I was reading two articles in the Feb. 19 Pantagraph, "No-pay movement a boost for patient safety in hospitals" and "Gun law too late for NIU."It's about time Medicare quit paying for hospitals that mess up. I know of case where a patient caught MRSA from hospitals, resulting in endless antibiotic IV treatments. Then patients are treated by hospital personnel as if they are lepers.

The hospital gave it to them in the first place. Then the excuse is used that it's a community-based disease.

MRSA can kill and it's caused by improper sterilization and poor hand washing. MRSA can spread to family members if strict measures aren't followed in getting rid of bandages in a proper way and hand washing isn't followed.

But I worry that the hospitals can stop taking care of Medicare patients who get sick, have heart attacks, etc.

Now for gun control:

What about fining the National Rifle Association each time an innocent person gets injured or, worse, killed by these people who snap?

Fine the manufacturers who produce guns, shells and gun powder until tougher gun laws are passed.

The NRA lobbies each year to stop gun control laws from being passed. You have to go through tougher background checks to become a foster parent, school teacher, bus driver, etc., than to get a Firearms Owner Identification card.

People have the right to bear arms, according to our Constitution, but I don't believe forefathers meant the right to bear arms and kill someone's child.

Do the lobbyists and NRA have a conscience to pass gun laws that make sense? How can they sleep at night knowing every few seconds someone loses their life or the life of a child, student, husband, wife or mother.

Pass a law that makes sense. Stop the slayings.

Mary Pycior

Bloomington