March 18, 2024

Letters 06-20-2015

June 18, 2015

Our simple rules: Keep your letter to 300 words or less, send no more than one per month, include your name/address/phone number, and agree to allow us to edit. That’s it. Email info@northernexpress.com and hit send!

Benishek Hurting Medicare, Workers

I see today, 6-12-15 that Dan Benishek just voted to cut Medicare. Medicare is not a slush fund, and it is not an entitlement. Medicare is insurance that working Americans pay for with every hour that they labor. Yet in his ideological fever, Benishek has voted to cut Medicare in order to pay for Trade Adjustment Assistance [H.R. 1314, Roll Call 361]. It is only the latest of his attempts to cripple Social Security and Medicare. Then, unsatisfied with that, Benishek voted to slip a knife into the back of every American worker by voting to give Obama the Trade Promotion Authority he wants in order to complete his secret deals to give corporations sovereignty over us [H.R. 1314, Roll Call 362].

These two votes are peculiar. The corrupt logic of Benishek seems to be trade creates jobs, so let’s steal money from Medicare to pay for the layoffs it will create. Do you like your Medicare? Your Social Security? I’m certain that Benishek would enjoy hearing from you, as he is bound and determined to sacrifice them in order to support jobkilling trade deals. Benishek’s Washington office is 202-225-4735.

Gerald Wilgus, Frankfort

Celebrate Your Environmentalist

Environmentalists get a bad rap. I’ve heard us called "hippies, libtards, wackos, tree huggers, un-American" and the rest.

The environmentalists I know are caring people. We care about our children, our grandchildren, and future generations. What we care about is not short-term economic gain but the long-term responsible solutions for a world where our most basic needs are met. We care about clean air and water, quality of life and health and safety. We care about all of you. We are parents, grandparents, doctors, lawyers, scientists, students and more. Some environmentalists are forced into the role when they are personally affected.

Without firm environmental action our economy will be compromised. We are not interested in the political aspects nor are we pandering to any industry. So we research, belong to environmental organizations, write letters, protest and sometimes even engage in civil disobedience -- because we care.

Susan Wheadon, Cedar

Reexamine Military Recruiting

Thanks Christine Minervini for a well-researched column on military recruiting in our schools. Indeed, the fact that the No Child Left Behind Act requires public high schools to open their campuses and student records to military recruiters or risk losing federal funds points out how militarized our society has become.

We are impressed with the depth of your concern for what is happening to the physical, mental, and emotional well being of our young soldiers who have been subjected to such a sophisticated military glamorization throughout their high school and even junior high school years. They have been exposed to it repeatedly not only in school cafeterias, but in classrooms as well.

As Ms. Minervini so eloquently states, "The highest rates of all disorders, including alcohol abuse, anxiety syndromes, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder occur among the youngest recruits." If we aren’t seriously concerned with this and don’t see how it is related to military recruiting in the schools, then we feel it is time for a wake up call as a nation.

Isn’t it revealing that the military recruiting opt-out option in a local student handbook is almost hidden while parents are called to get permission for their students to see a film.

Our main concern with this topic is that military recruiters are apparently targeting young folks with few career opportunities (perhaps the poor and otherwise disenfranchised) who can be easily manipulated into making life-altering decisions. The military can do this because they have access to data about the lives of more than 30 million Americans 16-25 years of age, as Ms. Minervini points out. Yes, it’s time to re-examine military recruiting in our schools.

Pete & Sharon Moller, Traverse City

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