Ken Frank writes that the university's new "preferred name" policy is absurd.
To the Editor:
Have you ever wondered what the bottom of the slippery slope looks like? Well, the new "preferred names" policy at Rowan University ("N.J. college lets students change names to reflect gender, cultural identity," article, March 9) gives us a view.
For a while the LGBTQA community -- yes, they keep adding letters; "Q" and "A" stand for "queer" and "asexual" -- told us to accommodate them because they weren't exactly sure what their orientation was called. Now, they are telling Rowan to accommodate them because they are not sure who they are.
Hearing the explanation for this new policy contorts the brain and strains the sensibilities. Carl "Tobey" Oxholm III, Rowan's vice president for administration and strategic advancement, said in a statement that calling people by a campus name they prefer "is part of Rowan's strong commitment to diversity."
I see it as a stronger commitment to insanity. Today I'm Sam, tomorrow I'm Samantha. Oh, by the way, I will decide which bathroom fits me today depending on my feelings and mood.
Folks, this is not higher learning, this is the capitulation to gender confusion and human dysfunction. And all of us who object are being forced to tolerate and accept this, and are being disrespected. The slippery slope seems to be bottoming out.
The tail is wagging the dog wildly. With the spineless muzzle of political correctness firmly over our mouths, and our estrangement from all that's right and good as a culture, we can only shake our heads at the wonder of it all -- as we look back up the slope for help from whence we came.
Ken Frank
Pitman
Cut price on lifesaving drugs
To the Editor:
Americans are reeling under the high cost of prescription drugs. Generic drugs, once the haven for inexpensive medication, are feeling the effect of rising costs too. No more is this more apparent than the cost of treating Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis is an epidemic throughout the world. A recent article in Bloomberg Business Week puts the worldwide number of cases at 150 million. It's estimated that 5.3 million Americans are infected with Hepatitis B or C. If left untreated, it can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and death.
Gilead Sciences has produced two drugs to fight hepatitis, Sovaldi and Harvoni. Harvoni has recently, been advertised on TV. The American cost of Sovaldi is about $1,000 per pill. A course of treatment requires 84 pills, or $84,000. The Bloomberg article stated that the U.S. Senate chastised the company over the this cost.
India has about 12 million stricken with hepatitis. However, India has been able to supply its citizens the with a generic form of this drug at about $4.29 per pill.
The cost of Harvoni is even higher. I visited three local chain drug stores and the average, non-insurance price for a three month treatment was in excess of $100,000. Very few patients can afford this type of expense. It's safe to say many insurance plans won't cover the cost, either.
I understand that research and development are expensive. However, no drug company should not be permitted to charge the American people the costs cited above.
Paul S. Bunkin
Turnersville