Social Security

Editor: I am getting steamed from the letters that are being written by those who do not need their Social Security payments. There are those who do not want cost of living increases and people who want to tax the Social Security income.

Tax was paid on these wages when they were earned. If there are those who do not need it, let them check off a place where they can donate it to their nearest politician.

Better yet, let them return it, and they can distribute it to those of us who do appreciate it.

Mary McCracken.

Baltimore.

Move on Cancer

Editor: One year ago The Sun ran headlines concerning Maryland having the highest cancer death rate in the nation. Several important bills were introduced in Annapolis leading to passage of a modest increase in cigarette taxes and mandated mammography. Other important bills were offered as well, bills which would have limited the access of minors to cigarette vending machines and insure smoke-free air in public places.

There was discussion of these issues in both the legislature as well as The Sun. Unfortunately, tobacco interests in the state prevented passage of many of our more important pieces of legislation. And since the end of the legislative session, little more has been heard.

Forward one year. The Sun again runs a front-page story about Maryland once more having the highest cancer death incidence in the country. Again we have legislation introduced to address the problems -- e.g., a cigarette excise tax, bills limiting minors' access to cigarettes and smoking in public places. And again the tobacco lobby responds by having introduced the "Tobacco Control Act of 1992" -- a cynically titled bill which would in fact undo much of the progress made in the past decade.

Will we allow passage of a bill which will permit smoking in school systems that have already banned it, dismantle private workplace policies instituted by employers and make smokers a protected class in the same manner that minorities, ethnic and religious groups are in matters of employment? Or will we respond clearly and decisively by informing the public of the positive steps which we can take to reduce the risks of avoidable cancer deaths -- education, lifestyle modification and early detection.

Robert K. Brookland, M.D.

Baltimore.

The writer is public affairs chairman for the Maryland division of the American Cancer Society.

911 Abuse

Editor: What can be done to stop the abuse of 911?

Could the fine for calling a false alarm be used? Several cases were cited in The Sun the other day. In a recent rape case 911 was called 24 hours after the incident. Why was it called? There was no emergency at that point. The Rape Crisis Center should have been notified.

When we need immediate help -- the real reason for 911's establishment -- the victim cannot get through. Let's keep the abuse out of a valuable service.

Harry Wolf.

Baltimore.

1930s Again

Editor: "None of these" for president is looking better every day. George Bush is still wooing the rich.

His "State of the Dis-union" speech called again for the capital gains tax reduction. He wants to help big business by putting a moratorium on safety measures, endangering workers for 90 more days. He wants to fix the health care problem by leaving all the big insurance companies in the middle of it, rather than TC government-run or "play or pay" plan which might hurt his insurance friends.

But the Democratic candidates in the last debate said nothing to distinguish themselves from his policies. Democratic pragmatism is leading this country to two Republican parties.

So-called "incentives" to get the country out of this depression are totally useless. Tax reductions, lower interest rates, etc., won't cause consumers to commit themselves to long-term purchases of big-ticket items when they don't have confidence in job stability.

The public can read of the thousands laid off, the bankruptcies, the permanent downsizing. Not until unemployment, underemployment, mis-employment, new compensation application and compensation-exhausting statistics dramatically improve will worker-consumers be willing to spend freely again.

One of the most significant stats is the government's own monthly indicator of consumer confidence, a figure in continuous free-fall.

A capital gains tax reduction won't increase investment and employment; it will only make the rich richer, as they put the gains in their pocket. Lower interest rates and tax reductions won't help end this depression as long as worker-consumers have this completely justifiable negative attitude.

"Job!, Jobs!, Jobs!" as George Bush says. Do we need to resurrect the 1930-style alphabet agencies?

Harry E. Bennett Jr.

Baltimore.

Women to Men: Tongue Lashings or Slaps?

Editor: No, Paul Quinnett.

I, for one, will not bring back the slap as you suggested in your Feb. 8 commentary. I will not humiliate and degrade myself by resorting to physical violence as a form of communication.

Nor will I humiliate and degrade another human being by believing physical violence is the only means of communication that will be understood.

What especially irks me is that your suggestion puts all of the responsibility for social behavior of both men and women on the shoulders of women only. This means men can do and say as they please to whomever until some female brings their offensive behavior to their attention by "popping him one." This is not only unfair to women; it's a cop-out.

I am also scared that your suggestion gives the man guilty of sexual harassment or rape a viable excuse.

I can hear the court room testimony now. "How was I supposed to know she meant no," the accused will say, "It's not like she slapped me or anything."

Third -- and this the one I find offensive to all the men I know -- is that you are saying men can't understand spoken language. Women must use physical means to get their point across.

Mr. Quinnett, it is all the same language. "No" means "no."

Women must use it that way and men must believe it.

Sara L.G. Ruffini.

Baltimore.

Editor: Paul Quinnett proposed that date rape and sexual harassment charges (as in the Hill-Thomas, Kennedy or Tyson cases) could be avoided if women would employ a well-timed slap to the face of the offending male. His examples of how this worked in the past are all from 1940s movies, which probably are the only places where a simple slap ever prevented sexual assaults.

He went on to suggest that this was part of teaching men manners and part of a woman's role in society. I found his opinions to be very insulting and demeaning to women. Will some men never get it?

Ironically, another article in the same edition of The Sun reporting on a national conference on campus violence held in Baltimore noted that "athletes commit about 25 percent of sexual assaults and rapes on campus and that fraternity members are responsible for another one-fourth of the incidents."

Let's focus more attention on changing the attitudes of men and the behavior of perpetrators of violence against women instead of trivializing the problem or blaming the victims.

Barbara Murock.

Baltimore.

Editor: The Feb. 8 commentary "Bring Back the Slap!" once again shows only too clearly a sexual attitude that has prevailed for years, namely that it is a woman's job to teach sexual manners to men.

Women are sick of it.

Author Mr. Quinnett is reinforcing the attitude that a man is not responsible for his actions during intense affairs of the heart. He suggests that women need only to slap a man to communicate their unwillingness to have sex.

Grow up Mr. Quinnett. Men must become responsible for their own actions and not depend on a woman to police them with a slap.

Linda Norris.

Sparks.

Keep It, O.C.

Editor: I have been reading and hearing the many comments on whether we should be spending money on projects to protect Ocean City.

One writer stated that the money should be used for educating our children. This sounds great, but are we naive enough to believe that the money would really be spent toward education. I would imagine that the 20,000 jobs that Ocean City provides might be paying something toward education.

The writer said we should not subsidize the elite, and an additional tax for people who own property and vacation there should be implemented. I think it makes more sense to put money into an area for a $100 million return then to subsidize a farmer for not growing anything.

I am buying a small condo there, and I'm far from being elite, but I think I know a way for property owners at Ocean City to help themselves without initiating any new taxes.

They could take the $100 million annual income that Ocean City brings into the state and instead of sharing the money with the state, just keep it all in the resort area only.

Joseph C. Matassa.

Joppa.

Colitis

Editor: On Jan. 21, you printed a very long discussion abou stress, burning inside heartburn, etc. I was quoted a number of times in that article. I would like to correct a piece of erroneous information that was attributed to another physician in that same article.

The statement was made that ulcerative colitis can be an end consequence of severe irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, this is not correct, and there is no real relationship between ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. They are two completely separate illnesses that have different causes and different treatments.

Ulcerative colitis is a disease involving inflammation of the intestine whereas irritable bowel syndrome does not involve any kind of inflammatory response and although it can cause discomfort and change in bowel habits, it will not present a threat to anyone's long-term health.

If further information is desired by your readers regarding ulcerative colitis, I would like to refer them to the Crohn's

Colitis Foundation of America which has a local chapter and would be happy to provide them with appropriate information about that or other inflammatory disease of the intestine.

David B. Posner, M.D.

Baltimore.