Avoiding disease is better than trying to cure it
Re: “An ounce of prevention is no cost-saving cure,” Editorial, Aug. 30 This editorial seeks to make the case against prevention based on cost alone. But the true value of prevention and treatment should be determined by how they improve the public’s health, which is often ascertained by the number of quality adjusted life-years that are added for a given cost. When held to that standard, most preventive services do very well. The major causes of death and increased health costs are related to individual behaviors. Promoting good health and avoiding disease requires that we choose healthy behaviors in our everyday lives. This is the true definition of primary prevention. Clarifying what is meant by the term “prevention” is a necessary and useful exercise, demonstrating that its judicious and targeted use increases the value of our health investments. The bottom line is, prevention works.
Mark B. Johnson
President,
American College of Preventive Medicine
Washington
Police bullying is a large but hidden problem
Re: “Our constitutional rights are seriously endangered,” From Readers, Sept. 2 While it was indeed refreshing to see the letter from David T. Clenney regarding police abuses in our justice system, they regularly exceed even the “quadruple number of cases” he mentioned that go unrevealed. Only an exception adult who reached maturity in an entirely different culture can resist the bullying mentality in law enforcement. The problem is that there are no reasonable means of redress for a victimized citizen. We will never eliminate human imperfections. However, a means to correct mistakes as they occur goes a long way in making such an imperfect system viable. Unfortunately, the justice system has very little of this capability. Having been the victim of a broad repertoire of organized police harassment tactics, I echo with amplification Mr. Clenney’s comments.
Kenneth Knaell
Silver Spring
Obama’s stimulus policy is a flop
President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan so far has had a detrimental impact on our economy. When Obama and the Democrats in Congress pushed to pass it, they promised it would create jobs immediately. However, jobs continue to be lost all over the country, the stimulus spending is slow, and even Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged that some of the money will be wasted. Instead of providing jobs as promised by the Obama administration, millions are still unemployed and billions of dollars have been added to our growing federal deficit. The stimulus plan is another one of Obama’s failed ventures that this country cannot afford.
Al Eisner
Silver Spring
