ORGAN HARVESTING
Petition can help stop inhumane practice
Stop forced organ harvesting in China. Your signature can save lives. Please sign the official White House petition to stop forced organ harvesting: http://organpetition.org/ Hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are being held in prison camps across China.
For the past decade they have been medically tested, killed and used as a living donor bank for China’s lucrative organ transplant industry. Amidst growing international condemnation of these horrific crimes, three American doctors have launched a petition on the White House website urging President Obama to investigate and publicly condemn this unprecedented crime. Under the site’s rules, if the petition garners 25,000 signatures in 30 days, the White House promises to respond. The deadline for this petition is Jan. 1.
The U.S. State Department’s 2011 Human Rights Report cited allegations of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. In October, 106 members of Congress wrote to Secretary Clinton requesting the release of information regarding the gruesome act of organ harvesting. Two congressional hearings have covered the topic, while leading transplantation doctors from around the world have condemned this crime against humanity. Every minute counts for those in China. Sign now and help save lives.
MICHAEL FITZGERALD, Boise
GROVE’S WORK OF ART
Beautiful sculpture is now an eyesore
What’s up with the sculpture on the front of the Grove Hotel? It was so beautiful when it was first installed. It was classy and interesting (so unlike our famous “wings” disaster at the airport!).
The steam no longer works, the sculpture is dirty and discolored, and the paint is peeling.
With all the hard work going on to rehabilitate and rebuilt our Downtown core, please remember that this sculpture is a very prominent first impression for those visiting our beautiful city. We should be proud to show it off to all those new to our city and those of us lucky enough to call Boise home.
My husband and I now live in Weiser, but spent many wonderful years in our capital city.
DIANE PULSIPHER, Weiser
GAY MARRIAGE
Rights should be earned, not given
Calling steam “water” does not allow me to pour it into a bucket. Words mean things. We cannot permit contractions to occupy our mind. When we permit the noun — marriage — to equally define two contradicting models and occupy the same space in our mind, we are operating on the irrational — a lie. Using the hammer of PC, the left forces us to believe in an irrational state narrative. We have abandoned reason. We have embraced contradiction as a daily operating philosophy.
The majority now believes that one is entitled to equal results from unequal effort or unequal ability. It is irrational to ignore the distinctions between wanting and working, envy and earning. Being lazy or even stupid does not make you the victim of your industrious neighbor. We have suspended moral and material absolutes. In 50 years, we have reversed 5,000 years of societal norms. We have surrendered our minds to the irrational philosophy of contradictions presented as a virtue called social justice: forced equal outcomes.
Hold to truth, courage and reason. One day these will crack the foggy glass dome we live under and bring in fresh air and sunlight.
DOUG TRAUBEL, Mountain Home
FAITH COLUMN
Study God’s word, don’t complain
A response to Ms. Nixon’s commentary of Dec. 8, begs a comment.
A more thorough study of God’s inspired, holy and factually correct word would have made her opinion piece more complete. She talks about Luke as if he wrote inaccuracies but then talks about the joy and wonder of this physician’s account.
Mary and Joseph were in a house. Luke does not say that the house was theirs. Luke could have written Luke after 70 AD. Jesus, who was with God and helped create the Earth, came to give us life eternal and an abundant life here.
When Luke wrote the gospel to Theophilus why did he have to include details of wise men and the star in the east? His omission does not invalidate the facts of others’ accounts of Jesus’ beginning.
Read John 1, Hebrews 1, and John 14:1-15. Luke was concerned with writing an orderly account, an accurate one. It is so exciting to read about Jesus’ birth and watch plays, skits, etc. Let us use this time to embrace our Savior, not complain about different Gospel accounts. The word said everything he wanted to say.
JONI GRANRUD, Boise
HEALTHCARE
Obamacare problems
To the three people who responded to my comments on Dec. 4 about Obama. First of all, the people’s vote means nothing with the electoral colleges around.
It’s funny how even Democrats want to repeal Obamacare. Obama is pro-abortion, if he wasn’t then why did he appoint Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, two radical pro-abortionists? Obama is creating jobs, part-time jobs. More companies are laying off full-timers because of looming fines. How is that good?
Hospitals are being fined for re-admitting patients within 30 days, once again, thanks to Obamacare. we all have loved ones who are in need of healthcare, so the thought of that hits us all hard. The BCA automatically cuts about $500 billion from defense, on top of already agreed upon $487 billion which leaves troops serving in future wars ill equipped and unprepared. If you are sick of my view, and those who share it, too bad. Welcome to America. By the way, I didn’t say anything about Obama creating the free cellphone plan. I only meant it was dumb to base your decision on free electronics.
BOB VINCENT, Boise
HEALTH EXCHANGE
Make new regulation work for Idahoans
I was as unhappy as most about Obamacare (PPACA) being passed and then upheld by the Supreme Court, but the law is the law. Let’s start making this regulation work for Idahoans. That’s why I’m grateful to Gov. Butch Otter for declaring that Idaho should build its own health insurance exchange, rather than let the federal government do it for us.
These health insurance exchanges are going to be important to anyone shopping for health insurance coverage. The way they work will determine how easy and expensive it will be to get health insurance. That makes it even more important to have Idahoans in charge.
Gov. Otter is right: “If this is going to happen one way or another, then Idaho should make it work for all of us. The alternative is to let the federal government come up with a one-size-fits-all solution.”
I appreciate Gov. Otter giving us a seat at the table when this important process gets under way.
Let’s work with the situation we are in, not the one we wish we had.
I’m glad Gov. Otter is being logical about this important issue.
SCOTT LEAVITT, Idaho Association of Health Underwriters & Scott Leavitt
Insurance, Boise
