Simone Biles, bikinis and Medicare

Reactions to Biles’ Olympic Games

Let’s imagine two scenarios. One where gymnast Simone Biles breaks her leg. People would understand — she did not let her team down. They would not say she should suck it up. They would not say she is no longer a role model for young women. Everything would be forgiven. In reality, she pulled out of several events because of mental health issues ["Another medal, this one for courage," Sports, July 28]. She was not letting her team down. They shined. Biles still stayed near her teammates.

Did people forget that Biles was sexually molested? Or that this is her first Olympics since ex-sports doctor Larry Nassar’s trial? Can you imagine how she felt? Young women can look up to her because she showed the world that it is OK to struggle. It is OK to have the courage to admit that she suffered from depression. But I survived this condition, and she will, too.

— Geraldine O’Keeffe, St. James

The writer is a volunteer for the Postpartum Resource Center of New York.

Simone Biles is the epitome of kindness, decency and determination. If there are difficulties in her life, physiological or psychological, I wish her well. Gaining medals is not nearly as important as her well-being. It’s that simple. She is forever an American superstar.

— Steven Taub, Melville

Simone Biles stumbled. Arguably the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) of gymnasts, she stumbled in the qualifying round of the Tokyo Olympic Games and withdrew from the team competition and all individual events except balance beam, blaming mental health issues. It wasn’t always that way.

Athletes stumble. Ty Cobb, arguably the GOAT of hitting a baseball, occasionally struck out; Tom Brady, the GOAT of quarterbacks, gets intercepted occasionally, as well. And gymnasts stumble occasionally. In days of yore, when athletes’ performances were less than their usual, they took responsibility for their lapses, most promising increased intensity to make up for their error, taking personal responsibility for their performance, almost never blaming something else. No longer. Now we are blameless for our personal performances, and other factors cause our stumbling. If we don’t succeed in business or in employment, it’s said to be because we’re discriminated against. Sometimes this is real, but most of the time it is not.

Isn’t it time for us to take responsibility for our performance instead of trying to assuage our egos?

— Alan R. Lichtenstein, Commack

Simone Biles is a beautiful, intelligent and articulate young woman seeking help. To portray her as droopy-eyed, disoriented psychiatric patient in a cartoon is a disgrace and an insult [Matt Davies cartoon, Opinion, July 29].

She has worked hard to become a world champion representing her country.

She doesn’t need Matt Davies’ meager attempt at approval.

— Joseph A. Porretta, Shoreham

Usual bathing suits and bikinis — why?

Why do the Team USA women’s Olympic swimmers, and those from other nations, wear respectable bathing suits whereas the beach volleyball women’s competitors, and also those from other nations, wear essentially bikinis ["It’s about sports, not sex appeal," Editorial, July 22]?

It makes for an interesting viewing inconsistency.

— Stanley L. Ronell, Great Neck

Don’t let Senate bill hurt Medicare

COVID-19 showcased American medical innovation and led to the development and distribution of vaccines and therapeutics in record time. Sadly, and ironically, American biopharmaceutical innovation may now be destroyed by Congress via an overreaching infrastructure bill that would hijack Medicare and impose price controls on lifesaving medications ["Senate support for infrastructure," News, Aug. 2].

Price controls discourage research investment and harm Medicare recipients by limiting access to needed treatments. Adding insult to injury, the "savings" from upending the Medicare program would not be rolled back into the program to lower out-of-pocket costs for patients, but rather would be used to fund tax credits for pet projects such as electric vehicles and filling potholes.

America is a beacon of hope for those with chronic disease and illnesses. Citizens from countries with government-controlled health care come here because we have the greatest variety of treatments.

Patients in the United States have access to 95% of cancer medications; elsewhere the average is about 30% less. U.S. price controls will similarly restrict access and cost lives. Congress must act to protect Medicare, not destroy it.

— Dr. Keith Fisher, Smithtown