The biggest problem with extolling the virtues of the angels in a community is that, implicit in that celebration, is the acceptance of their opposites.
Demons.
While today's demons may not have the classic set of horns and a forked tail, they are still just as real.
NBC News has run a series of stories on companies that purchase chemotherapy drugs they know are in short supply. Those companies then attempt to sell those drugs - at tremendous markups - to hospitals.
Now the hospitals - in the midst of treating a childhood cancer, say - have no recourse but to buy the chemo drugs at the inflated prices. The alternative is to sentence the child to death.
Folks, this is not betting on corn futures. This is playing - and profiting - with lives.
Granted, there are tremendous profits. At times, companies made as much as a 650 percent markup by cornering the market on a chemotherapy drug. What a wonderful return for their stockholders.
Except Moms and Dads were wondering if Junior was going to receive his next treatment. Hospitals were left wondering how large a ransom they would have to pay to deliver that next lifesaving treatment.
With all our "health care reform," nobody has addressed these profiteers of death. How sad - it is perfectly legal to corner the market on children's deaths.
We feel sorry for atheists when it comes to cases like this. At least with our values, we know there is a special spot in Hell for these profiteers.
(This editorial has appeared previously in The Maui News.)
* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.
