Letters to the Editor for Jan. 18, 2011

Published: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 6:34 p.m.

Diet and disease

A recent article in The Sun mentioned the importance of vitamin D in our diets and the challenge to determine our individual needs. The vitamin has a vital role in metabolic pathways and can significantly affect our health.

Nutrition is helpful in the treatment and prevention of disease. Unfortunately doctors often don't know a lot about it. In fact only about 20 percent of medical schools have courses in nutrition.

If our immune systems are working well most diseases can be avoided. The immune system is greatly dependent on our diet. It seems logical that major funding should be available for nutritional research. However, most funding is on the detection and treatment of disease.

We need to rethink our approach to health care. Nutrition needs to be a major player in meeting this challenge.

Larry Schwandes,


How much fluoride?

Born in the 1990s in Germany, my son grew up without fluoride supplement in the water. Yet, to this day he doesn't have one cavity.

I grew up in the '70s in Germany without fluoride and, like everybody else at the time, had multiple cavities before age 8. The difference?

In the 1970s oral hygiene wasn't a topic. In the 1990s every child had a toothbrush, and at day care and they would routinely brush their teeth after lunch. In addition, parents made sure kids cleaned their teeth after breakfast and before bedtime.

Also, by the '80s diet had changed: Less sugar, but a variety of whole grain bread, and herbal tea, water or apple juice for drinks. I haven't had a cavity since I started brushing my teeth after every meal at age 8.

There might be more to healthy teeth than fluoride.

Stephanie Bartsch,


The party's over

I am very concerned about elected officials and the media placing so much emphasis on political parties. Party-line voting for the sake of party alone has gone too far.

Check out the statement by Rod Smith, the incoming state Democratic Party chairman: “I'm going to do my dead-level best that two years from now we are celebrating an entire turnaround of the Democratic Party.”

I did not read where he will be looking for highly qualified people to run on the ticket.

Politically slanted articles by newspaper editors should be set aside. Judging the deed or idea based on its merits, or lack of, should be the task.

The mud slinging is out of control and only politicians and media can set it straight.

Danny Baker,

Cross Creek

The blame game

Politicians blaming other politicians for the recent tragedy in Arizona should stop what they are doing so that we might have a serious discussion about the issue of untreated mental illness.

The disturbing behavior of the young man in Arizona was mostly ignored and his condition allowed to progress, while modern medical treatment would have most likely prevented this tragedy.

How sad for our society that this is not the conversation we are having in the aftermath. While education and awareness are needed, all we're getting is opportunistic finger pointing.

Aimee Fluriach,


Guns are not cars

To compare gun violence with car accidents is kind of silly in my opinion, unless you're purchasing a tank.

People buy cars to get the kids to school or make it to work on time, not with the intent of defending themselves or hurting someone.

In the wrong hands cars are most certainly dangerous but that's why there are hoops like learner's permits and driving tests.

Guns are bought with explicit purpose of causing harm and little is required in terms of proving oneself responsible enough to obtain one.

Jordan Diaz,



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