Letters to the Editor
Health care column draws praise, question; taking action on Donnie Johnston's insights.
How to Deal with Higher Costs?
Jay Brock does a great job explaining what’s wrong with for-profit health care in the U.S. (“COMMENTARY: Health Costs Are about to Rise Sharply ...,” August 27). What’s missing are specifics about how this is affecting individual patients in Fredericksburg, who is profiting locally, and some advice on how patients here can deal with it.
Steve Rabson
Fredericksburg
Refuse to Sit in the Dark
In reading Donnie Johnston’s recent piece, “It's Getting Darker in America,” August 26, I want to sincerely thank him for opening the shades and letting the light in on the realities so many of us quietly discuss around our own kitchen tables. Donnie’s honesty and courage to be direct about our current and future situation embolden others to speak out, and that candor matters especially now.
His words aptly describe how decisions made in distant halls of power reach into our homes, our budgets, our health, and our way of life. Whether it’s feeling the stress of rising medical costs, watching our freedoms slip away, or worrying how arbitrary rule could threaten earning a living, Donnie voices what many of us feel but struggle to say aloud. We need more writers who show us—plainly—what’s at stake.
However, shining a light on these issues must be the beginning, not the end. Sitting across from family members over dinner, we know words aren’t enough. Each of us can take action: write letters to lawmakers, attend local government meetings, join civic organizations that share our values, and talk with neighbors to encourage voting and advocacy. Protecting our pocketbooks, health, and basic freedoms means making our voices heard, often collectively and persistently.
Let Donnie’s directness inspire us. Let’s refuse to sit in the dark, accepting what comes. Instead, let’s stand up—locally and nationally—to demand good governance, fair policy, and respect for all. Change starts with kitchen table conversations and grows when citizens take action together. Liberty’s light will only shine if we fight for it—and never let it dim.
James “Phil” Huber
Fredericksburg
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