The wrong label

In his Jan. 22 column on the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, Post-Gazette executive editor David Shribman describes the battle over entitlements between right and left. I, for one, object to the term "entitlement" in describing Social Security and Medicare.

Both are paid for by the sweat and blood of those who work everyday and have the funds deducted by law from their paychecks. If they are indeed "entitled" to those payments it is because of a promise made to them and paid for from their earnings. The right has attached the term "entitlements" to these, making them sound like manna from heaven. These are not free gifts from above or anywhere else. They are services bought and paid for by the sweat of their brow.

If you really want to use the term, apply it to those who fill the halls of Congress and their sponsors who benefit from the campaign contributions. They truly feel "entitled."

DANIEL A. KARACZUN
Bethel Park