Readers Write for Saturday, Nov. 14

AFTER GAMC

Woe to recipients who can't cough up copays

It's good news that the counties are going to pick up the premium for the former recipients of General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) who are being placed on the MinnesotaCare program. It's not such good news for the former GAMC people.

The counties will only pay the premium for the time of eligibility remaining, up to six months. Cal Ludeman, commissioner of the Department of Human Services, states that after that time period, the GAMC people will pick up the premium themselves since it is only $5 a month (Readers Write, Nov. 12). What Ludeman forgets to say is that there are copays for MinnesotaCare. Since most of the GAMC population exist on less than $7,800 a year, many living on $203 a month, how do they come up with copays?

MinnesotaCare has a four-month waiting period following application. What happens during this time? Diabetics who need insulin four or five times a day cannot simply go to the emergency room four or five times. Heart patients and others cannot wait four months for their oxygen. They will die. Mentally ill people cannot go without their medicine. Think of the harm to them and their families. We need to restore GAMC.

MARY MORIARTY, PLYMOUTH

underhanded comparison

Instead of mocking, engage Kersten's points

Thank you for Kristofer Layon's counterpoint equating homosexuality with left-handedness ("Left-handed marriage: A slippery slope," Nov. 12).

If you dismiss as irrelevant all religious traditions and precepts developed over the last 4,000 years, his argument makes perfect sense.

STEPHEN PRESCOTT, MINNEAPOLIS

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What a waste of newsprint. Kristopher Layon's attempt at humor is juvenile at best. Taking someone else's work, using the "find/replace" function on your computer and then submitting it for publication is nearly plagiarism.

Layon's commentary fails to address any of the points made by Katherine Kersten. To have a constructive dialogue, one must actually say something. I am very tired of people mocking a view with which they disagree.

Beyond that, I am very surprised that the Star Tribune would publish something that insults one of its own regular contributors. Kersten writes from a certain perspective, generating discussion from both sides of an issue. One would think the Star Tribune would encourage that. It certainly did not happen in this case.

JOHN LAMPRECHT, ROBBINSDALE

LRT ON CAMPUS

Worse than truck, jackhammer and bus?

After reading the debate about the light-rail line going through the University of Minnesota, I want to ask one question. After all of the years with city buses traveling their routes on Washington Avenue, different-sized trucks up to 18-wheelers delivering goods on Washington and with all of the construction of buildings on campus, why would LRT cars be more disruptive to sensitive equipment?

JOE SAMARGIA, ST. PAUL

LEGION POST 550

A serious misreading of history and religion

I was sorry to read that the American Legion refuses to participate in Veterans Day activities in Bloomington schools if it is not allowed to use prayer within the program, and I was stunned to read Terry Selle's statement that "...we are a Christian-based country and a military based on Christian-based principles" ("Bloomington schools, Legion part ways over prayers at flag," Nov. 11).

I thought almost everyone knew that our founding fathers were deists, not Christians, but it may be news to some that George Washington signed the 1796 treaty with Tripoli, which stated clearly "... the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion ... (Article XI).

I am surprised to learn that a military force is based on Christian principles, because Jesus taught principles from Isaiah 2:4, which states: "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Further, Jesus admonished his followers to "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21), making clear the legitimacy of the two separate authorities.

The purpose of valid religion is a singular challenge to each believer to live according to the precepts of the faith espoused, but not to insist that everyone venerate God in the same way.

Removing prayer from public influence does not remove God. Believers bring God with them as personal representatives of their faith.

SHAWN GILBERT, BLOOMINGTON

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American Legion Post 550 refused to honor our veterans without mentioning a Christian god at a ceremony in the Bloomington School District for veterans of the U.S. military. They made a choice that has to be accepted. However, I ask members of that post if Jesus would be happy with the mean-spiritedness of withholding scholarship money for students who didn't even participate in the discussion. It makes me happy that I am not a Christian.

SUSAN KENNEDY, MINNEAPOLIS