Associated Press
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Was he past his prime when he died?
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Letters to the Editor
O'Brien didn't
ride with the herd
All legislators should take note of State Rep. Dennis O'Brien (R., Phila.), who broke from his party's ranks and voted for House Bill 1 ("Pa. health bill approved in House amid partisan divide," Tuesday).
With the AdultBasic/Medical Assistance waiting list backed up 18 months and the state unemployment rate exceeding 8 percent, legislation akin to HB 1 makes sense now more than ever. Inaction by Senate Republicans would be unacceptable.
Daniel Goldstein
Philadelphia
MADD has
gone too far
First, I have never been stopped for driving while impaired, and I applaud the efforts by Mothers Against Drunk Driving to make our roads safer.
However, they appear to be getting drunk on their own power. Their latest effort pertaining to ignition-interlock technology is absurd. Do they really believe this is going to keep serious offenders from driving? The current laws are more than adequate, and the punishments are out of proportion in comparison to equally dangerous activities.
Most studies show that using a cell phone (yes, even a hands-free one) poses a threat equal to driving drunk. Yet, the penalty for that is a minimal fine at most.
MADD members: Have you ever used a cell phone while driving? Would you be in favor of the same penalties as for DUIs? If not, stop being hypocritical! Our country is being run by special-interest groups that do not reflect the will of the people.
Wayne Strege
Egg Harbor City
Madoff victims
played the game
Victims of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme tell of their loss of freedom, self-worth, and hope. These misfortunes are all caused by a loss of money.
It's sobering to reflect on how victims voluntarily undertook a risk, lost the bet, and see their lives as destroyed. It's even more sobering to think of millions of people in the United States whose lives are destroyed every day because they never got the chance to make the bet.
How do we compare the lives of those who made the bet and lost, and those who never got the chance? Was Alfred Lord Tennyson right: " 'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all"?
