Stop giving Wilson soapbox for distortions

It is a waste of time around here to try to correct inaccuracies and exaggerations made by Rep. Joe Wilson regarding proposed legislation on health care reform. (I would hesitate to call them "lies" because Wilson has already staked a claim on that word; it has helped him raise more than $2 million.)

Wilson's take on the legislation ("a government takeover") gets repeated every time he's in the neighborhood. It was right there Saturday in a five-column, boldface headline on the front page. By my count, the same questionable Wilson claims have appeared on your front page three times since he unveiled them in his "town hall meeting" last September. Isn't it the job of a free press to keep the public informed by presenting opposing views on important issues? By failing to do so, the paper looks like a captive house organ for Wilson.

You could at least offer a real discussion on the subject of health care reform. Perhaps an editorial asking, "Since the government already offers Medicare, what would it be taking over? Private insurance companies? Not likely, although they aren't doing such a great job. Meanwhile, what's wrong with our government offering less costly alternatives to its taxpayers?"

Joseph Scheines

Hilton Head Island