Reader Comments

Editor: In regard to your “”Food and Drug Warning” article, Vitamin E will work just as well as Warfarin and is much safer. On the warning label for Warfarin it tells a patient not to take Vitamin E while taking the drug. That's because it has the same action! Shirley Bauman [Editor replies: It is well to remember that the editorial’s message was: “Let the buyer beware.”]

Editor: Excellent article by Sarah Berk regarding Mr. Moore and his movie "Sicko." I am curious if you ever heard anything from him regarding money owed. Even a denial? Charles [Editor replies: No.]

Editor: Regarding Sarah Berk’s article, “Sicko Loses Bet,” did you see the interview Michael Moore did with Dr Sanjay Gupta on CNN? The main thing of interest (to me) was Dr Sanjay telling Michael Moore "Just because you say something many times, that does not make it true" Something like that, I am sure that is not the exact quote. Keep up the good work! Charles Symicek.

Editor: Excellent review of the movie “Sicko” by Sarah Berk. My 20-year-old son came home SO excited after seeing "Sicko" and said we should move to Canada! I didn't get a chance to see the movie, so thanks for straightening this out. I hope some American collects the $10,000!!! Patty Smith, Bowling Green, KY

Editor: Sarah Berk’s article “Sicko Loses Bet”, says: “Canadians, however, have such long backlogs for care in so many places that the Canadian government benefit program can't afford to let people simply leave Canada to access care elsewhere.” So would they travel to the US to receive better health care? Maybe. Not to be a wacko, but the Canadian government would have to pay much higher costs if they covered bills in the country where I'd imagine most Canadians vacation, outside of Canada. The U.S. Our doctors and health practitioners are paid much better here, partially the reason for yielding our better results. J. Tyler, Philadelphia

Editor: Thank you, thank you Sarah Berk for outlining the rudiments of European Health Care. You covered the COSTS in your summary. What about QUALITY and AVAILABILITY? Judging from the Cato Inst. figures on QUALITY of care in European countries and Canada on cancer alone, it is obvious that the care given to Europeans is not comparable even with that given to Canadians - let alone Americans ! As an example, in the UK, breast cancer victims diagnosed as "treatable", wait so long for treatment that by the time they receive it, about 20% are incurable. In France and Germany, nearly 50% of the men afflicted with prostate cancer will die of it, in America - 20%., in Canada - 25%. Colon cancer: in France 58% of victims die from it, in Germany 57%, in the UK - a shocking 74%, in America - 30%, Canada - again, the lower figure of 36% . (partially accounted for by the availability of treatment in the USA). It is doubly shocking therefore that the American Cancer Society is urging a government takeover of the U.S. health-care system, thereby condemning us to waiting lists and European-style mortality rates. Cordially, Geraldine Nelson (source for above figures - NY post 9/10/07, pg. 37)

Editor: Having read Sarah Berk’s article, “Sicko Loses Bet”, I find myself better informed and am satisfied to let those who have contact with the facts make the judgments since I do not watch Mr. Moore's duplicitous works. Now that H. R. Clinton is back on the health care attack again it is all very scary. Ellen

Editor: Why is Sarah Berk giving Michael Moore the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Moore's penchant for lying? Every one of Moore's so called documentaries is geared at one thing and one thing only: disinformation. This is done with the clear and obvious objective of swaying the opinion of the uneducated and the uninformed. Moore is not the uninformed, he preys on the uninformed. And, furthermore, he does so to fulfill his own political agenda. Thank you. Rafael Hernandez

Editor: Good point about the Potter "plots” of good - evil dichotomy and Harry's heroic struggle in Spencer Warren’s review. However I feel you stop short of making the point. “White and black magic" still come from the same source and that is the devil, it is not of God. Anything that comes for Satan is not good...period. Many Blessings, Gloria P. Kindon

Editor: Regarding Spencer Warren’s “Harry Potter—Morality or Decline,” Personally, I think we have taken everything regarding movies, books, etc-a bit too far in our trying to 'reason it out', explain it, or find some purpose 'behind' the story. Give it a rest! The majority of children see these things (Harry Potter) much as we saw The Wizard of Oz. It's a wonderful story with amazing characters; it's tremendous fun and adventure; but in the end-that's all we ever saw!!! I do not recall having sat down with my friends or classmates and debating exactly 'what' The Wizard of Oz was all about! We didn't care! All we cared about was that it was a good movie and we loved it! Now see-if you really wanted to, you could pick it apart as well. There was the good witch and the bad witch; a wizard; Dorothy, Toto, Auntie Em, and the others-well, you can see where this is going. Good against evil-yet again. Good against evil--let's see. apparently, no one is for it in any context (books, movies, cartoons) unless it has a religious overtone???? WHY??? YES, I am a very spiritual person. No, I do not claim affiliation with any particular sect; I simply believe in God, Jesus, heaven. .well, you get the picture. My daughter is 12 years old now and is a bit above average student, but do you think she ever stops to analyze Harry Potter books or movies? No way!!! She has watched the movies and read the books since they first hit and not once has she ever mentioned anything Satanic or Christian or otherwise relating to religion. All she sees is that these are wonderful interesting characters who have grown up-as she is doing-and that they depend on each other and trust each other and they all fight for good. She knows their magic isn't real and mentions that from time to time as she laughs and comments: "I wish we really could do that! It would be cool." But she knows we can't--it isn't real. Did I forget to mention how much she loves all the creatures? She's an animal lover as well. And once again, she knows they are not real; though she wishes they were. (Heaven help me if they were!!! The house would be overrun!!! My point is: we weren't all stupid forty years ago so, WHY is it that now-in the 2000's do we have to analyze every little thing to death??? Why do we have to bring religion into everything??? Why do we blame television and movies and games for all the crime that is committed everyday??? (There again.I grew up with westerns and detective shows. Did I go out and shoot people? NO!!! None of us did.) think it all boils down to boredom. Analysts, psychiatrists, psychologists, etc need something to occupy their time and keep us stressed. It's working. As for religion? I think they worry too much and sometimes-meddle too much. Well, that's my two cents worth. Thanks for letting me spend it! Jane Wheeler

Editor: The occult sign on his head was enough for me. I have 22 grandkids and they all know what I think of Harry Potter. A concerned Grama,

Editor: In our 60"s, my husband and I have read and own every "Harry Potter" book, and my husband has been known to buy tapes for his truck. As Catholics we haven't invested in soul loss, by reading to each other at nights. Lets see, our choices are reading or watching the TV of religious beliefs that were offered each night. We just do not see the fear of evil, and Satanism that many of our Christian/Catholic friends adhere to, although they have NOT READ THE book/s. We see evil and Satanism just by turning on the TV. Commercials have hidden messages too. Let's see, no bad words, no sensual butts, breasts, and disgusting lifestyles such as "Entertainment Tonite" tells us are so cool, are in Harry Potter. Parents are interesting, conservative battlers. Even the muggles. There is never a reference to anyone being a God in Harry Potter, and Voldermort (he who is not to be named, is anything that takes us away from being GOOD, JUST, MORAL, KIND that wants to reduce us down to being BAD, and without a fight to be controlled by FEAR and allow others the power to reduce us to subserviancy under ONE POWER). The three characters are really good friends, using their education to help one another go through 4 years of school. And lets see, no condoms and class on Sex education has been part of Hogswarts. Oh yes, they drink "butter beer" sounds pretty good to me! One thing is the sorting hat that sends you to "Slytherine", instead of Hufflepuffs etc... Gee that could be a teacher that influences youth by sending them to a university that twists young minds, couldn't It? There are many Hogwarts schools with liberal teachers ready to teach our kids that America and Americans are powerless, we should FEAR. there is no God but government and that healthy minds must be changed so that everyone is the "same". I really think the author is pointing out defects in our schools, COUNTRIES, without really pointing a finger, but she uses another vehicle to do it by getting us to think, while being entertained. Spencer Warren’s article was well written. Thanks. Joann Hayman

Editor: I could not agree more with Scott Rasmussen’s “What Matters For the GOP” that the general public is not interested in the presidential races until the top 2 or 3 are finally sorted out. The "so-called" debates with 8 or 9 candidates does nothing but gum up the works. The 24-hour TV news also gets credit for dumbing down the race due to their less fair or honest coverage of the candidates. What the media tries to instill into the race are issues and talking points they are interested in and not what the general public feels are important. Of course, with today's ill-informed electorate that is pretty easy to do. Last, and really important is just the constant barrage of politics. Many of us think the early coverage is just that "to early" and inconsequential. We just finished the mid-term elections and the 2008 presidential campaign started the very next day. Most of us need a little breathing room before the next election surge is upon us. J. Bilodeau, Denver, CO

Editor: Scott Rasmussen, I will tell you that as a conservative and a Republican voter I feel I have been betrayed by the party and the President. On illegal immigration, spending, my constitutional rights, the failure of FEMA at Katrina, Passport delays, the creation of TSA, bla, bla, bla. I am finding myself in with Democrats and even some radicals. If the Party is counting on my vote because I have nowhere else to go, they are badly misinformed. I am talking to many other conservatives, over 55, and we all vote for someone. They feel like I do. 2008 will be a disaster for Republicans that even they cannot imagine. Bill Riley, Moses Lake, WA