June 7 Letters: On how poor budget, circumcision and more

Poor need to control their financial lives

Re “The Insecure American” (Opinions, May 31): Paul Krugman drones on with typical liberal rationale why so many Americans spend an entire lifetime in financial insecurity. I simply tire of the excuses for decades of poor financial literacy, poor spending behavior and lack of saving habits of citizens.

If an individual makes poor choices early in their working life, certainly by the age of 40 or so, they still have 25-30 years to make up for lost time. So, shy of complete disability, we all can do something to actively make our own financial lives better.

Krugman asserts that self-declared conservatives have contempt for the poor. As a conservative, I see many of the poor as being extremely selfish. Many choose destructive behaviors such as using drugs, having children they cannot afford, or simply copping out for their own responsibility. I find it extremely presumptuous to then expect taxpayers to bail them out without offering an equal value to fulfill the societal covenant.

We have a responsibility to provide a temporary hand-up to those in dire straits. But we must also take responsibility for our own lives.

The harm of circumcision

Re “Circumcision is a cause celebre for 4-year-old” (Page 9A, May 27): The article warrants a reply.

This case has pitted estranged parents Heather Hironimus and Dennis Nebus in a legal battle, with their son, Chase, in the middle. The mother does not want her son to be circumcised, while the father does. It is appalling that the judge would coerce the mother, under threat of jail, to sign the consent form.

Moreover, Chase has said he does not want to be cut. His body belongs to him. An elective surgery should never be performed over the objections of the patient.

Circumcision is often blindly accepted; however, it becomes more abhorrent the more one learns about it. The article references Dr. Morten Frisch. Dr. Ronald Goldman has also conducted extensive research. They objectively detail the harm that is done, as well as refuting the refrains of pro-circumcision proponents. As Dr. Adrienne Carmack has said, “Not recognizing that circumcision is harmful is either ignorance or denial.”

Who will be next; Ross Perot?

Hillary Clinton will be our next president only if there is a repeat of the 1992 election. In that election, Bill Clinton won. The one critical event for Bill Clinton and what she needs to win is another H. Ross Perot. He was a Republican who ran against George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

The miserable egotist Perot siphoned off the votes Bush needed to crush Clinton. Given the current Republican crowd running there is a high probability one of the candidates not selected as nominee will launch a Perot-like kamikaze attack. Hillary Clinton will emerge as president.

She is not an effective campaigner. Remember her total collapse when President Barack Obama crushed her two elections ago? Her track record is characterized by deception, slight of hand and no remarkable accomplishments. Bill Clinton put her in charge of revising health care. Her 1993-94 health care legislation was laughed out of Congress. Their foundation is a tangled web of payoffs and abuse.

Her brilliant squelching of Benghazi by erasing the evidence on her home private server has left a huge nothing to investigate. Her election hinges on a Perot clone emerging. I vote for Donald Trump filling that role.

Thanks for help after fall

Last February, while ushering in the Gallo Center for the Arts’ Foster Family Theater, I tumbled down some steps and ended up with a broken shoulder, broken ulna and cracked ribs. So many people came to my aid and took good care of me until the ambulance arrived. I’ve been able to thank the center’s staff and volunteers, but there are two ladies I haven’t thanked.

The first people to reach me after my fall were the woman and her (I assume) daughter whom I had just seated. The woman asked my name and took hold of my hand. She held on, without interfering with the others helping me, and even offered a prayer for me with my permission. I hope that person knows how much her quiet support meant to me.

I’d like to say to her: Thank you! My bones have mended and I’m almost back to full use of my arm. I’m volunteering at the center again. If you see me there, please introduce yourself so I can thank you in person.

This story was originally published June 7, 2015 at 8:04 AM with the headline "June 7 Letters: On how poor budget, circumcision and more."