Bill O’Reilly — unjustly punished or wrongly defended?

The real facts behind Bill O'Reilly's dismissal may never be known ("Fox News dismisses O'Reilly, its star," Thursday). However, let's take a step back and recognize his contributions to society. He gave us an honest, "no spin" entertaining news program for 20 years. His best-selling Killing books have enriched readers and students of history. He has been a generous contributor to many charities, in particular, our wounded veterans. He has inspired others to support these charities, resulting in providing track chairs for returning veterans who, without them, would not be mobile.

Because powerful people have enemies who are ready to attack, let us consider that it's just possible that O'Reilly is not guilty as charged.

— Phyllis Bove, Blue Bell

There are millions of Americans who do not comprehend what was wrong with the conduct of Bill O'Reilly to merit his dismissal, nor what was so arrogant about his disputing the claims that caused his employer to repeatedly shell out millions in hush money.

A giant corporation paid millions of dollars to buy the silence of women victimized by O'Reilly, yet many Americans merely reacted with a shrug. Either these people favor sexual misbehavior, concealment of wrongdoing, or lying about it in public, or, at the least, they are not uncomfortable with such behavior.

Any way you cut it, these deniers of fact do no credit to the United States.

— Marc Reuben, Langhorne, mrmarcreuben6@gmail.com

I was shocked to read about the number of incarcerated juveniles who are kept in solitary confinement in Philadelphia ("Why Phila. still holds minors in solitary," Wednesday).

I was recently ordered by my doctor to isolate myself from everyone but my family because of concerns that I might have tuberculosis. I left our small property only for bike rides until I got the all-clear from the lab after two weeks.

Even with my family and the rich environment of our home, I had a very difficult time emotionally and psychologically. I can't imagine the impact of 23 hours a day of total solitude on a teenager's developing brain, especially for a young person under the stress of incarceration and who may have had a difficult life before being locked up.

Thank you for writing about this. It needs to stop.

— Pamela Bronson, Upper Darby, pamelakbronson@gmail.com

Pennsylvanians deserve access to primary care. The state's 10,000 nurse practitioners are fully qualified to provide high-quality care, but Pennsylvania law creates unnecessary barriers to practice ("Nurse practitioners need doctors," Monday). There is a simple solution: Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 100 increase access to quality care, lower costs, and maximize the primary care workforce.

Fact: More than 30 years of research demonstrates that nurse practitioners provide high-quality, affordable health care.

Fact: AARP, the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association, and countless consumers support this legislation.

Fact: 22 states and the District of Columbia have modernized their laws, expanding access to high-quality care.

Fact: Nurse practitioners, regardless of contractual agreements, routinely consult with other providers and prepare for emergencies.

Pennsylvania nurse practitioners are prepared to meet health-care needs. Why stand in the way?

— Nancy DeLeon Link, chief executive officer, National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, Philadelphia, communications@nncc.us

As the wife of a military husband who flew fighter jets with the Air Force for more than 20 years, putting his life on the line every time he step into a one-seater, I have to thank President Trump for signing a bill that will enable all veterans to go to the doctor of their choice ("Trump extends private-sector health care program for vets," Phily.com, Thursday). It's been long overdue.

These men and woman, who sacrificed so much for this country, did not deserve what they were getting at the VA hospital, including long waits, sometimes for days and weeks. We needed someone to step up and say, "Enough already." Thank God my husband is retired and does not need to go to a military or VA hospital, but so many others had no choice.

— Joan Welsh, Cherry Hill, j0wl535@comcast.net