Economic troubles are not yet over

We often deceive ourselves that all is well with the economy and ignore the fundamental flaws that are a source of growing discontent. Currently, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is experiencing a bout of irrational exuberance and euphoria with respect to a recovery. He claims the economy was successfully brought back from the brink of collapse. Is this true? Is there really light at the end of the tunnel?

The most egregious, egotistical offenders in the financial meltdown, namely, Goldman Sachs, still have major influence over government. They have a virtual monopoly on information necessary for making sound financial decisions in this market. The large banks have been exploiting this fear of being "too big to fail" to get favorable deals out of Washington.

By pouring hundreds of billions into banks that made the most asinine, fallacious mistakes of the financial crisis, the government rewarded influential institutions. The goal was clearly not to save banks but to merge them into "mega-banks" and consolidate power into the hands of a few.

The economy will recover some day. The best we can do now is put in place structural constraints on the financial sector including enforcement of antitrust rules and stronger regulations and punishments.

We are in for another day of reckoning. In the meantime, we should invest in education, research and development of new leading sectors of our economy, based on technological advances that can truly rescue our economy.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS

Chapel Hill

Time for reform

It is really time to pass a good health care reform bill. We need a public option to reduce costs of private insurance companies; my insurance company profited 158 percent this past year.

We need all citizens covered, not only rich, privileged people like myself. We are lucky, but others, not so much. It will help the economy as well.

It is a shame that politicians and others in certain media can be so destructive and ridiculous and say things like death panels, etc. My husband and I are seniors, and thank goodness we don't pay attention to nonsense like that. But others are not as well educated and believe this nonsense.

The media should be more responsible and curtail crap like that. It will also help Medicare in the long run, which I think is wonderful.

CAROL OSTROW

Hillsborough

Torture, not sport

While I don't understand how killing a creature that is terrified of man is "sport," I understand many justify this act using population control as an excuse to hunt. It is inexcusable that bows and arrows can be used in this day and age when at least a clean gunshot prevents the animal from tremendous suffering before death. Impaling with a stick and slowly bleeding to death is torture -- not sport.

MARNIE GRAY

Charlotte