Dialogue

HI-HO

The Texas Observer is once more playing the David versus Goliath role in trying to get the hallway tapes from the stonewalling Department of Public Safety. (“Snubbin’ the Public,” September 21) Newspapers and letter writers all over Texas support the Observer, for once. This is a cover-up, cover-up, cover-up, up, up. Think of the theme of the Lone Ranger, the William Tell Overture.

Johnny Hughes Via e-mail

EVERYBODY PAYS

Proposition 12 promised doctors lower insurance costs because medical malpractice would supposedly drop off. (“Baby, I Lied,” October 19) Some reports indicate that only about 6 percent of doctors are actually responsible for negligent malpractice, but insurance companies punish all the doctors through higher premiums for the negligence of the 6 percent. Now, as before, the negligent doctors are getting a free pass, while affected patients injured through their stupidity are the ones paying the price through continued suffering or death. The only happy campers are the crooked politicians in top state and national offices who received hefty “contributions” (mordida) from the insurance industry. Was this investigated by insurance regulators, by the FBI, or anybody else? I don’t think so.

Placido SalazarUniversal City

FEAR ITSELF

Thank you Mary Jo McConahay for another fine article. (“Habitat for Inanity,” September 7) The federal government intends for us to believe they are paranoid about the nation’s well-being. Such a ploy factors in the inevitable discourse that our thoughtful peers will moderate by explaining the regime’s ‘reasons’ to us. This predictable dialogue is beneficial to the growing number of elected officials who have abandoned their duties to represent us because it aims to deflect our attention from the real issue: our so-called representatives are jockeying for more power and closer attachment to the elitists, the exclusive handful of high-level tyrants who laugh at us while they systematically trample on our liberties and freely squander our tax dollars all in the name of the War on Terror and homeland security.

Bill W. Love Corpus Christi

This wall is not about security, it is about using fear to control citizens. Keep the people worried about immigrants, terrorists, and “foreigners” and they won’t look at what the administration is doing. Vote for us because we can protect you against “them.” Leaders throughout history have used fear of this kind to control and manipulate their people. People who give up their liberty for safety do not deserve either one.

Joyce Payne Via e-mail