Letters to the Editors

Doctor is proud American who cares for patients

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 20, 2001

Editor: This letter is written for all the negative responses from our Hernando County citizens. I am in total support of (the doctor at Oak Hill Hospital who made the alleged comment about the terrorist attacks). I have worked for him as his secretary for 15 years, and know his feelings and the honor he holds for America.

He is an outstanding physician in this community and has deep pride in his professional ability. He has strong, caring feelings for all of his patients. His total intense response to any patient that needs medical intervention is unrelenting.

The doctor is a strong, opinionated person but would do anything in his power to help any person go on with life. I would never feel a lack of trust or support for the doctor on any important decision.

All the colleagues who know the doctor as a person know what he stands for. They know he has a strong opinion on many issues but would never intentionally put down America. He is an American citizen and takes deep pride in that. His family is strong and by his side.

His patients who know him as a person, as well as their physician, know that his statement was mistakenly taken and meant no hatred or disrespect for America. I am supporting the doctor 100 percent.

All the individuals who are showing a lack of respect and total disregard for the excellent physicians in our county are acting no better than the people who attacked our nation. We all need to unite and pray for peace.
-- Pat Manzow, Spring Hill

Editor: Is it not bad enough to have been attacked by foreign terrorists without our own neighbors directing terrorizing activities toward people in our own community?

Ours is a nation (and community) of people of many, many nationalities. My ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, but that does not make me better than someone who immigrated to this country in the past few years.

I deplore the outrages perpetrated against the local mosque as well as a few local businesses by people who rush to judgment and turn their anger upon our neighbors.

Several of my own doctors are Muslims, and over the almost 15 years I have lived in Spring Hill I have nothing but gratitude for their dedication and skill, as well as their sincere concern for all of their patients.

It is up to each one of us to work toward peace and kindness and stand together as "one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all."
-- Margaret M. O'Connell, Spring Hill

Editor: Re: The article regarding the person or people who fired a gunshot through the window of the mosque on Barclay Avenue, and also set fire and painted graffiti at a beverage drive-through on Spring Hill Drive (Ugly words and acts of hate, Sept. 14 Hernando Times).

As a retired New York City police officer, I have quite a bit of experience in profiling criminals. Those perpetrators are most likely 17 to 21 years of age, have numerous traffic violations and a minor police record, and do not possess a high school diploma. Their biggest claim to fame has been vandalizing residents' mailboxes.

They also will not be found in the vicinity of a military recruiting station.
-- Gene Huber, Spring Hill

Editor: In the wake of this horrific event that has shocked our nation, I am appalled when I drive around the county and notice the absence of American flags. Sure, homes and a few businesses have displayed them, but I find it difficult to comprehend why there isn't a flag in front of every home and business.

For many years, I have believed that there are too many citizens living in our country who do not consider this their "country." This assault on New York and Washington, D.C., is an assault on all of America. Is it too much to ask of our business leaders to hang a flag in solidarity? They certainly like us to spend our money in their shops.

Let us all show our support for our democracy, our citizens and our country.
-- Denise Sabatino, Spring Hill

Editor: Most of the time our patriotism isn't brought to the forefront of our everyday lives. On Saturday, I had one of the most moving experiences of my life.

My son belongs to the Youth Athletic Bowling Association at Mariner Bowling Lanes in Spring Hill. On Saturday morning, before bowling got started, Sandy Wilson, who runs the youth bowling program, took a few minutes to reflect on her feelings and, I'm sure, the feelings of just about every American these days.

When Sandy finished speaking, she asked everyone to join her for a few moments in memory of the victims of the senseless tragedy in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and New York. A moment went by and over the intercom the first few notes of the song God Bless the USA started playing. A man stood up, raised his arms and brought everyone in the building to their feet.

I looked around through tear-filled eyes to see just what America united really means, even if it was just standing in a bowling alley. Parents crying and holding their young children tightly, and older children standing and singing along with their parents. Proud to be an American, what a sight.

I want to thank Sandy Wilson for an experience many of us will never forget. It goes to show how a simple act of patriotism can be so powerful and touch so many lives.

God bless America.
-- Kimberly Noon, Spring Hill

Editor: Shame on you, Bubba the Love Sponge, for misidentifying a physician in our county who, sadly, spoke in anger against all Americans. You, who has complained bitterly about being vilified and wrongly accused, should have known better, especially in these times of suffering and great fear.

Our family has known the mistakenly identified Dr. I. Jandali since he came to our community more than 10 years ago. At that time he was the only board-certified pediatrician practicing in Hernando County, and as such he was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for more than a year to our local hospitals.

I don't know if any of us fully appreciated the sacrifices he had to make in order to start a successful practice, as well as be there for all of our sick newborns, infants and children whenever we needed him. Personally, our family has known him to be a compassionate, intelligent, hard-working physician who was always willing to spend time consoling as well as educating us about the sickness we were dealing with. He supported us through a life-threatening illness with our son, and is loved by our children.

In this time of rampant fear and terrible sorrow, we all need to remember to temper our anger with reason, and follow our government's lead of "counting to 10." This gives us all time to find out the true story, and act properly and rationally.

Dr. Jandali, please accept our apology for the suffering you must feel, and realize that there are many more like our family that truly appreciate the sacrifices and contributions that you have made to your community.
-- Greg, Holly, Amanda, Michael, Maigan and Mirae Flateau, Brooksville

Editor: Re: Jan Glidewell's column Sept. 18.

Thanks for Jan's wonderful column in today's issue on the ignorant, bigoted and hateful remarks of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. These two pompous hucksters are Christianity's equivalent of Osama bin Laden and the mullahs who run Afghanistan's Taliban.

Year by year they have tried to chip away at our religious freedoms and replace them with their brand of fire and brimstone. They would have been happy in the 16th century and Spain's auto-da-fes (a great spectacle where hundreds were burned at the stake).

Our Constitution and the men who have led our country over the centuries who believed in the Constitution have kept religion out of our government, and that is why we have religious freedom today. But we must be ever wary of those who wish to turn our country from a democratic republic into a theological dictatorship.

Remember that our Founding Fathers -- Jefferson, Adams, Madison and Paine -- all thought badly of organized religion:

As Jefferson said: "I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and do not find in our particular superstition (Christianity) one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology.

"They (preachers) dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live."

From Article 11, Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tropoli of Barbary: "As the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion -- as it has itself no character of enmity against the law, religion or tranquility of Musselmen (sic) ..." The treaty was ratified by the full Senate and signed into effect by President John Adams in 1797.

And from James Madison, 1785: "What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people."

And finally from Thomas Paine: "Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst."

We must keep our religious freedom by making sure that no government or agency entangles religion in our civil life.
-- Gil Williams, Spring Hill

Electric cooperative is anything but cooperative

Editor: I was absolutely astonished to read that the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative said that on Friday night the maximum outage for customers was just over an hour. That was the same message the company gave the papers the last time there was a storm and our entire neighborhood lost power. On Friday we had no power for 13 hours. The time before, it was more than eight hours.

Further concern was raised when, for several hours, I tried, as did my neighbor, to reach the co-op's emergency number. It was constantly busy. My concern was serious enough that a fire, which could have been in the streetside transformer, was burning in the darkness. I know nothing about transformers, but I was afraid it might blow up. The "emergency" number is never available!

None of us trying to reach the emergency numbers were ever able to get anyone. I called 911 and was transferred to our fire department. They responded almost immediately, examined the situation and assured me that the problem was a damp log being burned by the electrical wire and was not a fire hazard. They also told me that a Withlacoochee cooperative dispatcher said utility workers would not respond because it was too dangerous for them.

If indeed they are trained professionals and it is too dangerous for them, what on earth could the neighborhood people do? Well, for one thing, I stayed awake all night watching this red glow -- that's all! They arrived 13 hours later, removed the branch and restored power almost immediately.

The inability to get information from the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative and workers' reluctance to come out at night for what could have been a serious problem is reprehensible. To inform all of us that the maximum outage was just over an hour went too far. The inability to get through to their emergency number several times, by several people, also leads me to believe that they simply leave that phone off the hook.

This could one day affect all of us, and some public forum should investigate.
-- J.A. Mac Donald, Spring Hill

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