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Viewpoints: Letters / Opinions

Name-calling

By Mike Harpold

 

March 17, 2015
Tuesday PM


I"ve read the two articles cited by Al Johnson, but nowhere in them does John McCain refer or imply that Barrack Obama is a Muslin as you did in your letters to our congressional delegation. True, Senator McCain is exasperated with the President's policies in Ukraine, calling him naïve, but he doesn't call him the names you do. There is a line.

Nor is there a need, Al, to tie yourself in a rhetorical knot over whether to call Barack Obama, the Black President, the current White President, or the half White president. President of the United States will do, or simply The President, as he is called in the Constitution.

The problem, Al, is no one, including you, ever wins an argument by name-calling. Because in our politics people have resorted to so much of that these days, it is poisoning our political system. The other side is never persuaded and consequently no party can govern; borders don't get protected, bridges don't get repaired, ISIS doesn't get fought.

The Constitution vests the responsibility of governing in us. Yet, we elect our representatives on the basis of who is best at negative campaigning. The last Congress was the least productive in history, and this one may even be worse.

We're getting towards the end of our lifespans, Al, I don't want our legacy to be an ungovernable country, and I don't think you do either. Let us work to change that.

Mike Harpold
Ketchikan, Alaska

 

Received March 06, 2015 - Published March 17, 2015

Related Viewpoint:

letter Political Correctness in play By A. M. Johnson

 

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