40 • The Beacon June 5, 2025
We’ ll be great only when we consider lives and care of others
Letter to the Editor,
Most of us can agree we’ re exhausted with the back and forth between right and left in this country— daily news with the same actors, hurtful language and humiliation coming from places least expected. We find comfort in self-sorting, hanging with the folks who mirror our thoughts
letter to the editor
and feelings.
Many of us, though, if honest, would say much of what we see in the news touches us very little. I’ m working, my kids are in school, my friends and I have what we need— what’ s up with the loud voices?
Too often the national news spins and gaslights. We don’ t see that basic constitutional rights are being eroded, piece by piece, little by little. If we do see folks having problems— well, that’ s them, not me, not my family.
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What happens, then, when your son needs medication for a painful injury, becomes dependent on it and needs Medicaid support for rehab?
What happens, then, when your immigrant neighbor who has a pending asylum case, and whose children play with yours, is hauled off in the dead of night to whoknows-where?
What happens, then, when your nephew, a high school history teacher, asks his students to think about Tulsa in 1921 and he is subsequently put on administrative leave for considering the history of racism in what was known as Black Wall Street?
What happens, then, when the medication you desperately need from another country is suddenly out of reach financially because of tariffs?
Letter to the Editor, The U. S. House recently passed the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, the Republican’ s“ Big Beautiful Bill.” This bill contains massive cuts to social programs including Medicaid.
Medicaid was established in 1965 and expanded in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act. It is a joint program between the states and the federal government to provide health care for those in need.
In my 40 years of medical practice, I have seen tremendous improvements in medical care. Finding and treating diseases, like cancer and heart disease, early is the absolute best way to save money and preserve good health. By doing this, Medicaid has made a huge improvement in the
What happens, then, when your daughter needs a D & C for a distressing miscarriage and the doctor cannot provide medical care without being charged with abortion?
What happens, then, when you file your tax return, only to discover your tax rate as a middleincome earner is much higher than expected, even higher than that of folks like the CEO down the street?
You might think these situations are not what we consider to be constitutional rights:“ It’ s just politics.” Consider: policies formulated by elected folks become personal. The U. S. Constitution was based on the Founding Fathers seeking to grant life( work, economic gain), liberty( due process / habeas corpus) and the pursuit of happiness( including the fullness of
lives of Ohioans. Consider these facts about Medicaid:
— Medicaid programs provide 25 % of the health care for Ohio, 29 % for Coshocton County.
— 59 % of nursing home residents are supported by Medicaid. Cuts to Medicaid would put these care centers at risk for closure.
— Medicaid funds 50 % of the births and of the newborn care in Ohio.
— 94 % of Medicaid recipients are working one or more jobs, are students, or caring for others.
— Hospitals in rural health and education), for all, with equality, in the USA.
As we watch these rights being stripped away, in the name of making this country great, we forget the truly great values we have held dear for our families and friends. Perhaps none of this has touched your life— yet. But we will continue to be a great and generous people only when we consider the lives and care of the other— neighbors and strangers— as inextricably linked to ours.
“ When our grandchildren ask us where we were when the voiceless and the vulnerable in our era needed leaders of compassion and purpose, I hope we can say that we showed up, and that we showed up on time.”
— Gary Haugen( International Justice Mission)
Sara King Fresno
Doctor knows Medicaid’ s importance
letter to the editor areas of Ohio provide the majority of health care to their communities. These hospitals will be at risk for closure or reduction of services with a loss of Medicaid funding.
Medicaid is important. Medicaid provides quality care to those in need. By treating diseases early, it will decrease the cost of health care and reduce unnecessary suffering, disability and death. I am proud to live in a nation that uses our tax dollars to support quality health care for working people. This budget bill is wrong. Please call Sen. Moreno and Husted and encourage them to oppose this budget bill. Sen. Bernie Moreno can be reached at 202-224-2315 and Sen. Jon Husted at 202-224- 3353.
Dr. Robert Gwinn Coshocton