The presidential race and issues of morality

To the editor:

In response to the Friday letter from John Esperian, who argues that Republican presidential candidates being preoccupied with “non-issues” such as abortion and gay marriage:

Mr. Esperian asks if whomever one chooses to marry really impacts his life and personal values. The answer to that is “yes.”

The decay of moral values erodes the strength of our society. Having morals and following a moral code is something that strengthens, not weakens an individual and thus society. By looking only at how you personally are affected by something, you allow this sort of moral decay to creep into our society by small increments, all the while eroding positive influences in our society like strong families, working for a living, commitment and valuing life.

The well-known quote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” certainly applies to the things Mr. Esperian lists as “non-issues.”

When will the erosion of our society’s values finally impact him? And then what? Someone else isn’t being personally affected so we allow more moral decay? Those of us with morals need to speak up and tell people when their speech and actions are offensive to our values.

I’m happy we have Republican candidates challenging the moral corruption in our society and making sure it is an issue in the next election. We need to support them and not dismiss them as “the lunatic Tea Party.”

Brenda Becker

Las Vegas

Not funny

To the editor:

While we may chuckle at the irony of the news (“Heart Attack Grill nearly lives up to its name,” Thursday), the reality is anything but funny. The American Heart Association is right to be concerned — heart attacks and resulting conditions such as stroke are among the No. 1 killers in America.

But physical well-being is only half the problem for cardiac trauma patients. The other half is financial health — for them and for their families — which often plummets when a patient’s condition is so severe that it prevents him from returning to work.

For example, stroke is a leading cause of adult long-term disability. Many stroke survivors regain functional independence, but 15 to 30 percent are permanently disabled. Paralysis, extreme pain, language struggles, thinking and memory problems are among the types of disabilities that prevent survivors from regaining employment.

Where do they turn next? Without a paycheck and mounting medical bills, those with disabilities risk financial meltdown. According to an Allsup survey of pending Social Security Disability Insurance claimants, 15 percent of those waiting for a decision on their SSDI application are in or expect to be in foreclosure. Five percent face bankruptcy.

So while Heart Attack Grill makes money off its cleverly named “triple bypass burger,” its customers don’t just sacrifice their health, they also risk their financial security.

During American Heart Month, there’s no better time to raise awareness about the seriousness of heart disease. Each person’s well-being concerns both health and finances. And if a loved one or friend can no longer work due to a disability, encourage them to file for SSDI. It’s a federal safety net already helping nearly 56,000 people in Nevada that can prevent more Americans from losing everything.

Jim Allsup

Belleville, Ill.

The writer is president and founder of Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation.