YOUR VIEWS
Health care
Regarding Cal Thomas’ column about the declining number of doctors due to undue interference between doctors and patients (Commentary, Aug. 24): I am unusually healthy for a 74-year-old male and have not had a serious need for medical care for over 30 years. I researched my family medical history to discover I was not alone, with no instance recorded of cancer or serious heart problems in 200 years and most of my ancestors living active, healthy lives into their late 70s and more than 100.
Given my lucky genetic background, I contacted geriatric and longevity studies groups offering to participate in genetic engineering studies. My offer was rejected by all I contacted, with one group’s director telling me, “We don’t study healthy people.” I did some background research, only to realize nearly all these groups are supported by the pharmaceutical industry. Improving the health of many people would reduce their need for drugs, which means less money for a very lucrative industry.
It isn’t just government and insurance companies that get in the way of our health care.
Charles P. (Pat) Kelley, Oklahoma City
Unequal treatment
In response to Scott McLaughlin (Your Views, Aug. 24): If the media, and others, had only been half as determined to bring down the Clintons and Obama by exposing their numerous lies, scandals and misdeeds to the fullest, what would we know today that we will likely never know?
Scott Wilson, Choctaw
Not much of a win
Regarding “Judge’s decision a win for courts” (Our Views, Aug. 23): Judge Curtis Delapp may have done himself a favor by resigning as district judge for Washington and Nowata counties, but he sure didn’t do the people of Oklahoma any favors. To wit: He was accused of “gross neglect of duty, oppression in office, abuse of position, falsifying court documents, campaign violations and having a temperament unfit for office.” In reading about some of the stuff he did to people who came before him, it’s more than likely he could also be accused of being a total jerk.
So, this jerk retires at 51 and the citizens of Oklahoma (many, many of whom, I assure you, earn much less than a district judge) pay him not to work for the next, say, 30 to 40 years. That doesn’t sound at all like a win for us; he should have been thrown out.
Wendell Riseley, Weatherford
DOJ and FBI reputations destroyed
I agree with Donald Newsom (Your Views, Aug. 26). I also spent 25 years as a commissioned U.S. Treasury agent, my last four years working in Washington, D.C., across the street from the FBI building. We were expected to follow the law, have the highest integrity and be above reproach. You showed respect to the people and companies you investigated and gave them the honor they deserved. When I served, it was an unwritten rule that all major heads of agencies submitted their resignation when there was a change of presidents. If the new president wanted to replace those individuals, he accepted the resignation; if not, they were reappointed. During my tour of duty, 28 agents were fired, and some given prison terms, for improper and illegal actions in their conduct.
I agree with Newsom that when President Trump was elected, he should have immediately removed all the President Obama/Eric Holder appointees in the DOJ and FBI. Most FBI agents I know were honest and had integrity. Those in Washington and the prior administration have destroyed the DOJ and FBI national office. It will take 10 years of hard work to recover.
Bill Horn, Edmond
An example of what’s wrong
The Oklahoman’s Aug. 27 editorial cartoon represents what is wrong with political dialogue in our country. As a newspaper for our community, you should be printing articles and cartoons that are fair and balanced. This cartoon was so one-sided and leaning to the right that it only incited more negative political discourse. The remedy would be not to print anything like this, but since you have to, do you plan to print one just like it with Donald Trump as Pinocchio? Who knows how long his nose would be by now?
Mark Pace, Edmond