MAILBAG:

It is regrettable that the Daily Pilot chose to publish what it knows or should have known to be a blatant lie: that the health-care bill “comes down to a government takeover with dictatorial rules to doctors and caregivers” (“Care bill must be researched,” Sounding Off, Wednesday)

Is there any wonder, then, that a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll indicated that a majority of Americans actually believe the following canards being spread by RepubLiars?

1. Obamacare will pay for all illegal immigrants.

2. Obamacare will pay for abortions on demand.

3. Obamacare is intended to pull the plug on Grandma.

4. Obamacare will somehow deny care to all registered Republicans.

5. Obamacare is a total government takeover of all health care.

Aided and abetted by right-wing talk shows, Fox News and billions of dollars of campaign contributions from big pharma and the insurance industry, honest, serious debate on reform is being deliberately drowned out by orchestrated mobs. The tactics are reminiscent of the Third Reich. We observed it firsthand Aug. 31 at a rally in Newport (“Health care knocks on Campbell’s door,” Tuesday). And the Pilot covered it with the same seriousness as if it were some kind of a carnival show.

I agree with the writer that we have the finest medical care in the world. Unfortunately, access to it is limited to our congressmen, senators and the multimillionaires of Newport Beach and their equally wealthy associates around the world who can afford to pay for it. And that is the issue to be addressed — democratically and within the confines of our constitution.

JAMSHED DASTUR

Protest showed the mob mentality

Regarding “Democracy in action for health care,” the Bell Curve, Thursday:

Joe Bell is usually right. However, I crossed the street to the side of the anti-health-care people, by mistake, and the hatred when they saw the sign I carried was palpable. I am more than 80 years old and less than 5 feet tall, and they descended upon me yelling “You will die.” I could only respond, “I hope so” (but didn’t want to that day). The only thing like it I have experienced was watching news previews at movies when I was 6, of people in Germany in 1934. Now I understand how propaganda works to create hatred in all countries, at all times.