Here's my "letter to the editor appearing in today's (August 30) Duluth News Tribune. Guess it says it all....
"Reader's View: Right Wing can't prove Obama doesn't love America.
Letter writers from the right wing are never more amusing than when they accuse President Obama of not loving America.
Take the Aug. 15 letter, “Mothers believe in Palin’s message,” which extolled the virtues of Sarah Palin, the failed Republican vice presidential candidate, resigned governor of Alaska and Fox News commentator.
“Most of all, she (Palin) loves our country, something woefully lacking in the present president,” the letter writer stated. Those making such charges (and also those challenging his very citizenship) should be more specific about just what Obama does to demonstrate that he does not love our country. Like, name one thing.
I can name several things he has done to demonstrate his great love for our country. To be specific, he loves our country so much he wants every American to have health coverage assured; he pushed for legislation that very likely averted a deeper recession or even a depression; he spearheaded credit card consumer protection. The list is long.
People might, and will, differ over the president’s policies or choices for Supreme Court justices, but to propagate the myth that he somehow hates (the opposite of love in this case) America is ridiculous and betrays woeful lack of understanding in those who make such a charge without offering one shred of evidence backing it up.
While I might not agree with Palin’s politics, I don’t doubt for a moment she, too, loves America, especially its currency."
Jim Heffernan
4 comments:
You hit the mark. Excellent letter. I am tired of hearing opinions that can be sumarized, "If they aren't from my party, they can't possibly have any redeeming values." The letter you are responding to sounds like a typical example of this. These letters come from both the right and left, but since the right lost the last presidential election, there seem to be a lot more of them this cycle.
Hi Jim
Very well stated. You expressed what I have been thinking, exactly.
Erick H
Thanks for your reasoned and reasonable response to some ridiculous accusations.
Rather belated thanks, Ray, Erik and Angela...Very much appreciate your responses. Like you, I'm getting weary of ridiculous unsubstantiated claims -- "muslim," "socialist," "hates America" -- about the president. Sure, I voted for him; I still support him, acknowledging that things aren't perfect, but the unreasonable, sometimes personal, criticism goes waaaay too far. We all are disappointed when those we favor are not elected and we must endure four (or eight) years of an administration we don't admire, but the Republican reaction to Obama winning is shocking and Sarah Palin is leading the charge.
Once again, thanks for writing.
Jim
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