Sunday letters: Cops in heat of a moment see things differently

Given all the cries about police officers lying and not being held accountable, let me explain the concept of personal perception. In any violent or fast-moving encounter, various viewpoints often run counter to each another. A replay in a baseball game may overturn an umpire’s call. But we don’t accuse umpire of deliberately lying. Instant replay in a football game may be overturned a ref’s call, but we don’t accuse him of lying. People see things differently and are not even consciously aware of the differences.

Different angles, lighting, personal eyesight, personal experience and self-preservation all playing out in a matter of a second, shaping what a person believes has happened.

And then there is tunnel vision, in which a person’s viewpoint shrinks to a minimal optical perspective. A person robbed at gunpoint might remember only the gun and nothing about the offender.

In the same way, different police officers in a moment of conflict might see the situation in a different way. This makes them human, not liars. We want officers to be honest and report what they saw, or what they believed they observed, not what they think a subordinate or politician might what to hear.

Larry Casey, Forest Glen

Southern poverty GOP fault

A recent letter-writer argued that “Democratic policies in big cities have done little to assuage the plight of the poor.” Excuse me, but last time I checked the entire South voted Republican and 9 out of 10 of the poorest states in the country are as Republican red as they can get. The population of Owlsley, Kentucky is 95 percent Republican, yet it has the highest percentage of people on food stamps in the country. Doesn’t get much poorer than that. The grass isn’t always greener where the state is red.

David Adkins, Lake View

Sen. Dick Durbin reportedly believes Blue Cross Blue Shield in Illinois could reduce its proposed up to 45 percent premium increases for 2017 individual health insurance policies purchased on the Obamacare exchange. H says he hopes the Illinois Department of Insurance “will hold BCBS to an honest standard” requiring “reform of their practices reflecting [Obamacare marketing], professional management of their company and a sensitivity to the costs.” He further observes that the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has said “that Illinois BCBS could be more competitive, reduce costs, and still maintain quality care.”

To say the least, I find it strange that Durbin, a strong proponent of Obamacare, now is advising BCBS on how to manage its business and to reduce its costs, when the premium costs of health insurance are due to Obamacare’s failings. Durbin, President Obama and other Democrats have in the last seven years doubled the national debt to $20 trillion, yet Durbin is telling BCBS how to run its business?

Dennis M. Dohm, Oak Lawn