Glenn Mollette

EDITORIAL - A few years ago I visited South Africa where the average house was surrounded by a concrete wall. South Africa has many villages and rural communities of impoverished people where the main goal each day is to find a clean drink of water. However, people throughout many of the towns and cities lived behind walls.

Brazil is another country I've visited a couple of times where steel bars in windows and walls around houses are prevalent. Thieves and robbers are common in Brazil and South Africa and it is understandable why they want walls around their houses to protect their valuables and families. 

EDITORIAL - Christmas is coming and wish lists vary. Here are ideas from which most can benefit. Medical care for all Americans. Congress must sever ties with lobbyists working on behalf of the pharmaceutical and medical insurance companies and represent the American people. Prescription costs are too high and the government pays too much money to the drug companies for those who receive various medicines from government coverage.

All Americans should be able to see a doctor and receive medical care. Working Americans should have access to affordable medical care. Retired and poor/disabled/uninsurable Americans should have access to Medicare and Medicaid. All Veterans and military should be able to choose an alternate doctor or hospital when the VA hospital and doctors are not in close proximity or are inaccessible.

EDITORIAL - The horrendous shooting of 12 innocent people at a country music bar in Twin Oaks California reminds us that no place in America is safe. If we thought there were some safe sacred zones in our country then we should ask the people in Pittsburgh. In particular, ask the people of the Tree of Life Synagogue in the community of Squirrel Hill where eleven people were murdered and six others wounded during a sacred hour of worship.

Last week in Martin County, Kentucky, a woman shot her sleeping husband in his bed in the early morning hours. She then called a friend and told her that she was going to end her own life as well. She told her friend about their life stresses, consisting primarily of health issues and medical bills, and that she felt they could not overcome them. By the time her friend and others got there she was dead along with her husband.

EDITORIAL - Words can heal or words can kill. Words can build up or tear down. They can make people glad or make people mad. We like to be able to use words in America and use them freely. Freedom of speech is our first amendment right. However, we could all work on the tone of our speech.

Tone can incite a riot or calm an angry mob. We all know how we like for  people to talk to us and we need to utilize our tone preferences in our own communication with others.