To the editor:

The front-page headline of Sunday, Aug. 16, “Reform advocates drowned out in uproar,” was entirely inappropriate. Your description of meetings put on by U.S. Reps. Lynn Jenkins and Todd Tiahrt as “dominated almost entirely by opponents of Democratic plans to reform the health care system” was slanted, one-sided, and wrong. The way the headline is worded clearly favors the liberal Democrat viewpoint.

The attendees at the meeting were exercising their First Amendment rights not only of free speech, but the right to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Scott Rothschild’s article quoted Corrie Edwards, executive director of the Kansas Health Consumer Coalition, as saying, “These meetings have become crazy.” She went on to say she felt “beat up by people.” If she has a problem listening to the opinions of the people she is paid to serve, then she’s in the wrong business.

Americans don’t need or want elected officials to decide what is in our best interest. I have faith that the American people are strong enough and intelligent enough to be able to make these kinds of decisions on their own, without any intervention at all from the federal government. So in the future, leave the opinions to the opinion page, and present the news as impartial and unbiased.