Editor,
I remember being a small girl and watching the Democrats run a handsome young Senator from Massachusetts for president of the United States. At that time, the GOP was alarmed that this particular senator might win the nomination and, heaven forbid, the presidency. Why? Because he was a Catholic, he would be the first Catholic president ever. The concern was that he might let the church influence his policies as president. The Pope might be running the country behind the scenes. Close to 50 years later we have a handsome young president running for re-election and the GOP is again alarmed. Why? Because the president and the Democrats don't think policy should be set by any church, even the Catholic church. Women's health issues should be up to her and her doctor. Policy should not be determined by the insurance companies and certainly not by a church. What happened over the last 50 years? A church can teach morals and guidelines for their members but they should not set our government policies. Where is free will?
They attack the president saying he is attacking religious freedom, they who attacked someone for being Catholic. They call the president an "elitist." A person who grew up black, with very little, raised by grandparents in Hawaii, and who was heavily burdened with college loans is an elitist. While their guy who was born into wealth, given every opportunity and everything he has, and makes $10,000 bets during a nomination debate is the "everyday guy?"
We are in an upside down world. Add to all of this the fact that now the GOP likes to refer to the president as "creating class warfare" when it was the GOP who declared war on middle class America, the working class and labor unions.
Anyone can stand up and make unsubstantiated claims and accusations. Reviewing history shows us the facts, tax breaks for the wealthy, the richest 10 percent of Americans receiving an unbelievable 100 percent of the average income growth in the years 2000 to 2007 (the latest statistics available) corporations making record profits and paying huge bonuses to top level officials while letting workers go, freezing wages and cutting benefits. Doing away with banking and financial regulations causing the worst recession since the Great Depression, all under GOP leadership. As voters we need to stop listening to the talk and start looking at the facts. We need to vote in our own best interests, and those of our children instead of for a particular party just because it was the party of our parents; a party that no longer resembles it's prior self.
Kathleen Elphick
Layton
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