The American Spectator

p> VETS THESE DAYS br> Re: Lawrence Henry’s Let’s All Go to the Vet : /p>

Mr. Henry is right about the vets and their training. My nephew is about to graduate from vet school which sells a T-shirt that puts the situation as such: “Real Doctors Treat More than One Species.” Their training is likely as or more robust than a human doctor.

I think the thoughts Mr. Henry noted around insurance and the hiding of the true costs are valid, but there is another underlying issue involving animal medicine that keeps the costs relative controlled. The vet knows if it costs too much, the owner will simply put the animal down. Having grown up on a Kansas farm, I know the drill very well.

It’s currently not an acceptable practice for humans, although the case in Florida has brought it into the public eye.

Despite efforts to skirt the issue with “right to die” laws in various states and in some foreign countries, the issue is touched on very lightly or not at all.

p>It will be interesting how things shake out when we “boomers” start requiring massive medical services and the costs of care quadruple in the coming years with far fewer young to pay for it. Social Security taxes alone will have to approach 25 to 50% from the current 7.65% just to keep us alive, let alone fix the broken ones. br> — Bill Rickords br> Wichita, Kansas /p>