May 11, 2012
Friday

Let me first say that I believe in individual rights and particularly those protected by the Bill of Rights, especially the First Amendment that protects everyone's right to speak their piece. However, I also think that a person has an obligation to know what they are talking about before they open their mouth. Running off at the mouth before checking your facts or doing the research necessary to ensure that you know what you are talking about is the worst kind of activism, is irresponsible, the kind of thing that has started more conflicts, and is totally unnecessary if one truly believes that truth should always prevail.

I agree that corporations are not people. And, Republicans never said they were! It is the IRS, an agency within our federal government that chooses to recognize them in this fashion. And, it was the Democratic Party that was in power when this agency was created. I also agree that the ability to afford health insurance should not determine if a human being should be kept alive. But those of us who know anything about anything also know that this situation is a product of the new Health Care Bill shoved down our throats by the likes of Nancy Polosi, Harry Ried and other members of the DNC. And, I agree that dangerous mental patients should not be allowed to carry concealed assault weapons. However, with the Democrats passage of the HIPAA privacy law a while back it is now impossible, not to mention illegal, for anyone to access or obtain such information and therefor restrict such people.

Regarding the statement that the wealthy pay a lower percentage of their income in taxes than middle-income wage earners, you might want to do some simple math before you assume too much here. A person paying 15% of his wages towards taxes definitely pays less than someone paying over 30%. However, 15% of $30,000 is a small potatoes compared to what someone who is taxed at 15% (or even 10%) of $100,000 income. As Einstein might say - it's all relative. On the other hand, what isn't fair are those who do not pay their fair share (wealthy or poor), especially those who constantly and routinely live off the government dole without doing anything for it. There is an inordinate number of people in today's society who receive welfare, get subsidized telephone (including cell phone) service, subsidized rent, food stamps, child assistance, and dozens of other benefits who have not, do not, and will not do anything to be productive citizens. If you believe that the GOP is against this - you would be right, and in this I support their view.

As for the statements about the GOP supporting/promoting/in favor of genetically modified meats, infused with antibiotics, injected with growth hormones, etc., you have completely lost me. Nowhere do you make reference to or otherwise indicate just where you get this stuff. And, I am completely at a loss where you get the idea that the GOP believes men should be paid more than women.

You say that you don't believe that attempting to keep some people from voting is good for democracy but that the GOP does. Let me remind you that it was the Black Panthers and (Obama's friends) ACORN, both huge supporters of the DNC, that were found to have committed a considerable number of violations of law and fairly corrupted this process in the last election. If you want to say that the GOP wants to try and reduce this kind of activity by requiring some means of ensuring that a "live" person only gets "one" vote, then you would be correct.

I don't necessarily believe unions are bad either. And I certainly think that any large group of employees, public or private, that wish to organize a collective bargaining unit should be able to. I belong to a union now and have been in a number of them over the years. However, I do not think that they should have anything to do with politics. And I definitely do not want a huge part of my dues going back east to some fat cat dressed in a 500 dollar suit driving around in a big fancy car sitting in a fancy office in New York City or Washington DC and who does little or nothing that directly benefits me. Most importantly, I want all unions to act responsibly and seek equability for their members, not push for the sky just because they can or because of the power they wield.

What disturbs me the most about this letter is that it was written by a teacher, an educator, someone responsible for teaching our children, someone who should have a much better grip on current events and history than this. Especially history. Thomas Jefferson made a number of statements over his lifetime that reflect on many of the problems we face today and were darn good advice. Too bad not enough of our educators today can understand or appreciate what he had to say. Of course, he was one of the originator's of the Republican Party. By the way, in case you are not aware, Progressive-ism is just a modern day term for socialism, and has infected much of both the Democratic and Republican Parties - just something to think about.

Dave Henderson
dhend [at] kpunet.net
Ketchikan, AK

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