Letter to the Editor

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Imagine if politicians tried telling the truth

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Imagine if our leaders really cared about fixing problems, rather than appealing to their myopic voter bases. What a difference their public pronouncements would make. How refreshing that would be! Imagine if Barack Obama had said: “I know that many of you have watched the acts of terrorism, rapes and murders committed in NATO by refugees from the chaos in the Middle East. You may have heard ISIS brag that they will do their best to infiltrate operatives into our country, as they have in Europe. Still, America is a merciful country, and we need to do our part to help. I will call in leaders of the opposition and experts to discuss this issue, and see what we can do to uphold our caring condition, while keeping America safe.” … Rather than accuse Republicans of being afraid of women and orphans! Imagine if Donald Trump had said: “There are 1 billion Muslims in the world today; the West, we cannot win the war against ISIS without outreach. Our biggest allies in the war on ISIS – the Kurds, the Jordanians, the Indonesians and many others – are also Muslim. The administration has made the mistake of refusing to acknowledge Muslim extremism, and some on the right have made the mistake of refusing to acknowledge decent Muslims. Both are wrong, and by not making a distinction have shown their willful ignorance of lumping all Muslims together.” … Rather than make statements against all American Muslims and Muslim immigrants! Imagine if Bernie Sanders had said: “Let us be perfectly clear – Socialism does not work! It has led to horrible dictatorships and lethargic, stultifying bureaucracies with shortages, wait lists and crippling taxation. It does not produce fairness or wealth. Many nations that were once committed to socialism, democratic or otherwise, have adopted free-market reform, and seen their economies improve and poverty go down – such as China, India and Israel. Some tinkering, such as a well-designed safety net for the most vulnerable members of society, is called for, but history has proven socialism doesn’t work!” … Rather than argue for a nanny state that apes policies that are a worldwide failure! Imagine if Hillary Clinton had said: “Some of you plan on voting for me because I am a woman. Of course, superficial items like hair color, gender, dress style, should be ignored. It would be wrong to vote against me because of my gender, and it would be wrong to vote for me because of it. If that is your reasoning, please stay home, because you clearly do not have the smarts to make a clear and rational decision. Will I lead America to war? Will I make America safe? Will I make our country more prosperous? Consider my proposals, my experience, my record and ideas; also, my honesty, my consistency and my coherence. If you like them, I am your candidate, and I would certainly welcome your vote.” … Rather than actively courting voters – based on gender.

Larry Koch Magnolia

politics
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