Illegal immigration not the only reason for ER waits

I am writing in response to Bethany Fourmy’s letter printed Friday, “”Border security not to be sneered at.”” I don’t disagree that border security is important, but as a physician who works part-time in an emergency department in Tucson, I must point out the fallacy of linking border security to long waits in the emergency room. It is typical of fear-mongering extremists to assume that any non-white person speaking Spanish in an emergency room lobby is in the United States illegally. Believe it or not, there are U.S. citizens and legal immigrants in the U.S. who use our hospitals who don’t look like you and who speak languages other than English. If you were healthy enough to write a letter to the editor the same day you visited the ER, Bethany, perhaps your health needs would have been better addressed in a primary care office, thereby shortening the wait of those who truly needed emergency medical attention. Perhaps the reason that you had to wait so long is that you might be one of the 24 percent of legal Arizona citizens who are uninsured and don’t have access to primary care.

Perhaps if both political parties were to talk about the real problems relating to health care (eg., the lack of health insurance and shortage of primary care doctors) and border security (eg., lack of economic opportunity in poor nations which forces people to leave their homes, as well as American employers who hire illegal immigrants) instead of blurring the issues by targeting scapegoats, real progress would be made on both issues.

Dr. Clifford P. Martin
fellow in infectious diseases
UA College of Medicine

Dems. have no Iraq solution

I am writing in response to Bethany Evans’ criticism of Ry Ellison’s letter to the editor Monday (“”Republicans do not offer security for America”” ). I found it interesting, perhaps even hypocritical, for Evans to first say that it was “”dangerous”” to look at the Iraq war in terms of “”cut and run”” or “”stay the course”” and a few sentences later suggest that we get out of Iraq as soon as possible. If that strategy is not a clear-cut definition of cut and run, then I do not know what is.

She also argues that the Democrats’ have a plan (other than cut and run) to win the Iraq war. Then, in the fashion of a true liberal, she fails to outline it. With the lack of real solutions to the real problems that America faces today, it is no wonder that the word liberal is more often used as an insult than a word describing a political ideology. If the Democrats stepped up to the plate and put forth a genuine strategy to win the War on Terror, it is likely that people would take them much more seriously.

Look, the fact of the matter is clear. There have not been any terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in over five years. This is absolutely not a result of the terrorists not attempting to do so! It is a direct result of solid Republican national security policy. National security is the most important issue in this election and it is obvious that the Republican Party is committed to protecting the American people. I strongly urge you to keep the Republican majority in Congress.

Brice McCoy
political science sophomore

Is chivalry dead?

I was always raised to believe that a man has a duty to treat all women with respect and to help them in any way. I’m not talking about men running women’s lives and making all the rules; I’m talking about getting a little respect or gratitude for practicing chivalry. Recent events have led me to ask the question, “”Is chivalry dead on the UA campus?”” Every time I make the effort to hold a door for a girl on this campus, I rarely receive a “”thank you,”” or even an acknowledgement. I state with confidence that out of every 10 doors I hold for girls, I receive one “”thank you”” or a mild look of gratitude. I’m not filtering out the girls and only holding doors for those I feel are attractive; everyone gets the door held for them. I know I’m no Brad Pitt, but I think that I deserve a small acknowledgement for practicing a tradition I’ve always thought to be right, that seems to be dead here at the UA.

Anthony Calvano
pre-business freshman