Smoking is offensive
Smoking is offensive. As a legal or military adjective, offensive would mean an aggressive movement or attitude, and it would be characterized by an invasion or attack. Loud music at 3 a.m. inside a large apartment building is offensive. Physical or verbal assault is offensive. Smoking is synonymous. Smoking is offensive.
I heard a puerile argument on the radio criticizing Northwestern Michigan College's decision to ban smoking today. It was wrapped in a flag, gussied up as an "attack on freedom" and framed as a moral affront to capitalism.
Evidently, only the offensive has rights, and the only litmus for morality is: "It is good because I want to do it." So, morality is actually "whatever I want to do capitalism?"
There are differences between what is good for society, and what is good for capitalism. It is good for society to have clean air and water. It is good for capitalism to pollute without penalty. Democracy is not synonymous with capitalism; these words are not interchangeable.
I do hope that NMC's students will spend less time smoking and more time contemplating these differences. We need much better thinking in our future than what I heard on the radio today.
Tim Wiley
Traverse City
Gun safely recovered
In our store, we do everything possible to make sure the selling and buying of guns is done according to the laws. These laws were put in place to protect our neighborhoods, our children and our right to bear arms.
But when a handgun was stolen from its case just a few weeks ago, it was all put in jeopardy. I'm writing this letter now, with great appreciation and, thankfully, the ability to exhale due to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department's investigation. Their commitment to the safety of northern Michigan led to a speedy recovery of the stolen handgun and one less unregistered firearm on our streets.
I could not be more grateful for all the time and effort that was put forth in this case and I will sleep well at night knowing that we have good people out there protecting us. Thank you again to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department and all the deputies and detectives that helped to solve this crime.
Dan Griffith
Traverse City
Ace Buyers
A question
In the Sept. 24, 2009, Record-Eagle, one article says the state budget is reneging on the Promise Scholarships to college students.
Another article says that the part-time Grand Traverse County Commissioners have voted to keep their taxpayer-paid health insurance in a county in which 20 percent of the people do not have any health insurance.
What would Jesus do?
Lee Hornberger
Traverse City
It's a Christian duty
In 1952, as a Navy Corpsman's bride, I met Sen. Joseph McCarthy (a patient at the Bethesda Naval Hospital). His private room was impressive, as was his "silver" flask from which he offered me a drink. I wondered then why he (and we, with the services), could have health care via the government but, for the general public, it was "communistic/socialistic."
Today, my Medicare should be for all U.S. citizens.
I once heard a British pathologist say that he saw, from post-operative biopsies, unnecessary operations decrease after England's national health care started. Later, I sat next to an English minister who said providing health care was "a Christian duty."
Despite past private group coverage, I've always supported universal health care. The question that first arose 57 years ago is still with me; why is government-sponsored care some kind of conspiracy against its citizenry? To me, the "red herring" of "socialism" is waved to distract from the excess profit and high administrative costs of private plans (25 to 30 percent vs. the 2 to 3 percent for Social Security and Medicare).
Lois F. Golightly
Traverse City
Check not in the mail
We feel very bad for the Cherry Blossom workers who were treated so outrageously by Chris Hubbell, but we are not surprised. He started his shenanigans well before he "quit caring" this spring.
Other than a minimal down payment, we have not been paid for the cherries we sold to Chris in 2007. Whenever we called, he'd tell us "the check is in the mail" and "didn't you get that yet?" before he quit taking our calls entirely.
Other growers were paid for their 2007 crops. Some have even been paid for their 2008 cherries. We're still waiting.
Somewhere in the world is a bunch of cherries that belong to us. I don't know if they are still in the Williamsburg brining pits, or in somebody's ice cream or pie. I do know they were not paid for.
But what really hurts is that he lied to us. If Chris had been honest with us in 2007 instead of giving us the run-around, we would have patiently accepted a delay in payment. We had taken our cherries to him for many years, and thought we had a relationship built on trust and friendship. Guess not.
Fred and Lucy Couturier
Traverse City
Forum was surprising
The forum printed recently from Katherine Humphrey, president of Planned Parenthood, regarding reduction in funding for their services was surprising.
According to their own statistics as an example, going back to 2004, Michigan's six Planned Parenthood affiliates reported a total of $1,217,790 in profit, accounting for 6.3 percent of their total $19,253,584 in revenues.
Planned Parenthood operates as a "nonprofit" organization, but consistently takes in more revenues than it spends. Nationally, Planned Parenthood Federation of America's 2007-2008 Annual Report showed a profit (income in excess of expenditures) at $85 million.
For years pro-life citizen-taxpayers have been frustrated by the fact that millions of government dollars in the name of family planning services go to abortion-promoting organizations like Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood makes no apologies for its position that abortion should be considered part of comprehensive family planning services. Organizations that believe the opposite manage to support themselves without tax money. Maybe it's time for Planned Parenthood to do the same.
Betty Kunkel
Traverse City
The writer is administrative assistant for Grand Traverse Area Right To Life.
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