TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 2, 2008

Use Food As Oil Weapon

OK, gas is costing the better part of $4 a gallon. We Americans are disturbed by this, but continue to pay what is necessary to get to where we need to go. We pay it because we either have to work, go to the store, visit sick or dying friends and relatives or have a relaxing day out of the house.

Whatever the reason, we usually cannot do most of these things without a car or even a taxi or bus. This lifestyle was put on us by the same type of worm that is charging the $4 a gallon. So, as the oil producers and company executives and stockholders get richer and richer, we try to make ends meet.

We pay more and more for groceries, doctors and recreation. Some senior citizens who have been barely eating cannot afford to eat at all. Most of the money is going to Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iraq and most of the OPEC countries.

Well, since we sell them corn, wheat and soy, I would like to suggest to the growers of these products to increase the amount they charge to foreign countries by 10 to 100 fold, and lower the prices for domestic use. Maybe when they get hungry enough, they will lower oil prices.

This is all wishful thinking, of course. But what if our elected officials actually did something for a change and put price freezes on gasoline and diesel for domestic use? I know, their campaign contributors would have them assassinated, but they would forever be real American heroes. What more can they ask for?

Well, I for one have decided to vote for Alfred E. Newman this year. If you remember him, I suggest you vote for him as well. Good luck America!

Fred Greenwalt

Spring Hill

Jesus Still Performing Miracles!

On May 1 at about 9:30 a.m., my daughter was coming back from running an errand and noticed an ambulance at her grandparents' home. My daughter called me from her grandparents' (my parents') home saying that my father might have had a stroke. Naturally, I got very upset and immediately started to call out the name of Jesus to please heal my father.

I called my husband, who works at Spring Hill Fire Rescue, and explained what was going on. Since he works with the dispatchers, he was able to find out more detailed information and report back to me as I was getting dressed to go to my parents' home.

When my daughter arrived home, she and I started making phone calls to our church deacon families asking them to pray for my father. Other family members were called and they also began to pray.

Minutes later, my husband informed me that paramedic Donald Lambert suspected my father most likely was having an aneurism in his brain and that he would need to be flown to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. Again, I began to pray and asked the Lord to please heal my father.

When we arrived at the emergency room area, we were directed to where my father was. Less than a half hour later, a doctor came to talk to us. Dr. Matthew Berlet, medical director of radiology at St. Joseph's Hospital informed us that my father was very lucky because in most cases patients do not make it alive to the hospital. Dr. Berlet explained the procedure that he would perform on my father and that my father could die on the table while performing the procedure.

You can only imagine how we felt at that point. My mother and I laid our hands on Dr. Berlet and began to pray. I was not going to accept my father dying. My family and I believed that the Lord was going to protect and heal my father. Shortly after praying with the doctor, we all went and prayed over my father. Thereafter, my father was taken to the operating room.

After about an hour, a nurse came out to inform us that he was doing well. She said they found the aneurism and it was quite large - 9 to 11 millimeters in size. We were all able to see him briefly once he was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) room. My father looked wonderful, just tired. My father continued to progress so well that the doctor released him from the hospital in six days!

Jesus performed many miracles on May 1; not only on my father, but also on the paramedics giving them the knowledge to make the right determination and decision, and on Dr. Berlet for a successful surgery. My family and I truly believe in the power of prayer!

On behalf of my entire family, we want to say thank you to Capt. John Ferriero, Paramedics Donald Lambert, Eugene Mobley and William Hedges and EMT Vern Phelps for their many years of knowledge and wisdom in the emergency medical field and, of course, the Bay Flight staff and St. Joseph's staff and a special thanks to Dr. Berlet; thank you for being there at the right place at the right time and for taking care of my father.

Josie Guillen

Spring Hill

The Guillen, the Caban, the Houck and the Hagerman Families The Guillen, the Caban, the Houck and the Hagerman Families

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT