Immigrants obligated to assimilate

To the editor:

I keep reading and hearing about Social Security and Medicare changes and am getting hot under the collar each time (“AARP conference: Will opposition to entitlement reform ever stop?” May 30 Review-Journal editorial). We seniors paid into both programs all of our working lives. The operative word here is “working.”

Today, all I hear about is what the government is giving away free to all the illegal immigrants — better known as undocumented Democrats.

Most of these people haven’t worked and don’t or won’t learn how to speak English and integrate into American society. Instead, we Americans are expected to learn Spanish and hand them free medical care, food, etc.

When my family came to America for a better life, as have these immigrants, the first priority was to learn English in order to get work and assimilate, and become productive Americans and not try to change the country to suit ourselves. If immigrants won’t assimilate, why should they get more than I do, when I’ve worked since I was 10 years old in this wonderful country and now struggle to make it to the end of the month.

All I can conclude is that the dollars that should be coming to people such as me are being diverted to those people who are only interested in changing our country to the one they escaped from.

SHEILA EPSTEIN

LAS VEGAS

Surveillance society

To the editor:

I get a kick out of the ACLU and others worrying that drones will invade our privacy and turn us into a surveillance society. We’re already there.

Whenever you leave home, you’re being watched. Whether it’s at a gas station, bank, office building, almost every store and especially at our casinos, you should smile, because you’re on camera.

Why doesn’t the ACLU get after these entities? Drones are just an added surveillance instrument. Used properly, as with the other cameras I mentioned, they’ll protect citizens and businesses, and make life safer for all concerned.

RICHARD J. MUNDY

LAS VEGAS

Desai trial

To the editor:

Every time I read articles on the trial of Dr. Dipak Desai, I get a strange feeling in my stomach. I had a colonoscopy in June 2007 at his office (“CDC official testifies Desai nurse admitted giving unsafe injections,” June 4 Review-Journal). After spending a day preparing for the procedure — the worst part — I arrived at his office, checked in and was taken to a change room to get into a surgical gown. When the nurse came to get me, I was informed that my doctor was out of town, and I was asked if would I mind if another doctor did the procedure.

There I was, half-naked, cleansed for the procedure, asked to make a choice to proceed or reschedule. I decided to proceed. They could have given me this information by calling me in the morning before I came into the office. I remember being wheeled into the procedure room and watched the staff preparing when I heard a cellphone ring. I watched a nurse anesthetist retrieve the phone from her purse, approach me and, while talking on the phone, administered the anesthesia. Before I could say anything, I was out.

I mentioned this to my doctor on my follow-up visit, and he appeared to be surprised. He said to me, “Well, I won’t charge you for this visit.” He thought that would fix it. By the way, he’s still practicing in Las Vegas.

I was lucky and did not get infected or harmed in any physical way, but I still think about this. I hope all those who were harmed get some justice at the end of this trial.

NEIL SCHWARTZ

LAS VEGAS