Tea Party hate

After reading news reports of the Tea Party rally in Washington this past weekend, I am more than ever disturbed. Those accounts say it took on the tone and temperament of the anti-civil rights movement of the 1960s. The behavior was despicable and inflammatory. It looked like mob mentality.

Anti-health reform protesters subjected minority members of Congress to racial and sexual slurs. Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver was spat on, Rep. Barney Frank was called a “faggot” and Rep. John Lewis, a hero of the civil rights movement, was called the “n” word at least 15 times — a very sad thing considering how many times he has had that word hurled at him. Rep. Cleaver declined to press charges, allowing the Capitol Police to handle the situation.

Rep. Louise Slaughter had a brick thrown through the window of her office in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

I’ve heard many people say that this kind of behavior is not racially motivated, but it seems more and more to be just that. The political signs shown there were equally disturbing. One sign said “if (Scott) Brown can’t stop it, a Browning can.” It had a picture of the gun. Then, of course, others showed Obama as a socialist or a Marxist.

Meanwhile, I’ve yet to hear a representative of the Republican Party denounce these demonstrations. You would think they might.

It seems increasingly harder to view this behavior as not being racist. Many people just cannot accept a black man as president.

Jackie Lott

Waco

Public option support

To Robinson Media chairman Clifton Robinson’s well-intentioned but misguided prayer for my forgiveness in his March 23 column [“Wrecking the insurance biz”] I say: “Thanks, but not necessary.” I support not only the recently passed health care reform bill but also a public option for health insurance. And as a Christian theologian who teaches ethics, I’m as certain that I’m not in need of divine forgiveness at this time.

Only through a public option will everyone have equal access to health care.  Why do we think free and compulsory education is an entitlement for all, including the poor, but access to life-saving health care is not?  What other health care reform opponents should say is that a public option is a goal of health care reform so that everyone gets covered.

I’d like to read a convincing explanation from conservative health care opponents on just how they would ensure that the 40 million Americans currently without health insurance get it.  Throughout all this hysteria about “socialized medicine” I have not read one viable plan by conservatives for extending health care to everyone, including the poor.

Mr. Robinson worries about “rationed health services.” He need not, because we already have that. It’s rationed to those who can afford it. I’m willing to suffer having to wait for non life-saving medical services if that is the cost of knowing all my students are covered by insurance

Roger Olson

Waco

Enjoying new Trib

We love and enjoy our paper so much. Thanks, Trib, for all you do for Waco.

It’s so much better than before.

Brenda Ker

Waco