Our Good Sam has made the news lately, not only in our Tribune but in news media throughout the country. I do not know any of the girls involved or their parents. I do not know any of the residents involved.

Unless parents can be forced to pay, it seems rather silly to fine teenagers $3,000 for each of 10 counts. What are the odds they will have that kind of money?

For the four girls whose crime was that they failed to report, what they heard happening, jail seems like a rather cruel punishment. When I was young we used the term tattletale. I do not know what word is used today. A tattletale was not the most popular one in the class. Few parents encourage their children to tattle even on their own siblings except for serious offenses. What if the four girls would have reported what the other two were doing and the administration would have done nothing about it? Life would have been hell for the four. There should be a suggestion box where workers could leave anonymous notes.

Our prison system is a real burden for the taxpayers of our nation. We should think twice before sentencing someone to prison and then have them labeled a criminal for life. Those who consider themselves Christians should remember the many verses in the Bible similar to Psalm 25:7, which says, “Remember not the sins of my youth or my many transgressions.” Many of us older people did something in our youth we are not proud of. The Bible goes even further when it says in Mark 11:26, “If ye forgive not your fellow man his trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses.” That one should make most of us stop and think.

Self-appointed critic, Wes Bledsoe, recommends there be video monitoring (Dec. 9) in the rooms. What would it cost to put monitoring in the rooms? Besides a full-time operator what would be the daily cost of the monitors? The nursing home would have to hire people to review these tapes. If I end up in a nursing home someday, I hope they will not take videos of the nurses giving me a bath or changing my diapers.

As the percent of our population that is old goes higher and higher and the percent that are tax-paying workers goes lower and lower, we should ask how long will the taxpayers be able or willing to subsidize our nursing homes. Nowadays if taking care of Grandma or Uncle Ed gets to be a burden the family haul them out to a nursing home. They expect the staff to give them tender, loving care. Running a nursing home isn’t easy. They are on a tight budget. Hiring and keeping good employees is a constant struggle. Being criticized every time something goes wrong doesn’t help.

I would guess there are lawyers waiting in the wings for the right moment to pounce on Good Sam with a lawsuit. If they should win, Good Sam could go bankrupt and close. Which do we need the most, more rich lawyers or Good Sam? I am 80, and Good Sam has been here for as long as I can remember. They have helped thousands of people. Instead of criticizing them, why don’t you go there one day a week and volunteer to help whenever they need you?

Roger Fink

Albert Lea