I’m sure there are plenty of people who have attended a benefit dinner for someone who could not afford their medical bills. I’ve hosted one spaghetti dinner, been to another and know of two more in my small community of Greene that are being planned for next month.

People should not have to beggar themselves because they were denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions, loss of job, or having to choose between house payments or insurance premiums. People should not have to swallow their pride and accept charity from their friends and neighbors.

This is America. This is the wealthiest nation in the world. Why are people having to pay medical bills one spaghetti dinner at a time when the CEOs of insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies make seven-figure salaries?

Let’s help our neighbors by supporting President Obama’s health care reform. Let’s stop the spaghetti dinners.

Pamela Matzinger, Greene