We voted for change

To the editor:

Politics as usual! Is the cry that goes out when our leaders don’t get things done or if they make the wrong decisions?  Our government is a partnership. We elect the leaders that we believe will move our nation forward. When they take office, they begin making the laws we want.

The problem is we change our mind too soon, often because we are used by others to fear and we push forward the wrong plan, or do nothing at all. Obama took office about nine months ago. When we elected him, the majority wanted health care. Now we don’t. Good things take a good plan and drive to get things done. While we push back fear and not allow it to blind us. We use good judgment when we see potential problems and make adjustments.  In a car you can’t drive forward at 60 mph and shift in reverse without destroying your car.  That is about what we are doing to our nation.

I stood and watched the majority get behind Bush to back a war — all based on false information. Then we hated Bush because “WE” made a mistake. We were misled, but whose fault is that?

PEOPLE, WE WANTED AND VOTED FOR CHANGE! Where is your courage to stick with an idea for longer than three months? I know that we are afraid, but don’t you trust what you believed just last November?

Let’s look at what we are doing. What if you got tired of working for nothing and made a decision to go to college? You take off with a run, knowing that college is expensive, but you go forward. Then fear seeps in. You must manage your money wisely, you must be there and do the work required, and you can’t change your mind in the middle of the first semester. If you work hard, manage your time and money well, it pays off. You have confidence now that you can do whatever you need to succeed.

We have heard Rush Limbaugh say he wants Obama to fail. Who are you listening to now? Are you afraid again and allowing the fear to let you be lead like sheep or even worse, are you acting like a battering ram ?  I have watched the town meetings and I want to cry. Let’s push fear back and stand for the change we voted for, then do some praying and listening and see what happens.

One thing I’m sure about, we cannot continue on the path we are on right now. If we want our government to be better, then we must be wiser and stick to a plan. Let’s stop the town hall meetings like the ones we are having now. Let our leader’s know we want a wiser and more active role. I’m sure you don’t want angry mobs with guns to rule our nation.

Let’s trust once more and pass health care. Then for our next big decision, let’s have a wise group at town hall meetings to think and discuss each plan and with one small voice, we say what we want. The voices across the nation would be a mighty roar; it would be much wiser and could be a better educated sound. Let’s quit being Democrats and Republicans and just be Americans: better yet – Let’s just be humans.

Wilma Lee Steele

Meador, W.Va.

Health care for all citizens of the USA

To the editor:

This is a letter to senators and members of the house.

Thanks for your effort to bring good legislation for all American citizens of the USA. It’s a worthy cause and seems to be one of the best things for you to do, bring this issue to fruition as one of the necessary issues of public welfare, as a humanitarian, a U.S. senator and a member of congress.

I am a 76-year-old U.S. Army overseas veteran and believe in a strong defense to counter real threats against our country, so what I am suggesting is not a sign of disloyalty but one of thoughtful patriotism. We need to take our former President Eisenhower's warning about the growth and influence of our ever-growing military-industrial complex. This, its growth and influence, has extended its boundaries into almost every piece of social legislation by restricting its size and purpose by siphoning off needs tax dollars to fund its never ending bureaucratic practices of eager exponents of warfare and the armament industries, selling the world's largest supply of war materials to other countries. We cry out loud,

“We can't have health insurance that increases our national debt. It is a must to pay for it as we go,” while we spend $4,000,000,000 (billion) a day in Afghanistan, and almost as much in Iraq. Adding the cost of have an armed garrison in 150 places outside of the USA and many more covert operations on foreign soil, and include our other cost for military related activities including care for our veterans and after war cost for destruction and removal of arms creates a massive expenditure and much of an “overkill” of large proportions. As candidate Obama said, “Yes!, we can,” and getting affordable health insurance to every man, women and child in the USA is a humanitarian cause, and to not do it seems like a sin to me. To continue to cower to the health care lobbyist and their influential money is the act of someone wanting lobbyist's money and favor of uninformed constituents. I ask you to do the right thing for the 50,000,000, or so people without insurance and the many other uninsured without dental and optical care. Do not be afraid of not being re-elected. To be true to one's self is the most important things in the psyche of a person. Remember, a coward dies a thousand deaths but a brave and honorable person only dies once. If you a praying person, I ask you to ask your God what he would have you do; “You did it for the least of these, you did it for me.”

If you have not read, “The Five Biggest Lies in the Health Care Debate” in the September 7, 2009 issue of Newsweek, please do so. It will help you counter many false statements made by the health care industries to the gullible folks in North Carolina, (Kentucky, West Virginia) and all other states.

You are a United States senator to service all citizens of this country and that includes all of the poor that seldom are ever heard. I hope you are willing to rise above the herd mentality of many politicians looking for cover. You will be remembered for a long time if you are one of our senators or congressmen passing a national health plan including the public option. It meets the three criteria stated for a viable plan. Sincerely,

God's speed,

Eddie and Faye Varney

Monroe, N.C.

formerly of Huddy, Ky,.