like Christians. I saw people who, if they had their heads on straight, would never willingly have acted as pawns of insurance conglomerates or of a political machine that is stealthily moving us toward a single-party fascist state. But there they were, a yelling crowd of corporate pawns, criticizing our government right on cue.They were feeling very proud and sure of themselves. So they don't want "government-controlled" insurance? Fine. Our government would probably be very happy to take them all off the dole. Let the elderly like those who drove by and honked in support of the pawn people pay for their own health bills from this very moment on. They might lose their homes, but I'm sure it would mean more to them that their integrity would be intact.
As for the woman who flicked her cigarette at us from her car in disrespect? Well, we all know where that woman is headed. It won't be pretty and it won't be cheap.
Ironically, the pawn people think they are telling their party what to do, when really their party is telling them what to do. That's not a democracy.At this point I suggest our pawn friends use their personal responsibility to think a little deeper about what they are really doing as Americans and Christians and most definitely think about who is really pulling their strings.
Then they might actually help save our democracy rather than helping to destroy it.
BEVERLY BARRICK
Grove City
I was glad to read this comment about how simple-minded conservatives are being duped by the forces of corporate fascism. Sure, an
opposing LTTE was published on the same page, but the point was made. A
third LTTE from a small businessman (whom I happen to know personally) was solidly pro-reform.