LETTERS
To the Editor:

Haven't we Americans suffered enough? We had eight long years of the Clintons, with all the shame and embarrassment they brought to the White House. We have now gone through two excruciating terms with the intellectually-challenged (to put it charitably) George W. Bush and his ghastly war, the mind-boggling expense for which will be borne by generations of Americans to come.

If that prospect isn't bad enough, political pundits predict that Hillary Clinton will be our next president, no doubt with Bill Clinton pulling the strings - a co-presidency, so to speak. Can American's stand another eight years with the Clintons in "our" house. Woe is us.

Most women wouldn't understand the political ambitions that drive Hillary Clinton sufficiently so that she would put up with years of infidelity and humiliation at the hands of her husband. They would have left him to his misery years ago. No doubt about it, though, Bill Clinton has political savvy, even if he doesn't have class. Between the two of them, they must have figured out that her/their two political constituencies, i.e., black and Jewish voters, would best be found in New York. Forget Arkansas and Illinois.

As Robert Burns knew so well, the best laid schemes go agley. Who could have anticipated that a black candidate (from Illinois, yet) would appear on the scene to draw the Democratic black vote away from Hillary? The Clintons had better hope that New York's Mayor Bloomberg keeps his pledge not to run as an Independent candidate; otherwise, there will go the Jewish vote, as well.

Ruth Elizabeth Ramsey

To the Editor:

Heard of the 'Widow Maker?' The term is heard among cardiac professionals and points to, say, a blocked artery, the blockage of which clogs all heart action. What's tricky about it is that it can carry indistinct, thus hard to notice, symptoms- easy to rationalize as simple indigestion - with a hint of nuisance nausea thrown in to pester. Until my great awakening, mine was a classic case of self deception. Here's what happened:

First, for my high cholesterol I was on a statin drug, 40mg. Then, I'd been having significant alerts evidencing Sleep Apnea. Symptoms of the two maladies seemed to mimic each other, in that I felt ever bereft of energy and motivation. My statin level was probably around 10mg, at that time a limited tolerance. I'd also been, for some time, feeling a certain chest area tightness, and occasional mild nausea.

Monday, January 14 last was an average day. With breakfast done I went to my office to do some paperwork. There, I noticed a certain pressure on my chest, and a feeling of mild nausea. That wasn't so different, though; I'd been having the same sensations for some time. But this one was a little more extreme. Not enough for me to worry, though- it was probably indigestion. But I'd been experiencing a few minor issues that had been until now too insignificant to bother my doctor.

On Monday, January 14 last, I called Becky at her office at about 11:30 AM to mention that my chest pressure- which I'd previously not mentioned- had intensified a bit, and that I was experiencing a little nausea, but nothing significant, and did she think I should call my doctor to arrange an appointment. Well, my Becky the Registered Nurse seemed calm- those professionals will do that- as she explained that a trip to the ER was possibly in order, and that she'd come home to pick me up, and call to alert the staff at our local medical center. I felt better already; we'd go there and probably find it was nothing but indigestion, and by evening I'd be home with a prescription. We could probably pick it up on the way home.

Following testing I was ambulanced that evening to Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga with a 'widow maker' artery blockage that could end the tale at any moment. It was just north of the left ventricle, and called for unlocking and opening wide the sternum gates to permit an artery by-pass. Neither angioplasty nor stent would do.

Beyond hearing the amiable chatter of a splendid surgical OR team preparing for the procedure, I wasn't really witness to their work. Later in Surgical ICU an alert nurse noticed a systolic count of sixty over whatever and phoned Becky at her next-door motel accommodation to say that the surgeon was enroute to the OR and would be re-entering the surgical site. Blood loss was winning the race with blood infusion and I was turning grayer by the moment.

Times were tough in Surgical ICU. Bright smiling ICU nurses streamed in at times- about ten minutes apart- each with her own test, waxing lyrical of the weather outside and asking how great 'we' were feeling. I was less than diplomatic in my responses. What's more, I was beset with mild dementia and crazy dreams. In time I'd be given guided exercises in walking the corridor outside my room; first assisted, later alone. My progress walking would help to determine my date of discharge.

I'm home now, nearly over the painful coughing; I'm breathing better, sleeping less, and recovering some energy. They gave me a bright red, heart shaped pillow to take home, and a handy device to measure my breath. I press the pillow against my chest during cough spasms to ease the sternum pain. The breathing device is a respiratory athletic exercise to increase breathing capacity and suppress chest congestion. It calls for intake of breath, and measures from 500 to 5000, in increments of 500. I'm now up to 1250. So much for all the cigarettes I smoked until I quit sixteen years ago.

So there you have it. I am alive and my prospects for a continuing, fruitful and productive life seem good. God was with me, and Becky was at my side throughout.

With luck, one person will read my account of a failed 'widow maker,' and act soon enough to save her or his own life.

Tom McKevitt To the Editor:

I don't know if you will publish this I surely hope so. It's time for the citizens of Union County to take action and be heard. We are a community of caring people with compassion. The problem is no one is willing to speak up. We have a problem with drugs and our judicial system is all for putting people in jail, jail, jail, now some do deserve jail. But a lot of them are a product of addiction and do not know how to change. If our judicial system is going to put them on probation then why not offer them something to make them learn another way of life. We have the U.C.A.D.C. (Union County Anti-Drug Coalition) and it is a great program. We also have New Hope Counseling and 12-step meetings. New Hope Counseling is a great program and combined with 12-step meetings, it can make a great difference. Of course, we need to mandate these programs for a period of 1 to 3 years especially New Hope Counseling as they do random drug screens. Also our judicial system has the power to expunge the person's conviction if they complete the requirements and why not if they do as ordered. Fannin County is doing this and they are making a large difference. What does this cost any one? It costs the state nothing other than for our great probation department to check an attendance sheet once a month, then for the probationer the cost of New Hope Counseling and there are no fees for 12-step meetings. Well, Union County citizens are you going to be heard? If so, email or write the officials to be in charge of this. Maybe you can sit in your easy chair and say "not my problem" until one your grandchildren or sons or daughters or other family members are affected. Why not do something to help prevent this from happening? You must understand that any time we reform a drug addict we lower the chances of someone else being influenced by them. So what's it going to be, Union County, are you going to stick your head in the sand or are you really a person that cares and stands for change. I wasted 30 years of my life to drugs and alcohol and if they had done something like this when I was younger I would not have wasted 20 or more years of my life. In conclusion all I can say is it's up to you. Thank you citizens. I know you will make a difference.

Julian Grantjust another person who cares about people