TNT letters: Religious freedom; price of insulin in the U.S.; Thomas Jefferson’s slaves

Freedom of religion

One frightening aspect of the attempt on Salman Rushdie’s life is the audacity of religious adherents to extend the influence of their religion over non-adherents. Part of what makes this frightening is seeing echoes of such intrusive actions and hearing increasingly violent rhetoric in Christian nationalists’ premeditated crusade to establish the United States as a Christian nation.

Freedom of and from religion is sacred. Freedom of speech is sacred. One has the right to believe whatever one wants as much as another has the right to express criticism of beliefs — artistically or otherwise. These are not mutually exclusive. But many people seem to think religion transcends the coexistence of these fundamental freedoms.

If any faction of religious adherents continues to suppress expression and true religious freedom in order to evade scrutiny and dictate how all Americans must live, what becomes of those sacred freedoms then?

Rodman Bolek, University Place

The price of insulin

In June, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Senator Susan Collins presented their bipartisan INSULIN Act to help lower the costs of insulin..

I currently work as a pharmacy technician. I see the massive increases in cost to drug prices every day, and now inflation has made most of these costs unbearable. The current average price for insulin is $175 to $300 a vial. When prices are this high it forces patients to ration their medicine, which can be incredibly dangerous, even deadly.

The INSULIN Act would do much to lower the financial burden of this medicine for those who need it. This includes preventing insurance companies from collecting rebates, which would disincentivize overcharging for these drugs. There would be a deductible waiver and $35 copay limit on at least one form of insulin. Finally, beneficiary limits would be blocked to ensure wider access to coverage.

With the savings from these proposals, lower and middle class individuals will be able to afford healthier foods and better care. Let’s stand in support of Senator Shaheen and Senator Collins.This valuable legislation cannot afford to get swept under the rug, yet again.

Stephen Lim, Tacoma

Thomas Jefferson

I think most of us would agree that if Thomas Jefferson were alive today not only would he not own slaves nor want to own them, he would be a force for justice and equality in this country.

Critics of Jefferson condemn him for essentially being a product of his era, but how many of those who tear down his statues and rename his buildings would themselves have owned slaves if they had been alive in the 1700s and early 1800s? Let’s remember Jefferson for the good he did, not for his ignorant mistakes.

Enlightenment is a gradual process. We can’t irrationally expect someone born in the 18th Century to have been cognizant of 21st century virtues. Jefferson was a visionary who helped lay the foundation for an egalitarian society, the likes of which this world had never seen, but the Founding Father still carried some relics of the old order. Purging this nation of every last vestige of racism is a noble cause, but in our fervency let’s not throw the metaphorical baby out with the bathwater.

Instead, let’s acknowledge Jefferson’s flaws while recognizing the role he played in the formation of this diverse and free nation.

Ian Riensche, Gig Harbor