On Thursday, Justin Kleckner wrote a letter attacking Dr. David Gill for “his far-left plans for universal health care and his out-of-touch ideas on legalizing gay marriage.”

Let’s talk about gay marriage and health care. Our current representative, Tim Johnson, is happy to talk about the sanctity of marriage until it comes to his own. Tim has been married three times and divorced three times.

David Gill has been married to his one and only wife for more than 17 years. I don’t consider him to be “out of touch” for believing in equal rights for all U.S. citizens. I respect him for saying what he believes, even if it is unpopular.

As for health care, it is about time we had a national plan. We are the only developed nation in the world without one. Dr. Gill supports a plan endorsed by more than 12,000 doctors.

What has Johnson done for health care? He did vote for a prescription-drug bill that gives a small benefit to seniors. The problem with that bill, however, is that it allows prescription drug companies to charge any price they want, and the bill prohibits the government from using its collective buying power to bargain for better prices.

The worst part about it is Tim Johnson also accepted $10,000 from a political action committee that was recently named in a money-laundering indictment with links to the very same prescription drug companies that benefit from the bill.

Justin writes, “If I didn’t know any better than what I read in The Daily Illini, I would think that Dr. David Gill was the incumbent U.S. representative from our district.”

Don’t worry Justin, he will be soon.

Cherie Earl

Urbana resident