Stem-cell foes; health care costs

Today, a vast majority of those "nasty freedom-loving rights-supporting progressive populists" here in the Divided States of the two Americas and I feel that it is time for the venomous, vitriolic, vociferous vermin making up the immoral minority in our midst to stuff a sock in it, put a lid on it, snakily slither backwards under the Stone Age rock from which they crawled at the dawn of ancient time and leave the rest of us to live as we see fit without any further interference.

Recently reported was a possible breakthrough made by three teams of researchers - two from the prestigious Harvard University - concerning an alternative to the use of stem cells to releive pain and suffering and to save lives. The method involves using cells from skin. It must be emphasized strongly and clearly that this research seems to work as intended on mice - further testing will show whether it will also work on humans.

Some people who are/were against stem cell research never had someone close to them suffering and perhaps terminally ill. From their ivory towers they could therefore look down with disdain and impunity on the rest of us enlightened mere mortals. Others were looking for and were willing to support an alternative to the use for the common good of stem cells.

I sincerely hope that if the skin cell alternative does prove to work out properly, the anti-rights, anti-choice, anti-freedom minority in our midst will cease and desist and ride off into the sunset. Why should "life" only be good and precious as defined by a small-minded, inflexible and intractable minority who don't have all the answers nor do they even come close? Even one or more of them may be saved someday by their own follies by the caring, sharing true progressive populists among them.

David Daugman Attleboro

Health care could be better at lower cost

To the editor:

The World Health Organization ranks U.S. health care number 37. This ranking could be greatly improved by our doctors serving more patients. To do this, their offices would need to stay open longer during the day. This includes medical specialists.

What good is it if you have one of the best doctors there is, if you can't be scheduled to see him/her in weeks or months? Being told to go to the emergency room if your condition needs care right away. Wait time is usually long unless you are judged to be sick enough for immediate care.

Did you know that the Veterans Administration Health Care system now has a top rating above even the most outstanding hospitals in the nation? The cost, on average, for a VA patient is more than $500 less expensive than the average cost per person in the U.S. population. Did you know that the VA treats their patients with health care personnel that work for the government? Socialized medicine. We can't have that. Should we? It's not just about money. Is it?

Arthur Kenyon Attleboro