I well remember a Chicago pediatrician making house calls in the early 1940’s to treat me for mastoiditis with a rare drug reserved tor our troops in WWII. He had a wax container of this new drug named Penicillin. He melted it in a pan on our stove, and after it melted drew up the penicillin for injecting me. (Primitive, but effective.) It was only a few thousand units and hurt terribly. I loudly objected, as only a child can do, and told him when I grew up I was going to do that to him. I did fulfill part of that ’threat’ and become a medical professional.
This is the season to give thanks to those many truly inspiring medical professionals who work the holidays and keep our hospitals going 24/7. — SUSAN OSWEILER SCHALLER, OAKWOOD
Ebola concerns vs. the Constitution
Re “Judge was right in Ebola quarantine case,” Dec. 16: Constitutional rights or victims’ rights? The nurse in Maine had the right to possibly infect many people with Ebola. If she was allowed to walk around with a ticking bomb, that may or may not go off, would the writer still applaud the decision to ignore the rights of (possible) victims?
Would the article have been different if the nurse did have Ebola and caused the death of numerous parents, children and infants? The Constitution is great, but we must avoid interpreting it at the cost of unleashing criminals, viruses and other obvious threats onto the innocent and law-abiding citizens.
Freedom at all costs is not a realistic goal. — MICHAEL MACINERNEY, BEAVERCREEK
Speak up
A recent Speak-upper deplored President Obama's "whopper" when he said he would cut government spending. The commenter must not realize that our deficits have been cut in half since he took office, while the stock market has soared to record highs. The same Obama hater said Obamacare could have been easier done by expanding Medicare. Wow! Medicare is a government program while Obamacare is a competitive medical insurance industry program. Can you imagine the Republican outrage if he had tried to do it through Medicare?
Here we go again. I have lived in this area for over 30 years, and the Arcade has been closed over 20 of those years. During that time, there have been multiple buyers, multiple tax breaks and multiple "studies," all costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now Nan Whaley wants to do it again? Why? I am glad I am no longer living or working in Dayton or Montgomery County.
Neither the protests, President Obama, Eric Holder or the mayor of New York is to blame for the assassinations of two New York police officers. However, their rhetoric may have helped inspire a mentally unsound person to do what he did.
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