A Response To J.D. Prose Beaver County Times

Debate On Healthcare

There is a difference between being an informed political pundit and an ideologically blind propagandist J.D. Prose's (Beaver County Times Editorial 8/9/09) shrill and condescending diatribe against those not supporting government sponsored healthcare was only slightly less offensive than his arrogant check-your-brains—I-know-it-all(ism). Counterpoints to J.D. Prose:

• There are 37 million Americans and 10 million illegal aliens who ostensibly lack health care. Free (Public Option) Healthcare invites millions more…
  
• There're millions of young, healthy, mostly single, amply employed adults who intentionally opt out of healthcare, they could otherwise afford.
  
• The World Heath Organization's antiquated study (2000) is often considered faulty because it failed to compare apples to apples and is ideologically driven (leftist) – their research template is no longer used.
  
• (Big) Government can't be trusted with social programs. Tricare aside, consider the scary, teetering status of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
  
• Prose astutely avoids how to pay for Government Healthcare – in July, Government borrowed $6 Billion dollars a day for maintenance; and Federal Government income is down 18% so far this year!
  
• There is no Obama mandate
  visa viz. the Presidential election - people liked what Obama said during the election, but not the reality of what he meant by it, as President now.
  

  
  

Rich Grassel –

Ambridge Pa

Media Fairness In The Beaver County Times

Another Response to JD Prose's Response On 9/16/09

 

I couldn't help but notice this past week that the Times published only ONE Letter to the Editor in response to JD Prose's RANT in favor of government sponsored Healthcare (8/9/09). Then Mr. Prose reserved the right, as an Editor on your staff, to selectively cut and paste fringy, nonpublished Letters-to-the-Editor, in favorable fashion for his follow-up Editorial (8/16/09). Clearly, he intended to insinuate all those who disagree with him were INCAPABLE of offering thoughtful, intelligent well defined arguments against his position on Healthcare. This is clearly not the case and it is reprehensible that the Times would PROPAGANDIZE the Healthcare issue in this way.

    Considering Mr. Prose is a member of your Editorial Staff, I can't help but wonder, how he might influence, not only what important News Stories might make it into your paper, but also those stories which might not… …Maybe, just maybe, ONLY those stories that don't agree with his particular WORLDVIEW…?

    A PUNDIT offers his (usually informed) perception of a certain kind of reality… …A PROPAGANDIST however seeks to CONTORT that reality over into his preconceived worldview image… To be intellectually honest, perhaps you should reconsider renaming your paper "PRAVDA?"

 

Rich Grassel

Ambridge Pa, 15003