Allentown's Anti-Fluoridation Editorials

To the Editor:

I am responding to Bill White's Jan. 13 column. Fluoride in water is not a necessity. If Allentown is genuinely concerned about the dental progress of its citizens, then how about diverting the money to dental care education? I am not a "conspiracy theorist," as the column brazenly labeled fluoride opponents. I am not "paranoid" either.

There are simply people who are passionate about having purity in their food and water supplies. Adding fluoride takes that away from us. I just happen to be a consumer who already knows how to brush his teeth and doesn't feel the need to have his water tampered with.

Every day our culture moves further and further away from nature by manipulating God's bounty with our technological "advances." Instead of the column's suggestion to catch up to other dirty cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, I say "Bravo!" to Allentown for remaining a strong outpost against the additive trend.

The column's argument, "many of the substances we eat and drink are impure," is the sort of sheer ignorance that makes me want to give up my last hope for the survival of our species. We should be moving as a culture to remove and fix those impurities, not create more.

Finally, instead of arguing any longer about fluoride, let's take steps to remove the lead and other minerals that make Allentown's water taste like it came from a swamp. All the fluoride in the world isn't going to matter if the water tastes horrible and nobody wants to drink it.

JASON E. HEDRINGTON
BETHLEHEM

To the Editor:

Kudos to columnist Paul Carpenter and his stand against fluoridation. Since fluoridation was approved "for the good of the children," I was wondering how much water children actually drink. From what I know, not much.

If children don't drink a lot of water now, will adding fluoride change their desire for it? How will adding fluoride to our water supply do them any good if they don't drink it?

KAREN F. GUARDENIER
ALLENTOWN

To the Editor:

Recently, our Allentown City Council voted to put fluoride into the water supply. Now we are told it isn't known how much this is going to cost. My question is very simple: Who in their right mind would purchase something without knowing the price? Has anybody done his or her homework?

CHARLES J. ROETHLEIN
ALLENTOWN