Elders voice concern about country's direction, morals

COEUR d'ALENE - What does a lifetime of experience yield? Perspective.

During a recent visit to the Lake City Senior Center, later-in-life citizens shared their thoughts and concerns about the state of our community and nation.

Grace Doolittle, 74, of Coeur d'Alene, said she thinks health care companies are delaying things - like Grace's bill - on purpose so they don't have to pay up.

"I am on fixed income and it took me until this month to pay my medical bill from February," Doolittle said.

Harvey Boeck, 82, of Rathdrum, said he supports U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick because he thinks the Idaho Democrat is a "good man."

"You don't agree with everything, no matter who's in the office, but I think he's doing a good job and he votes the way he feels he should vote, and that's what I think is important in politicians," Boeck said.

Boeck added he's concerned with "the way people blast the president.

"Years ago, it didn't make any difference who was president; he was the president of the country and you backed him up. Like I said, you didn't have to agree with him about everything, it's a democracy, but you don't call him a Communist or a Nazi or stuff like that."

Touching on the bailouts, Boeck said he opposes corporate bailouts.

"I read in the paper that GM bought a credit outfit for $3.5 billion or something like that. When they owe the government I don't know how much, I wonder where they got that money?"

Al and Mag Fuka of Coeur d'Alene said with smiles that old age is their No. 1 concern.

Addressing larger issues facing the nation, Al, 88, said he's concerned with big government, the decay of moral society, lobbyists and "evil" influences on our government.

"We were founded as a constitutional republic," Al said. "Just go back to the Constitution. Article 4 Section 4 says each state will be given a republican form of government.

"Ben Franklin, when the Constitution was declared, was asked what states were given. He said, 'A republic - if you can keep it,' and a republic is only good for a moral society and we've become immoral.

"Presidents have become figureheads. They're controlled by people in key positions behind them. All I can say is it's evil people. I think they control the political process and both parties and, for whatever reason, I think it's total power and control over people that they're after."

Both Al and Mag agreed emphatically that "getting back to God is the only thing that can save us."

Mag, 85, said she is also concerned with genetically modified foods.

"I don't think it's good for the population to be eating genetically modified foods," Mag said.