The Rev. Pfleger has gone too far

The Rev. Michael Pfleger has gone too far with his latest tirade against Hillary Clinton.

He is no better than the so-called Rev. Wright.

This man has forgotten that he is a priest whose job it is to counsel and help save souls, not politics.

He has been in the same parish for a long time now and maybe Cardinal George should consider a transfer or at least a sabbatical to find his way back to his calling.

Kenneth Labuda

Arlington Heights

Training varies for doctors of nursing

We have the deepest respect for nurses, and the AMA wholeheartedly believes each member of the health-care team plays a critical role in ensuring patients get the best possible care.

But (regarding the article Monday, "Nursing schools make room for Dr. Nurse") it's an undeniable fact that a nurse with a graduate degree does not have the same education and training as a physician who has completed medical school and residency training, and it's misleading to patients for nurses to introduce themselves as a doctor.

While standards for the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) are presently being devised, nursing organizations currently recommend DNP students complete just 1,000 hours of "practical experience" after obtaining a bachelor's degree.

Physicians complete more than 12 times that amount during their graduate education.

In addition to the two years of clinical rotations physicians fulfill during their four years of medical school, they also complete three or more years of full-time medical residency training.

The DNP program with the one-year residency training mentioned in the article is far from the norm.

While one DNP graduate may complete a two-year program including a one-year residency, another may complete the program entirely online and without any patient-care experience.

The bottom line is: For patients to receive high quality care, all members of the health care team need to be adequately trained and educated to provide the services they perform.

Our patients deserve nothing less.

Edward L. Langston

Board Chair

American Medical Assn.

Chicago

Not all Germans supported Nazis

I am sorry for Mr. Coppel's loss at the Holocaust.

I am born in Germany and our family believed strongly in the old Kaiser times. Those times were gone forever when an Austrian nobody went to power in Germany.

But I do not agree that all Germans were Nazis, even though some believed the Nazi regime meant well.

You forget that the Gestapo watched closely every German. You forget to say that not only Jewish and Gypsies went to camps.

Who was openly against the regime, the Gestapo did care less if they were Catholics or Lutheran, etc.

Even a few generals lined up in the camps who were from the Kaiser time.

Find a book that tells you about the German generals. The truth is, only strong believers in the party were watchdogs at the camps and it is the truth.

No ordinary German did not know what was going on in the camps. And those who started to get close to a camp, got shot. That I know for a fact.

When my mom was in jail for political reasons, a nun was in her room with her.

A priest and the nun had heard rumors that there was no food in the camps for all to feed. They got caught coming up to the fence and both got shot in jail without a trial.

Rita Heisler

Hoffman Estates

Nothing wrong with large families

I am the father of eight children. I have six sons and two daughters.

I won't enumerate what their jobs are except to say that they are all responsible jobs. They are helping to keep our society functioning and themselves fed. My daughters both teach children with learning disabilities.

It takes two people to make a child, no matter by what method.

Mr. Haase seems to advocate only one or two children per family. At that rate, we would be lowering our population at an alarming rate.

Not only that, but a lot of people have no children at all. People are going all over the world to adopt children.

As for the 17-children family that is being criticized, please remember that our creator supplied souls for all of them. If, of course, you believe in souls.

And by the way, they didn't get here illegally.

Two children for two people would balance out mathematically, but remember a good percentage of children are born with mental and physical handicaps, such as autism.

Also, an alarming number of our youth do not get to see their 25th birthdays.

So who will fight all of our inevitable and unending wars? Maybe some of the 17.

Robert Rood

Elk Grove Village

McClellan's lesson in wooing the Left

When Scott McClellan was White House press secretary, he said things the Left didn't like and they called him a liar.

Now he says things the Left loves, and they call him a paragon of truth and virtue.

Don Frost

Rolling Meadows

For McClellan, it's about the money

Remember the retired Army generals who voiced their disapproval of the Iraq war? They went along with the system while on the payroll. Honorable men, all honorable men.

Now, we have Scott McClellan, former loyal associate of G.W. Bush and once holder of the prestigious position of national press secretary.

Being off the payroll, the scales have conveniently fallen from his eyes.

He slaps his forehead and says to himself: "Whoa! I can make buckets of money by writing a tell-all book." It certainly wouldn't have been wise to reveal inconvenient truths while I was being paid by the government. After all, I had many financial responsibilities. But it's different now. So I'm a turncoat. Who cares?

I, for one, hope that Bush, when out of office, slaps McClellan with a lawsuit that makes Mr. McClellan's knees buckle.

James R. Schaefer

Mount Prospect

Why do we need another gun law?

The Daily Herald definitely missed the target (pun intended) with its May 25 editorial concerning gun owners.

First, there are more than 23,000 gun laws in the U.S. Why aren't these laws being enforced? Why does Illinois need another gun law? Illinois is one of the most restrictive states regarding gun laws. Chicago has banned guns outright and Daley's police still can't control the gang problem.

Second, the Daily Herald only quoted from the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Just what do you think this group is going to advocate or recommend? Ever hear of the Illinois State Rifle Association?

Third, don't say that there isn't a slippery slope. You insult and offend my and others' intelligence with such prattling.

Every anti-gun group wants the camel's nose under the tent. They salivate at the thought of everyone being gun-less. All anti-gun groups have said over and over again that this is their ultimate goal.

Of course, politicians have round-the-clock bodyguards. And most elected officials are exempted from anti-gun laws and termed peace officers, with concealed-carry rights. What hypocrisy!

Fourth, what about the estimated 2 million citizens who protect themselves each year when they can confront a criminal with a firearm and scare them away, prevent others from being harmed or hold them for the police?

And, then you wonder why gun owners won't close ranks with groups such as the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence?

Or, go to Springfield. What for? To give away their Second Amendment rights? I don't think so.

Tom Manion

Mount Prospect