The news is full of bad things happening in our neighborhoods and around us, things we find hard to believe. The day is long past when we left our doors open without worry of being robbed.

However, there are still good people in the world, and their goodness gives us the hope we need to take one day at a time.

I have lived in my home since 1961 and have many good neighbors, but the ones I am giving tribute to are Jerry and Phyllis Barbour.

We raised our children here, and they are married and gone. In my case, I am now widowed and not able to care for my yard. The Saturday before Easter, I heard a lawn mower in my yard. I went outside, and there was Jerry on his lawn mower cutting the grass. He said, "I'm not making you mad, am I?" Of course I said no.

From that day on, he has kept my yard up with some help from Joey Price. Jerry never accepted any money, even for gas. He said he did it in Christian love. So you see, there are still people in the world who think of other people and their needs. As far as I am concerned, Jerry Barbour is Citizen of the Year.

Jane Price

Smithfield

He earned his benefits

The letter you printed recently, "Reform is the right thing to do," has moved me to respond to this and so many other cries for change to the present health-care system. Well, I don't think the problem is the system; it's the people who think they are entitled to first-rate medical treatment without having to pay for it. When will our so-called deprived citizenry decide that we should all be willing to pay for what we want in life?

I am a 71-year-old man who still works every day. I have been paying for Social Security for the past 57 years and for Medicare ever since it was started. For more than half of those years, I paid in the maximum. I was paying into those government programs all these years because I chose to work to earn an income for me, my family, my church and other deserving charities. I was not born with a silver spoon; I have worked for my money since I was 12 years old, starting as a paper boy.

I went to public schools in Raleigh and graduated from high school. With that diploma, I went into the Air Force, married my high school sweetheart and had two children. In the late 1950s, my total military pay was only $235 per month to support my two children and my wife, who was a full-time homemaker. While in the Air Force, I took on moonlighting jobs as a grease monkey at a gas station, caretaker and garbage man for a trailer park, and truck driver. The military furnished all medical care for me and my family.

After serving my country for four years, my wife and I decided that I should further my education and go to college. We went back to Raleigh and I studied at N.C. State University off and on for seven years. During those years, our parents gave financial help with my books and tuition, that's all. My wife and I worked and paid for all of our living expenses. I worked at one, two and sometimes three part-time jobs while I was in college. We had no "health care" plan. We purchased hospital insurance, and we paid for every doctor visit and every drug bill for the entire seven years and for two more years after that. Then my employer implemented a health-care plan for us.

Since graduation, I have served 23 years in the Air National Guard, for which I earned lifetime paid health care when I retired. I now also have Medicare coverage and Social Security retirement benefits, both of which I earned with my many years of employment.

I have never felt that we were entitled for someone else to pay for us. I ask why we should reform our health-care system so that we can furnish the best health care for those who don't think they should pay for it.

Ernie Allsbrook

Smithfield

The truth about reform

John Boehner, the Republican leader in the U.S. House, claims that health-care reform will result in government takeover, cuts in Medicare benefits and federal funding of abortion. But strong pro-life groups, FactCheck.org and the American Medical Association have refuted all of these claims as being completely false.

The president's plan will bring choice, stability, affordability and fairness to a system that currently favors only the insurance industry.

We have a moral obligation to make health care available to all our citizens, and we must tell the Republicans to stop spreading fear and misleading information.

It's time for elected Democrats to stand up and vote for the health-care reform supported by the majority of Americans.

Patricia Kirby Branch

Clayton