Roger Wade is probably right that some people write too many letters to the editor. However in his letter, he demonizes a Democratic party platform that doesn’t exist. If you’re going to object to policy proposals, you should be honest about what they are. He mentions five items in this supposed platform, all of which are distorted “positions” or slogans made up to appeal to the worst instincts of the public. 1. “Eviction of God”: I assume this means elimination of prayer in public schools or public governmental events which include people of many faiths. There is no proposal to eliminate God from private schools, one’s home, or house of worship. 2. “Abortion on demand”: I don’t know of anyone supporting this supposed proposal, merely that limited options for abortion remain legal. 3. “Open borders”: like number two, I don’t think that most people advocate this, rather they propose that potential immigrants be treated humanely and allowed in or kept out according to the law. 4. “Higher taxes”: probably true, but proposals are likely to eliminate tax cuts for the richest among us first, not for those at middle or lower income levels. There’s going to be a big price to pay for all the federal and state costs of the mis-handled coronavirus pandemic which will have to be covered by increased taxes, whichever party is in power. 5. “Defunding our policemen”: in most instances I’ve read about, these kinds of proposals include de-militarizing the police, reforming police policies, or shifting some of their responsibilities to other governmental agencies. People exposed directly to examples of police brutality in their communities are understandably hostile and are the likely source of cries for defunding. Notably, policewomen are not mentioned in this distorted “proposal.”
Tying your opinions or arguments to short-sentence, questionable slogans ill-serves yourself and the public at large.
Bill Parker
Columbus
First, Roger Wade in his 9/10 letter to the Dispatch correctly pointed out that neither he nor Mike McLaughlin ever suggested silencing writers from the left as I had claimed previously.
Mr. Wade has now exited the conversation. But I respond here, not so much to engage Mr. Wade one last time, but to partially answer a claim he made about Democrats, which I find false. These erroneous claims about the Democratic party persist in the conservative dialogue despite the total lack of any evidence to support them.
Specifically, Wade claimed the following as Democratic party positions: Eviction of God, abortion on demand, open borders, higher taxes, and defunding our policemen. I searched on several of those terms in the official 2020 Democratic Party platform and found only the following: ‘God’; as in “Democrats remain committed to ending poverty and enabling all Americans to live up to their God-given potential” — which doesn’t sound like an eviction to me. I leave the rest to others.
I also offer this challenge: if anyone can find an official Democratic party website or published platform document that states even one of these 5 policies, I will i) take your claims seriously, and ii) give you a million dollars. Failing that, we have, yet again, allegations that conservatives either will not or cannot support. A key point of the letter Wade responded to — missed entirely.
Do I write too much as Mr. Wade thinks? I have no doubt there are many more that agree. Nevertheless, if I am concerned that some person or entity is acting in a way that harms our nation, would you want me to keep silent? I would want you to raise the alarm, were the situation reversed – which I’m sure it sometimes has been. I have no doubt we all love this country; if anything, the past 4 years have shown me just how fierce my love of this country really is. But if you don’t feel the soul of this nation hangs in the balance right now then maybe you should.
I am reminded of the Winston Churchill quote, soon after the fall of France in May 1940, all pressure on England, the US not yet in the war: “If this long island story of ours is to end, let it end only when each of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground”. This moment in our nation’s history feels fundamentally — and alarmingly – similar to me. I will choke if I must but I will have given everything I can to prevent that first.
Paul Mack
Columbus
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