Dec 17, 2003 3 min read

On Nov. 19, you ran an article on page B1 with heading “Clarksville man killed in motorcycle accident.” You state that he was on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and that he was not wearing a helmet. Last time I checked, the law in Pennsylvania does not require qualified people to wear a helmet in order to operate a motorcycle. So why did you feel you had to mention it? I understand why seatbelts are mentioned in car accidents – it is illegal to operate a car without wearing your seatbelt. This is not the case with helmets and motorcycles.

I have often felt that the Herald Standard was biased against motorcyclists. Your political cartoons published around the time that the helmet-choice laws were passed proved that my suspicions were correct.

I especially took offense to the one showing the motorcyclist riding without a helmet and also depicting his headstone. And please note that a helmet would not have saved Mr. Muscavitch – the injuries inflicted by the unlawful driver of the pickup truck were too severe. Full body armor would not have saved him.

I hope after the police investigation is complete, you will publish a more unbiased report on this.

Richard Clemence

Scottdale

Bush follies continue

Does anybody in the real world believe George Bush knows where the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Center for Medicare and Medicaid) building is located, much less be involved in making “sweeping changes” to the Medicare system?

If you listen to those wordy, beautiful talking heads on TV, the president alone saved the seniors of our great nation from object poverty. Just in time for next year’s presidential elections.

Why doesn’t he take credit for his war for oil, the bombings that are on the increase in the Middle East, Americans hated around the world, huge deficit spending, “give aways” to the wealthy, corporate welfare, pillaging the environment? The list goes on. He must think he’s not going to have grandchildren who will have to pay for his junk policies.

The sad and scary part is that he may be reelected because people are too busy with their lives to really analyze what he’s done in less than three years. He doesn’t mind sending working-class sons and daughters to die for his rich friends under the guise of the flag. Saddam Hussein was as much a threat to the United States as Canada. No matter how he tries to spin it he screwed up big time. I wouldn’t be surprised if we are hit with a rash of terror about the time next November elections roll around. Terrorists would love to zing him, but the average guy will pay the price, as usual.

Alan Bowden

California