On my way to work, I just happened to notice your publication (Aug. 23, 2007) and grabbed a copy. I admit, the “Volunteering” mention on the front caught my eye. As I have not seen this publication before, I was curious and started to glance through the pages.

Well, I did not make it past the shaded box on page 4 before wondering “Why?” Why do you ask for a “horrendous” experience rather than “any” experience? Yes, healthcare and health insurance is an ongoing problem in our country. I have had numerous years of my own life where I did not have any coverage. But during those years there were many people (individuals, doctors, etc.) along the way who helped me. And yes, there were bad stories during that time, also.

My point is, why do you want to look at just the bad side of healthcare? Are there not two sides to every story? Or is this publication to only cover what is wrong with the world? I will continue to browse the publication before making a final decision of whether I will pick up another issue to read, but my first impression is that “healthcare nightmare” is not going to be something of interest … unless it has some inspiration on how to bring about world peace. Or at least help make the system work better.

Patty Bay, Radford

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You’re right. That’s why just above that shaded box you mentioned I outlined the mission of the New River Voice, stating that “I wanted a publication that would be interactive and create a strong sense of community” and there is “a lot to be thankful for and honor” in the New River Valley. On the opposite page, columnist Rick Robers stated that it is his “hope that the people of the New River Valley unite, share stories, and work for social justice and a stronger community in our area.” Just call us Negative Nellys.

You bring up a good point, though. We could ask for any stories, but we all know that the healthcare system is broken. Some of us just disagree as to the extent of its brokenness. In light of Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko, it is clear that there are a lot of failings in the healthcare system, so we just wanted to see if similar stories could be found in the New River Valley. We know there are two sides to every story, but we know we can always get positive stories without having to call on our readers to supply them. We could just call the health-insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies and get all sorts of positive stories.

Now, I suppose I need to write that article that will bring about world peace.

The Editor