I applaud Rick Smith's Jan. 25 letter, "Health care is a privilege, not an entitlement to all," and am happy that I'm not the only social Darwinist at this university.

I share his contempt for the poor, his compassion for the wealthy, and most importantly, his conviction that democratic freedom and laissez-fair capitalism are interdependent.

Yes, public health care would compromise our democracy, because the right to apply a second coat of paint to one's yacht is no less than the "right" of some impoverished child (i.e., lazy, unproductive child) to receive medical attention.

But Mr. Smith does not take his statements to their logical conclusion (which is surprising, since he is a member of the Penn State Objectivist Club).

He writes that public health care is "a step toward complete socialization in this country."

True, so what about all of the other socialist programs we already have?

We should abolish the public school system, social security, public libraries, and the public transportation systems to name just a few.

Otherwise, we're just a socialist country, right?