Bruce S. Ticker, Philadelphia
Growing up with Gamble & Huff
Growing up here in the mid- to late-'60s and '70s, you couldn't escape the sounds of Philadelphia on WDAS-FM. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff are extremely talented.
Their lyrics inspired my generation to appreciate soul and R&B. Listening to the Philly sound on the radio is how I learned to respect good music.
Working together as long as Gamble and Huff did, I now understand the true meaning of brotherly love.
Wayne E. Williams, Camden
How to get good health care
Letter-writer Kevin Allen says that he'd pay for a reasonable health-care system. Well, you don't have to, Kevin.
We already have one. It's called the free market. That's what our economy is built on - not government programs and handouts.
If health-care companies were allowed to operate in a free market with no government interference, health care would be dirt cheap. But if you want to pay for a health-care system, go for it. Pick a family or two or three without health care and mail them a check. Just don't force me to do it.
Stuart Caesar, Philadelphia
Gun-control, slavery & unions
Some of our first gun-control laws were designed to prevent newly freed slaves from owning firearms.
Those who rely on government are not free, so it's no surprise that the city's Democrats are perpetuating the same sort of environment that existed 140 years ago. And to think that places like New Jersey are apologizing for slavery when they still embrace it with the same vigor as in days past.
If you wish to address the crime in places like Philadelphia, look no further than the decades of abuse by the labor organizations that make widespread use of intimidation to drive out the competition. This also drives out opportunities. The most productive way to address crime in Philly is to open the gates of opportunity that have been locked shut. The blood of many of those murdered in this city is on the hands of corrupt "leaders" and has nothing to do with guns.
Cory Steiner
Yardley
