Jon Stewart, watch your back: Congressman Dennis Kucinich has once again managed to make himself the laughingstock of Northeast Ohio and the butt of jokes from TV comedians [First Punch, May 2]. He embarked upon his second presidential run before his latest term as congressman began.
Dennis knew he was on the last tier of candidates and was not receiving serious coverage. In an effort to get center stage, he reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out articles of impeachment against Vice President Cheney days before the scheduled debates. His actions once again demonstrate that he has failed to represent his constituents and cannot work with other members of Congress.
Residents of the 10th District need to retire Dennis Kucinich and elect a serious candidate who will represent the best interests of the district. Such an action would free Dennis to pursue the vocation to which he is best suited and that will keep him in the spotlight — stand-up comic.
George Kubulis
Lakewood
Steiner Strikes Again
100 percent wrong, part of the time: I saw your article [“Guilty Until Proven Innocent,” April 18] and instantly got sick. Dr. Steiner has been wrong more than twice.
When our son Matthew was three months old, we took him to Medina Hospital at the advice of our pediatrician because he was lethargic and wouldn’t take his bottle. A chest x-ray disclosed that Matthew had seven broken ribs. He was immediately transported to Akron Children’s Hospital. Dr. Steiner told us that he was “100 percent sure” this was the result of shaken-baby syndrome.
He ordered more tests. Everything was negative. I was certain that Dr. Steiner would tell us he was wrong. That never happened. We were investigated by the police and social services, which closed our case after 30 days with “no probable cause.” Matthew was returned to us. I believe the only reason was because they decided to test Matthew for brittle-bone disease, and the results take three months (these results were negative also).
I was fortunate enough to find a pediatrician who believed in us and realized there was something else going on. We hooked up with a geneticist at University Hospitals. When I attempted to access records from Akron Children’s, I was sent a letter that said Dr. Steiner did not feel it was in Matthew’s best interest that I have them. I appealed with the letter from social services that showed our case was closed. I was again sent a letter denying me access. My pediatrician finally obtained these records for me. On the day she received them, she called me at work to say she was certain Matthew was not shaken.
My dream was to discover what caused Matthew’s broken ribs and to send the results to Dr. Steiner with a letter telling him that he is not always right. Unfortunately, nothing is conclusive as to why these breaks occurred.
I will never forget this horrible experience. I now funnel all his care through Cuyahoga County and, though I’m sure it’s a good hospital, I will never go back to Akron Children’s.
I think that perhaps Dr. Steiner has been hardened by the abuse he has seen. It seems he is too quick to diagnose shaken-baby syndrome, and he won’t back down, even when other evidence indicates differently.
I wonder how many other families have similar stories involving Steiner. I want them to know they’re not alone.
Janet Zaccaro
Medina
Scary to lawyers and moms alike: Thank you for your article. We are another one of the families going through this. We broke with our attorney because he could not find another medical expert in Ohio who was willing to testify against Steiner. They did not even see the medical records, which Akron Children’s Hospital has done its best to hold onto. Our previous attorney had to file subpoena after subpoena just to get them.
Maybe after our nightmare is over, you can do another article. We also want to sue Dr. Steiner. The word has to get out about what this guy does to innocent people. My children were in a horrible foster home where they were not treated well. Does Dr. Steiner know this?
Anna Milholland
Stow
Touch Me Not
Dancer dreams of a grope-free workplace: I read your recent article “Relocating Strippers to a Neighborhood Near You” [C-Notes, clevescene.com, April 24]. I’m a dancer, and like many dancers, I support Senate Bill 16.
Strip clubs can stay open if it becomes law. Similar laws are enforced in Oregon and Washington, where the sex industry is alive and well. Like any other industry, the people who patronize our clubs after midnight can very easily adapt to earlier hours.
The resistance of industry leaders has nothing to do with the well-being, safety, and ability of dancers to make a living. Creating a law that bars patrons from touching dancers would go a very long way in protecting us from violence, which is seen as part of the job by managers, law enforcement, and a significant segment of the public.
Ana Borde
Yellow Springs
This article appears in May 9-15, 2007.
Mr. Kubulis of Lakewood levels the complaint that the actions of Dennis Kucinich prove that he doesn’t represent his constituents. Specifically these actions included Congressional duties such as initiating Articles of Impeachment against criminals in the Executive, starting with VP Dick Cheney. There’s MORE than enough to convict them.
Kubulis writes with a lot of flair, squeezing in about six allusions to Mr. Kucinich being a comedian, a clown, and “not serious”. Kubulis slings ridicule, jargon, and talking points like a well-trained hack on a stipend from the Heritage Foundation.
The charge that Dennis Kucinich “can’t work with Congress” does not refer to Congressional colleagues. It refers to the fact that, upon winning the “referendum” of 2006, two-faced “bosses” like Conyers and Pelosi immediately reversed themselves and took impeachment off the table. Dennis is not toeing the line.
In reality, many Americans, now over 70%, recognize that the Iraq War was a “mistake”. More are learning by dribbles that the principals (Cheney, Rumsfeld) blatantly LIED to the American people about matters of life and death and loss and shame and great risk to our country, and manipulated Intell to launch a war they had been hyping for a decade — this unending war against a concept called “terror”, which they fluidly change to fit any agenda. Bush is now “holding the soldiers hostage”, until the Iraqis meet “benchmarks”, i.e. turn over their oil fields to western companies.
In reality, the actions of these Executives amount to Treason, a severe breach of public trust, crimes against America, with malicious intent. We’ve had some sleazy govt officials, but the Bushes have all excelled at this. The U.S. Constitution says that these breaches of public trust are punishable by prison, or even a firing squad — upon firm and fair conviction, of course. Pardons should be “off the table”. This does not constitute a personal threat. I’m talking about lawfulness and a strong “tough on crime” stance.
I will concede, even mere impeachment is a fantasy, politically. It’s a very long shot, because the DLC and the RNC are incestuous slimeballs working for the same bosses, those who sign their checks. This clarity about the lack of serious contention between the two “opposing parties” is muddied for insufficiently cynical Americans — it needs to be tested in public. Cong. Kucinich decided to shine a spotlight.
Kubulis apparently ordered critics and patriots to just accept that key principles like “rule of law” are frivilous anachronisms, and all that remains is deal-making. If YOU are not among the 5% who has your own lobbyists on K-street, these deals are nunya bizness. You are The Rabble. Your consent must be fabricated cheap. You must maintain FAITH in the political process, participate in the farce of pretend “self-rule”. They must convince you that the costs of resistance and dissent — freedom — are higher than you are willing to pay.
Kubulis lands a variation on “Shut Up!” and “Get Over It”. So the President lied to us. Who gives a s#it? So he ordered far more murders than Charlie Manson — it doesn’t matter, he’s the President. That’s how “loving America” works. (And people wonder why kids are violent and jaded.)
If anything, the actions of Cong. Kucinich are TOO little, TOO late, but it’s a necessary step.