Painkillers
Re “Virginia Beach surgeon convicted of drug possession, acquitted of stealing from patients” (June 8): This case raises questions. Dr. John Stuart Mancoll was found guilty of illegally possessing Percocet and Dilaudid, two highly addictive painkillers.
This kind of behavior is unacceptable from a licensed medical professional who is supposed to be trusted in the community. These types of actions, asking patients to return pills so he could dispose of them correctly, also spread misinformation about proper drug disposal. During his trial, three doctors testified saying, “they’d never heard of a doctor asking patients to return pills.” Per the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, it is completely safe to flush many unused pills down the toilet, even opioids. Him asking for pills back should have gotten him apprehended sooner.
Another concern about this case is that during the two-year period Mancoll’s case was pending, he was still able to practice his profession and assumingly still had access to other people’s medications. This puts all medical professionals under scrutiny as well as Mancoll’s previous work. How is it acceptable that someone who is found guilty of illegally possessing pills is still able to work with pills? The community deserves to have these important questions answered.
Tre Richard, Chesapeake
Research it
Re “Poor resume” (Your Views, July 3): I would suggest John Kellogg thoroughly check the facts. We can agree to disagree on candidates. Former President Donald Trump is a brash, outspoken New Yorker, which cost him votes. He’s not a politician, but he ran the America he loves as a business, improving the economy in his four years and leaving office with gas priced at $2.38 a gallon, an inflation rate of 1.4%, an unemployment rate of 6.3%, and a stock market that set new records during his four year reign.
Let’s consider candidate qualifications. Year-over-year inflation surged to 8.5% under President Joe Biden. Gas exceeded $5 a gallon under Biden. The financial dealings of Biden’s family are being investigated by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. Then there’s Biden’s seventh grandchild, a 4-year-old by college graduate Lunden Roberts in Arkansas.
Kellogg accuses Trump of encouraging a riot at the Capitol, resulting in deaths and destruction, when Trump actually tweeted, “go home with love & in peace.” Capitol police shot Ashli Babbitt; Kevin D. Greeson died of a heart attack, Benjamin Philips of a stroke, Rosanne Boyland of a drug overdose; Officer Brian D. Sicknick died of natural causes; and Officers Howard Liebengood and Jeff Smith committed suicide days after Jan. 6.
May we elect a competent president who will honor our country, our military and honor our relatives, my Navy SEAL brother William E. Gardner and all his teammates who fought for America. Hooyah!
Robyn Johnson, Virginia Beach
White House
Immediately after finding cocaine in the White House people started associating this with Hunter Biden and his prior drug addiction. Although Biden is supposedly drug free now, people are still tying his past use to this latest fiasco.
If I were Biden, I would step forward and request a drug test be administered, with witnesses, to calm those in doubt and take some of the heat off his dad. After all, that is what a good son would do, isn’t it?
Robert B. Gregory, Knotts Island, North Carolina
Very wrong
Re “The Supreme Court rules for a designer who doesn’t want to make wedding websites for gay couples” (June 30): “We don’t serve your kind here because my God doesn’t approve of you,” just doesn’t sound very Christian to me. But then again, it’s the new motto of the Christian right.
Patrick L. Blake, Virginia Beach
