Letters: Ban women in combat
May 31, 2012 8:12PM
Updated: July 3, 2012 12:24PM
I see the Marine Corps has announced it will open certain combat infantry schools to women. Are we that hard up for combat personnel? Or is it the women’s libbers wanting this?
I recently talked to a mental health expert at the veterans’ administration. She said women in combat situations were three to four times more likely to have mental problems than men.
The Soviets used women in combat units — even whole regiments as snipers, regular infantry and as fighter pilots. They fought bravely and effectively, but what happened to them after combat was over? Can we learn from history?
Can you imagine the bravery of the German combat nurse? They had to know they would be raped and murdered if the hospitals were overrun. Can we think about what happened to these women before allowing women in combat? I noticed the Soviets used almost all female-only units. Would this be an alternative?
In Korea and Vietnam, we exempted men with children from the draft. Now, we put single mothers in combat situations. In most cases, the men had wives at home to raise the children. Can you imagine the stress single mothers would be under?
A woman is different from a man. A few can be as strong and brave, but they are not men. What do you think? Let’s get the facts before doing this.
Frank Dollinger
Channahon
Medicaid cuts excessive
Thanks to Gov. Pat Quinn, legislators have a starting point for solving Illinois’ Medicaid crisis. The foundation has been laid, and the question is where do our leaders go from here?
The reality is, Medicaid rolls have swelled in recent years with more and more patients coming through the doors of safety-net hospitals. Our urban hospitals have been doing more with less while reimbursement rates remain frozen.
Making cuts that amount to numbers is easy. Realizing that these numbers mean patient lives is much harder. Safety-net hospitals know this firsthand.
The needy in our communities must not be forgotten. They deserve loyal partners like us.
If the $675 million in proposed provider cuts were spread across the board, that would mean an 8 percent cut for every hospital. Bottom line: For safety-net hospitals, that is unsustainable. Much of our care, and many of our hospitals would buckle under the pressure. Our communities would lose their safeguard, our patients their lifeline.
There are viable solutions to reining in costs. But cutting care provided by hospitals should not be at top of the list.
Sister Sheila Lyne, RSM
President & chief executive
Mercy Hospital &
Medical Center
Chicago
What’s in it for them?
What are Jesse Jackson Jr. and Gov. Quinn going to get out of the Peotone Airport? Why are they pushing for an airport no one wants?
United Airlines and other airlines say it’s not needed and they will not use it. Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel, doesn’t want it. The people don’t want it. Jackson wants jobs for his constituents in Cook County. Forget about the rest of Illinois.
And the “Mighty Quinn,” what is he going to get out of this? He keeps saying the state is out of money, but he wants $100 million to buy land for the airport. We hope our state representatives are not drinking Kool-Aid with Jackson and Quinn, and they stop the building of this airport.
We don’t need a white elephant for taxpayers to pay for. Jackson should help his people by doing something about the crime — the shooting and killing of young kids. These are the people who put him in office, not those of us in Will County. Worry about the ethics committee or his involvement with the sale of Obama’s senate seat.
And, Mr. Quinn, you will be a one-term governor. Illinois state representatives, stop this airport.
Felix A. Orasco
Channahon
