Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, January 20, 2017

Fair rights for the disabled force fair treatment and care

We read the commentary by writer Elise Patkotak, Jan. 18, "We still fail to care for our mentally ill." Perspective can be a wonderful teacher. Ms. Patkotak described herself at one time as being a very young and naïve nursing student in a psychiatric hospital. On the other hand, I was a 40-something female with a severe mental illness locked in a psychiatric institution.

In my experience, 10 percent of the staff of a psychiatric institution can be as mean and uncaring toward patients as the law and oversight allow them to be. Eighty percent of staff are indifferent toward the patients' quality of care — show up at 8 and go home at 5. And 10 percent of the staff actually care about the patients and try to improve their care.

The failure of Alaska to properly care for the disabled started when the Legislature in 1957 and thereafter, failed to give fair rights to the disabled.

Fair rights for the disabled force a state to provide fair treatment and care. Fair rights should start with the grievance procedure and appeal process for the disabled.

— Faith Myers and Dorrance Collins, Mental Health Advocates
Anchorage

Murkowski needs to stand up to colleagues on health care

I have a good medical insurance policy and can afford to see a private doctor for my health care, however, I choose Planned Parenthood due to the quality care and reasonably priced service — even though I do not qualify for the sliding scale. Although Planned Parenthood is seen as a "women's clinic," I am always surprised by the number of men and children sitting in the waiting room. There is a wall full of personal accounts of "Why I Stand with Planned Parenthood" and one of the hand-written statements most-often shared by clients is "Planned Parenthood has always been here for me."

Unfortunately, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young cannot see the financial and societal benefit of funding Planned Parenthood. They have let politics get in the way of facts such as for every $1 in federal funding for Planned Parenthood, taxpayers save $7. And the rate of pregnancy among teens is at an all-time low thanks to their education and contraception service. Sen. Murkowski, on the other hand, has said she is against "broadly defunding" Planned Parenthood.

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While it isn't quite the unequivocal support we are all hoping for, it is a step in the right direction and I hope she will stand with us throughout this fight. Sen. Murkowski is aware that the rate of sexually transmitted infections and sexual assault in Alaska demonstrates that we are actually struggling in our ability to provide education and planning services beyond city centers. If Planned Parenthood doesn't provide these critical services to Alaskans, there is no alternative safety net. I hope Sen. Murkowski will stand up and tell her colleagues not to gamble with our health care.

— Cathy Girard
Anchorage

I want to wake up from this nightmare

Perhaps I am dreaming these confirmation hearings for the highest offices in our nation.

• A man for secretary of health who has repeatedly voted against health care for needy Americans, voted against health care for children and made millions of dollars on drug/medical appliances as he himself introduced legislation, repeatedly, that would increase his profits.

• A woman for secretary of education who has never attended or worked in public education, whose own children did not attend public schools and has made such a mess in Michigan education that they have busloads of people attending to protest her confirmation. Oh, and she wants to privatize more education so our current "class" system of millionaires, and those who are not, will increase with less education. She says she is not up for this post because of her hundreds of millions in political contributions. Hmmm.

• A man for head of the Environmental Protection Agency who has spent his career suing that agency and has allowed his state of Oklahoma to deteriorate geologically from thousands of earthquakes now occurring because he didn't want to seek any regulations of the oil and gas industry, and it's in our imagination that there is any change in climate.

I could go on. I plead with you, my fellow Alaskans to take a stand! PLEASE do not pull up the covers and think you can "sleep" through these next four years. Write letters, stay informed, hold our congressional members to their commitment to think about what is best for all Alaskans.

I want to wake up now.

— LeMay Hupp
Anchorage

Losing faith in society

I am losing faith in our society that now seems to be challenging long-held values I grew up with and have held for over six decades. Ideas such as free press, equal rights for all, environmental protection, public school education and laws to protect the vulnerable I now realize are not a given expectation of our society. The value placed on science, public health, clean water and air, separation of church and government and allies, seems defunct. It seems we are returning to the worst aspects of the Wild West, where those wielding the guns and money are willing to sacrifice the common good for their self-serving interests. What happened to common sense, integrity, decency and respect for all people?

— Sandy Winfree
Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.

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