Should Mitt Romney release more than 2 years of tax returns?

Democrats and even many Republicans agree that Mr. Romney should release his tax returns for the last ten years. The fact that he refuses to do so should raise important questions in the minds of the American people, those who oppose him and his supporters as well. Why would he not do so? There are at least three possibilities that occur to this writer.

 1. Is Mitt Romney just plain stubborn? Having once decided that tax returns for the past two years are sufficient, is he refusing to be pushed further by the media and increasing public pressure?

If so, the fact raises troubling concerns about the character of the man who seeks the presidency. Citizens hope that their future commander-in-chief will be attentive to the concerns of the people and  anxious to put to rest any uncertainties they might have. His obstinacy in this matter would indicate disregard for his fellow citizens.

Also, in these days of international conflicts, the president needs to be a master of negotiation. Why does Senator Romney not offer to release the tax returns from the last five years, if that will satisfy the questioners?

2. Is he afraid that his ever-increasing wealth and opulent lifestyle will alienate voters, many of whom have struggled just to make ends meet during the recent economic downturn?  His tax return for 2010 shows that his income was $21.6 million. He promises to release the 2011 figure before the election.

According to Forbes Magazine, Mitt Romney owns $18 million in real estate. With his wife,  he owns 3 homes and 2 Cadillacs. His net worth is about $250 million dollars. He also has an undetermined number of offshore investments.  Perhaps he fears that voters will judge that he may have difficulty relating to the average American. In this instance, the voters may well have a legitimate concern.

3. Prior to be elected governor of  Massachusetts, Mitt Romney headed a company named Bain Capital. In 1999, Romney claims to have taken a leave from the company to run the Salt Lake City Olympics.

He says that during this time, he had neither knowledge of nor control over the decisions Bain made. However, from 1999 to 2002, Mitt Romney was listed on the Securities and Exchange Commission documents as Bain Capital’s “sole stockholder, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president.” In addition, he received a $100,000 annual salary from the company.

During those years, Bain Capital ran companies that laid off workers, outsourced numerous jobs and invested in a business called Stericycle, whose services included the disposal of aborted fetuses. All of these activities would be embarrassments to Candidate Romney who did not wish to alienate pro-life supporters and American workers, many of whom were unemployed because of outsourcing.

For these reasons alone, Senator Romney should release his tax returns for at least the last ten years. His father released tax forms for the previous twelve years during his bid for the presidency in 1968.

 Even if they reveal that he is as stubborn as a mule, outlandishly wealthy, and had approved Bain Capital decisions that were unwise in view of his present situation, it would be better to reveal them now and deal with the consequences. If these facts come to light just before the November election, they may result in a disastrous ending to a hard-fought campaign.  

 

Is it right to use animals for medical research?

My husband is currently awaiting open heart surgery. He needs an aortic valve replacement. Several bypasses will be performed while the surgeon has access to his chest cavity. His damaged heart valve will be replaced with that of a pig. If I had to make a choice about whose life to save, my husband's or the pig's, there would be no contest.

Undoubtedly, many pigs were sacrificed while the valve replacement operation was being developed and perfected. However, the end result would be that thousands of human lives would be saved or prolonged every year through the use of this animal tissue. I have no ethical problem with this.

Of course, experimentation on any living creature should be performed humanely, by competent and compassionate scientists. Pain killers and sedatives should be administered as needed to eliminate any possibility of pain or trauma to the animals. In Canada, medical laboratories using animals are routinely checked by government monitors to ensure that humane procedures are strictly followed.

Most people routinely consume meat from cattle, pigs, poultry, fish, and even wild game, without a thought as to how the animal progressed from being a living creature to being a part of the dinner on the plate before them. Periodically, horror stories are reported of inhumane practices on factory farms or in slaughter houses owned and managed by insensitive, money-hungry individuals.

In reality, humans can live quite well without meat, as evidenced by the thousands of vegetarians living healthy lives around the globe. Those who don't object to the slaughter of animals solely to tantalize their taste buds, are surely being hypocritical when they complain about the use of animals in research which will culminate in the saving of human lives. Let's keep our priorities straight.

Most religions allow the comsumption of at least some meat, knowing that this form of protein is valuable in achieving and maintaining good health. In his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul advises his followers: " Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, for the earth and its fullness are the Lord's." (1 Cor 10:25)

Humans have a duty to be responsible stewards of the earth and all its resources. We are obliged to preserve them, to use them with care and never to destroy or waste any of the products of natural world. Some plants, animals, birds and sea creatures provide human food and medicine. Other organisms exist for a variety of reasons: sheep give us wool, hens provide eggs, etc. Still others, as does the whole of creation, reflect the beauty, versatility and awesome power of the Creator.

When my husband is wheeled into the operating room for heart surgery, my first prayers will be his safety and health and for the success of the operation. Then, I will thank God for the plants and animals used to improve and prolong life, and for scientists and doctors whose knowledge and skill enable them to appropriate these tools for the benefit of humankind. Without medical reasearch, some of which must be on animals, these achievements would have been impossible.