Winston-Salem Journal LTE's WE 10/12/11

Absolute values

In regard to the Oct. 3 letter "Speak out" in which the writer advocates that "absolute Christian values" be spread throughout the land and suggests that they are the only absolute values, I would like to speak out and disagree.

Jesus was a wonderful teacher, but there were and are other good teachers. I base my family relationships on the teachings of Confucius. You could call them "heathen absolute values." My dealings with those less fortunate are based on the teachings of Marcus Aurelius, which are expressed by the phrase "noblesse oblige," which is the motto of every high-school National Honor Society in the country. You could call those "pagan absolute values."

I even have "cowboy absolute values." When Joe wants to take his guns to town and kill the evildoers, his wife, Miriam, argues that violence is no answer. She asks Shane to help her out, and Shane replies, "I can't tell Joe what's right."

A famous Methodist pastor put it better: "You can't know God by listening to a preacher."

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ERNEST RANCOURT
Winston-Salem
Health-care problems

I would like to address the Obama health-care issue as it relates to someone like me and the majority of Americans. When one gets to an age where health problems develop and insurance is no longer provided by employers and you paying the premium, and you are too young for Medicare, what are you supposed to do? Even if I had money saved, one heart attack or bout with cancer would wipe it out.

Also, if you have one of these terrible problems, there is no insurance company that will insure you unless you want to pay thousands a month.

As for me, I have insurance through my wife's job, but if she were to be laid off, I would be without insurance because of my condition (heart and diabetic), and my life would be shortened. I am writing this in hopes of making people think and consider that this can happen to them and not to pay attention to all these naysayers and sound-bites.

If there is anyone who thinks I am wrong or any insurance company would like to insure me, please acknowledge through this letters column. Again, no right-wing sound-bites or propaganda.

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RICHARD SMITH
Mocksville
Missed the mark

I don't know quite what to make of the Occupy Wall Street movement. It's exciting, but what do they expect to gain? Do they expect Wall Street to surrender?

I do know, though, that presidential candidate Herman Cain, when commenting on the movement, missed the mark. According to news reports, he said, "Don't be jealous, don't be envious," as if the protestors were demanding Learjets and diamond rings. I suspect most of them would be happy to be paid a decent wage for a decent day's work — to be able to pay their utility bills and medical bills and have a little financial security — if only such a thing existed. It doesn't anymore for about 14 million Americans.

And when Cain lectures them about "taking from those who have succeeded and giving it to those who want to protest," concluding, "that's not the way America was built," he forgets that much of America was built on the backs of slaves and low-wage workers who picked up the crumbs that their "betters" dropped.
All this "jealous of the rich" nonsense is a smokescreen to deny decent working people their wages. Do we want a president who feels that way about working Americans? I don't.

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SAMUEL CARROLL
Winston-Salem
No entitlement right
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan is asserting that the bank has a "right to make a profit" as justification for its very unpopular new $5 debit card fee. I disagree. While corporations exist to try to make a profit, some succeed and some fail. There is no government-entitlement right to make a profit. And this is especially true in the case of Bank of America.
Bank of America exists only because the taxpayers bailed it out. Now it thinks it is entitled to corporate welfare forever.
This is the United States of America, not the United States of Corporate America. In spite of what the corporate puppets on the Supreme Court say, we are a nation of The People, and the government exists to serve The People, not the corporations.

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WILLIAM B. PERRY
Winston-Salem