Response to weekend letter on border and Ukraine

As a veteran, I feel compelled to respond to the letter in the Jan. 28 Salisbury Post regarding border security and Ukraine funding.

His myopic focus on the southern border overlooks the fact that it has been broken for decades and our elected members of Congress would rather manipulate the situation for political gains rather than address the root causes of the process failure.

He singles out Sen. Tillis (who I occasionally agree with when he makes a sincere effort to reach across the aisle) but fails to mention Bishop, Hudson and Budd who, to the best of my knowledge, have never held a real town hall meeting.

The writer is concerned about “money we do not have” while failing to mention the 2017 Trump tax cuts which yielded another $8 trillion in our level of national debt.

We now have dead and injured military personnel in Jordan because we’ve slow walked our support for Ukraine. The much-needed F16s are still not in country. Air cover is fundamental when trying to repel an invading force.

The world is on fire and too many of our elected officials have still not learned from history (Neville Chamberlain – 1939). Xi, Kim and Putin are watching our every move while quietly supporting Iran.

We all need to demand that our Congress put aside the petty politics and start working on real solutions.

— Eric Marsh
China Grove

The life you save may be your own

In recent weeks, King Charles of Great Britain and U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin have been in the headline news with prostate surgeries. Thanks to a diagnosis and referral by the Veterans Administration Medical Center and retired doctor Wink Cline, I also recently underwent this surgery at Atrium Health Center in Charlotte.

Although this medical issue and procedure are fairly common among older males, little is known about its causes, effects and treatments. After age 50, a majority of males experience an enlarged prostate and up to 20 percent or more receive a cancer diagnosis. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in senior males. Early detection can be extremely important in treating this disease. You are strongly encouraged to get an annual physical exam with your physician. 

The life you save may be your own.

— Ronnie Smith
Salisbury