LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Cuccinelli’s Record On DUIs Is Appalling
Cuccinelli's Record On DUIs Is Appalling
Editor, Times-Dispatch: In the recent editorial, "Attorney General's Race: Down Ticket," you called Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican candidate for attorney general, "perspicacious" in his call for a special legislative session on DUI prosecutions last year.
What you neglected to include was Cuccinelli's appalling legislative record on drunk driving.
In 2004, when Virginia's legislature focused on toughening DUI laws, Cuccinelli spoke out against stricter penalties for drunk drivers, calling the new public safety laws a "political avalanche." Cuccinelli stood against members of both parties when he opposed a bill that that would take cars away from those convicted of felony DUI and another holding drivers with blood alcohol levels above .15 percent liable for injury and death that they cause.
Cuccinelli's most stunning moment in that session, though, might have been when he suggested during a committee meeting -- with a straight face -- that multiple DUI offenders might not remember their previous drunk driving arrests.
That is why the Democratic candidate for attorney general, Steve Shannon, referred to Cuccinelli's call for a special legislative session to discuss the effects of the Supreme Court's decision in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts a political stunt.
Yes, Cuccinelli was the first to issue a press release calling for a discussion of DUI prosecutions. But that move could not cover up his exceptionally weak record on the issues he wanted to discuss. Mike Hardy, Campaign Manager, Steven Shannon for Attorney General.
Fairfax.
Look a Little Further Than U.K. and Canada
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Most politicians and the public at large are comparing our health care system with those of Canada and the UK -- where government plays a major role. We should compare with other countries as well -- particularly India.
In India they have government-run health care as well as private doctors, clinics, and hospitals. Most government facilities are free whereas private operators have different prices based on their creditability in the health care system. The system works very well as those who cannot afford medical expenses go to government establishments and are served on a first-come first-served basis.
Private operators cater to those who either have medical insurance or can afford out of pocket payments. Some of these facilities require prior appointments, which are not too long, and some don't even require an appointment.
Many patients from Western countries, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, go to India for treatment, where they get five-star hotel-style medical facilities at one-tenth the cost in their own country. This is made possible mostly by an integrated network of health care facilities in all villages, towns, and cities, as well as low malpractice rates and related claims and insurance.
Jay Mittal.
Glen Allen.
'Handful of Cells' Has a Heartbeat
Editor, Times-Dispatch: D. Scott McRae, "Extreme Christians Pushed Him Away," denies the rights of "a handful of cells," as he labels the human embryo-fetus. He needs to know that this "handful of cells" has a heartbeat shortly after three weeks of life almost before a woman can know she is pregnant. The fetus has EEG brain waves by six weeks -- about the time of an early abortion.
Dr. Bernard Nathanson, the world's chief abortionist in the early 1970s and the co-founder of NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws -- now the National Abortion Rights Action League) turned against abortion when ultrasound was introduced and he saw a three month fetus sucking its thumb.
Read his book Aborting America if you want to know about "back-alley abortions" and how NARAL distorted those figures using pre-antibiotic statistics, etc. Nathanson started this book proclaiming he is a Jewish atheist and ended the book still doing selective abortions but wondering if he's destroying innocent humans. In his next two books, Abortion Papers and The Hand of God, he becomes an extremist Christian.
It seems that McRae may also be a sincere Christian -- just misinformed. Patrick A. Reardon, M.D. Lanexa.
Reader Reactions
Re: “Handful of Cells” Has a Heartbeat
As a pro-lifer myself, I support the dissemination of facts such as those in this letter, e.g., that an embryo of three weeks has a heartbeat.
Other information, such as the fact that a three-month fetus can suck its thumb, should be left out of the pro-life argument. For one thing, the heartbeat and the thumb-sucking may also be true of unborn non-human primates and other animals. But more importantly, sentimental comments do not make a case for the right to life of unborn human beings. And emotional talk of “killing innocent unborn babies,“ which I hear and read elsewhere, does not advance the pro-life position.
The pro-life movement can best be helped by the scientific fact that, from the moment of conception, a fertilized ovum has its own DNA structure, thereby making it a separate human being.
Pro-lifers should also consider the fact that thousands of Iraqi children—just as innocent as unborn babies—have been killed since the U.S. occupation in Iraq. Those who are concerned only about the unborn are not truly pro-life; they are only pro-birth, which could easily be interpreted as being anti-woman.
Yes. Some against options to lower costs of our health care delivery system that would result in millions more being about to afford insurance premiums, access to health care, and reduce the # of 45,000 who die needlessly each year because of insurers’ greed, often strive to switch spotlight from here in USA to “up there” in Canada and “over there” in England. For some strange reason they never say, “look at Germany and Switzerland”, both nations that have costs vs GDP at 1/3 less than ours, while covering all their citizens with accessing all citizens to overall higher quality care. They don’t have tens of thousands of their citizens dying annually because of a system of deaths-for-profits we have.
We’d best be educated by “looking here” at our massive problems in health care delivery, wherein a big positive first step would be the creation of an American Citizens Healthcare Benefits program mirroring exactly the Federal Employee Health Benefits program of plans where insurers get paid no more than they should for doing what little they do, and are not rewarded for denying claims, gouging citizens, indirectly killing thousands of Amerians.
In 2004, when Virginia’s legislature focused on toughening DUI laws, Cuccinelli spoke out against stricter penalties for drunk drivers, calling the new public safety laws a “political avalanche.“ Cuccinelli stood against members of both parties when he opposed a bill that that would take cars away from those convicted of felony DUI and another holding drivers with blood alcohol levels above .15 percent liable for injury and death that they cause.
Mr. Hardy, how can you paint this as appalling? I understand that you’re the head cheerleader for Shannon; perhaps a dictionary is in order?
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement