Cartoon to the editor

By Paul F. Miczer

Most vital medical issue
is death with dignity

A.A. Smyser is once again right on target in his March 6 column, "Better to call it Doctor-Assisted Death." I suggest we call it Doctor-Assisted Death With Dignity, or DADD.

The January issue of the Hawaii Medical Journal was dedicated to death and dying. Never in the 56 years of our publication have we received so many letters to the editor. The majority were in favor of DADD.

This is the most important subject in all of medicine; yes, even more critical than the abortion issue. We all face death, eventually.

Smyser is a valuable member of the governor's Blue-Ribbon Panel on Living and Dying with Dignity. As the panel continues deliberations, I join him in hoping that we and the community can retain our civility as we debate.

Dr. Norman Goldstein
Editor, Hawaii Medical Journal

Don't balance budget
on backs of retirees

Earl Anzai, state budget director, has repeatedly said that funds of the Employees' Retirement System may be tapped to solve the state's current budget crisis. As a retiree I am unalterably opposed to this proposal.

These funds were established to serve only one purpose and that is to provide benefits for retirees and their beneficiaries. It is not proper to tap these funds for any other purpose.

Anzai's position is a threat to the fiscal integrity of the ERS.We are not worried about any threat of an immediate pension loss. However, we do care that the fiscal integrity of the system needs to be preserved so that future generations of retirees can look forward to a fiscally sound ERS to ensure that the pensions they earn will be there for them.

Richard S. W. Young

If bedrooms could talk,
Lincoln's would be mum

With all the current talk about the Lincoln bedroom, there's a thread of comment that is spurious. Guides to the famous quarters make remarks such as, "It gives you goosebumps to think that Abraham Lincoln once trod these very boards," or "If these walls could only talk."

In the early 1950s, I attended a meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Washington. On the agenda was a trip over to the White House to see what was happening.

What was happening was that the building had been totally gutted. Four stark walls stood, not a thing inside. Bess & Harry Truman were in temporary quarters in Blair House.

We were told that the reconstructed insides would be brand new, so the walls could only talk post-1953 or thereabouts. And where was Lincoln's ghost during the restoration? Toddlin' around the Beltway?

David W. Eyre

My kingdom for some cash!

The Counselor of the Revenue
Arose and he did speak.
"King Benjamin, Your Majesty,
The future's looking bleak.

"After long consideration,
It is my learned view:
Unless you do some cutting, Sire,
Our economy is through!

"Please call the Earl of Anzai,
And let him do his thing.
With luck and careful planning,
We'll be out of this next spring!"

"Nay, nay!" the king protested,
"Your figures must be wrong.
I'll summon my economist.
He'll sing a different song."

Now, at the Royal Senate,
The lords and ladies there
Vowed to slash the budget,
But didn't know quite where.

And at the House of Finance
Sir Cal of Pa-lo-lo
Tried to trim the kingdom's fat
"Which programs have to go?"

Back and forth, they argued on.
Several years went by.
The economy was losing steam
And looked like it might die.

At last they stopped debating
Oh, what a blessed day!
Alas, how sad ... it was too late.
Everyone had moved away.

By C. Richard Fassler

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