Attacking India not the point of satire column

To the editor:

God bless Akbar Siddiqui! His article is a brilliant one, a little masterpiece of humour that challenges the political correctness which enslaves, not only our newspapers, not only the American society, but also many quarrelsome countries as well. This type of humour is, unfortunately, not seen so often in our media landscape, except perhaps during the Simpsons, David Letterman's shows and of course European media.

Siddiqui could have used France, Russia, Japan, China, or why not, our friends Great Britain! Some of these countries cited even have some kind of dark historical relationship with us: Russia is the former USSR, China stole US nuclear secrets and Japan attacked us more than 50 years ago. So Siddiqui chose a country to make his point. I am sorry it was India. It could have been another one.

The point is that there is no point to be offended by the article for it did not have the purpose of making fun of India. Why? Why don't one just read the entire column first before criticizing! The author wanted to criticize the United States attempt to violate Iraq's sovereignty by drawing a parallel with another country attacking us. I feel sorry that for some people, their excessive pride and patriotism led them to lose their sense of humor. When one cannot laugh about its own country and shortcomings, then one has either lost his sense to take things lightly when they are indeed, or has on himself the germs for hostility, without knowing it. Perhaps it is the loss of humor in our world that leads us to sink in the abyss of intolerance.

Anyway, don't worry my American citizens. Jesus Christ, Master Yoda, and the Power Rangers combined with Godzilla will protect our blessed corrupt imperialist nation.

-- Nghia Kim Nguyen

Computer science

graduate student

Free liver transplants at Norman Regional a bad idea

To the editor:

I had a liver transplant in 1997. As I read the article on the hepatitis C victims in this morning's paper I felt concern over potential misinformation. One of the victim's attorneys quoted in the article states transplantation could cost as much as half a million dollars. At the only hospital doing liver transplants in this area and at this time, the cost is quoted as $250 thousand. The attorney also suggests that Norman Regional Hospital "give free liver transplants and care to those who were diagnosed with the illness." Before a patient is listed as an eligible transplant candidate they must go through intensive testing from a panel of 20 different doctors. Not every one diagnosed with hep C is eligible for listing for transplantation for a variety of medical reasons. Norman Regional Hospital is not set up to do the specialized surgical procedure of liver transplantation, an invasive procedure that can last from 6 to 16 hours. Also, there is the issue of donors. We have a major shortage of organ/tissue/cornea donors in Oklahoma. Every day Oklahoma's die waiting for the miracle of the gift of life to come in time for them. Most often it does not. The article in today's paper almost sounds like Norman Regional Hospital could just order up these "gift of life organs" to give to "those who have been diagnosed with the illness." That is simply not the case. I think it does the situation an injustice to simplify the process of listing for transplantation and the desperate lack of availability of viable organ/tissue/cornea donors.

I hope you will be able to include information on organ donation and the need to discuss your decision with your family and friends in future articles on this topic.

-- Carmen Eppler

Staff assistant,

Sam Noble Oklahoma

Museum of Natural History
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