Dear Editor,

I read Chuck Clegg’s April 15 column “A Question of Freedom.” He stated many people lost medical coverage due to higher costs and made it sound like the government of today is taking away healthcare.

This is misleading. There were no cuts to Obamacare benefits. What ended were “temporary extra subsidies’ added during the COVID pandemic. These were emergency help and were never meant to last forever.

When they stopped, premiums went back to the original ACA rates. This is not a “cut” , it is simply a return to the rules passed in 2010.

Mr. Clegg left out these important facts. By calling it cuts and reductions, it makes it sound like the government of today is taking away healthcare. In truth, it shows what critics warned about when the ACA was passed- the law did not make insurance truly affordable for many families without huge government subsidies.

The promise was that Obamacare would lower premiums and make coverage affordable. For many, that never happened without extra help.

We need to be honest with readers. The real issue is not “cuts,” but that the Affordable Care Act never worked as promised.

Mr. Clegg also claimed that requiring women to show proof of their name change is a big burden that makes it harder for them to vote. He is wrong about this too. Women have been doing this exact same paperwork for over 50 years every time they update their driver’s license at the DMV, get a new Social Security card, open a bank account, or renew other official documents. It is not an extra burden , it is the normal process to keep their identity correct and prevent fraud.

Mr. Clegg also stated that he took the military oath 59 years ago and still believes in it today. He said he trusted the leaders back then because they were doing their best for all Americans, but he believes the government of today has shifted away from the people.

I took the same military oath 53 years ago. Like Mr. Clegg, I believed our leaders at that time were doing their best for all Americans. I also believe the government leaders of today are still trying to do what is best for our country and its people.

Pointing out misleading claims and missing facts , like those in Mr. Clegg’s column , is one way I try to keep the promise I made in my military oath.

Remember, 98% truth — is still a lie…

Tom Standiford,

New Martinsville