My Letter to the Editor

[chancew]

The following is a letter I wrote to the biggest newspaper in Oklahoma, The Daily Oklahoman. It is also a very huge Republican supporter. My teachers, family, and friends all loved what I wrote so here it is.

NOTE: I am only eighteen years old.

Run, don't walk

Why is being a liberal such a bad thing? It was a liberal who began fighting for a woman's right to vote. It was a liberal who helped win World War II and ended the Great Depression with his New Deal policies, and it was a liberal who fought for civil rights laws in the 1960s. Maybe that's why Republicans are so upset -- they have nothing to be proud of. The Republican Party of today is being run by religious fundamentalists who want to impose their beliefs on everyone else. Were I a moderate Republican today, I'd consider walking away from the party.

With his tax cuts for the wealthy, his planning of the war in Iraq, the administration's response to the tragedy in New Orleans and with all of the corruption, President Bush has become one of the worst presidents in history. Instead of walking away from the Republican Party, I'd be running!

[niyad]

1. GOOD ONE!!!!

[chancew]

2. Religious Right Responses

Responses to My Letter

The following are the responses I received to the letter that I wrote. Notice that they have to resort to name-calling and they use the "baby-killer" argument. These guys really didn't show their intelligence, especially the guy that linked 9/11 and Iraq. I don't think they realize it but they proved my point. Enjoy!

Too many liberal amnesiacs

In response to Chance ___________ (Your Views, Dec. 3): I am a Democrat but not a liberal. My Democratic Party of yesteryear did not consist of the liberals of today. In 1998, President Clinton and Congress passed the "Iraq Liberation Act" to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Clinton and his congressional friends believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. This is recorded history and it happened two years before George W. Bush was elected president.

I believed what Clinton said then. Now he and his liberal friends whom I voted for have amnesia. They lie and they bad-mouth Bush and the war. This gets our kids killed and gives aid to the enemy. Democrats are connected to the cut-and-run crowd and the liberal crazies such as the ACLU, Michael Moore, George Soros, Cindy Sheehan, Jane Fonda and Al Franken. This is a liberal, atheistic, destructive movement that only uses the name "Democrat." I've been running, not walking, away from these deceptive liberals. (Really a Democrat?)

Rest of story

In response to Chance ___________ (Your Views, Dec. 3): Yes, liberals did start the women's rights movement and everything else he spoke of. However, they're also responsible for it being legal to kill unborn babies. Liberal environmentalists keep us dependent on foreign oil, keeping our gas prices high, because they restrict drilling on our own soil.

Hopelessly delusional

Chance ____________ (Your Views, Dec. 3) says liberals are on the right side today because of historical positions on women's suffrage and the works of Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Harry Truman. Today's liberal leaders are Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Dick Durbin, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and John Kerry. They are not the great Democrats of the past! (Last name here) claims Christian fundamentalists want to impose their views on others. Actually, they only want to defend their views from extinction by the extreme left, which wants to totally secularize this country.

If (last name went here) thinks Republicans are upset, what are the liberals mentioned above when they start their rants over the war? (Last name here) mentions corrupt Republican politics, forgetting the only Democratic president in 25 years assaulted women, committed perjury, lost his law license and was held in contempt of court. Also, everyone who paid taxes, not just the wealthy, got a cut.

As long as extreme left-wingers control the Democratic Party, it will lose elections, remain hopelessly delusional and be a contradiction in terms -- sort of like a "chaste prostitute."

Here's an update

Chance ___________ (Your Views, Dec. 3) wondered why liberals don't get credit for their accomplishments. He lists women's suffrage, World War II and civil rights. All are noteworthy, but the last occurred 40 years ago. Since then, liberals accomplished the Vietnam War, in which over 58,000 Americans were killed and no victory achieved. Also, liberals accomplished Roe vs. Wade, which legalized the killing of unborn babies -- estimated at 15 million per year.

As to (my last name went here) comment on the war in Iraq, since more people died on 9/11 than at Pearl Harbor, what was President Bush to do? Ignore it, as his predecessor did after all the attacks in the 1990s? Or have the guts to draw the line and say this is too much? I was a volunteer World War II combat fighter pilot. Under today's circumstances, I'd volunteer again, regardless of who is president. Finally, (last name here) said the religious right controls the Republican Party. The Democratic Party is controlled by the Hollywood left.

MY NOTE: I am writing a follow-up. :)

[NotGivingUp]

3. Great letter! Hope it gets printed and make some people think.

[Skittles]

4. ooooh I I LOVE you young liberals

you give me such hope for America; well DONE!!! :thumbsup:

[shenmue]

5. Good work

Bright ideas. :7

[mimitabby]

6. great Letter!

Chance, that's a great letter you wrote. The confounded and ignorant responses to your letter unfortunately prove that we've got a long long way to go.
I hope there were some positive responses to your letter as well.

[Kerrytravelers]

7. Excellent job! - from someone who has a Master's Degree in writing!

:applause:

[Jane Austin]

8. Great letter!

And nicely written, too.

[RagingInMiami]

9. The word "liberal"

Is derived from the French word, liber, which means "free". This country was built on liberalism, which meant freedom from oppression. It may not always have played out that way, but that is what it means.

For me, it means, "With Liberty and Justice for All." Nobody should be ashamed to be a liberal.

[rustydog]

10. Wow, very good letter!

:bounce:

[northofdenali]

11. That's damn close to

perfect!!! Great letter :thumbsup:

[madokie]

12. Welcome to DU, you'll find yourself most welcome here

Nothing makes my heart so full of patriotism as to read or hear one of the younger generation standing up for what I believe in without having to be asked. You young'ens, and you all know who you are that are picking up the torch, so to say, is a savior.

[bobbieinok]

13. let us know if they print it

from a senior citizen Oklahoman to an 18 year old Oklahoman--congratulations

[immoderate]

14. A good letter. Congratulations.

You may be well aware of all the answers, but maybe some of these will help. The people who responded are not well informed.

The original idea of popular voting is liberal. So is the notion of educating everyone. Labor laws, public health, and civil rights are liberal ideas too.

This country was started as a secular nation. God is not mentioned in the Constitution. That's the basis of religious freedom, another liberal idea.

Environmentalists did not cause the oil crisis, and wanton domestic drilling will not get us out of it. A few people will make a lot of money, the environment will be ruined, and the oil problems will still be with us.

Eisenhower, a Republican president committed us to Vietnam. Clinton did want to disarm Saddam, but not go to war over it. His mistakes didn't get anyone killed or bankrupt the country.

Chance, it's good to see young folks picking up the torch and caring about civil responsibilities. Welcome to DU!:hi: We love what you wrote, too.

--IMM

[Tess49]

15. Good letter! And to the Daily Oklahoman at that.

People who have read this paper know how brave you are to have sent it in. For those that don't know, it's a lot like Faux news in print. A few years ago it was voted the worst newspaper in the country because of its extreme right wing pandering. Good luck with your follow-up letter.

[pacalo]

16. It's perfect!

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nicknameless]

18. Nice one!

:thumbsup:

Nominated

[chancew]

19. Thanks Everyone!!! ----BTW, It Was Published

Last December and I still am working on a follow up letter. LOL. It should not be taking me this long but I am trying to make it my best.

Again, THANKS for all of the positive feedback. I wanted to post it here and let me know what you guys thought.

[nicknameless]

22. In Oklahoma, no less!

Good on ya! I hope you'll post your next letter too. :)

[NanceGreggs]

20. Excellent letter, chancew!!!

If this is an example of your work at eighteen, you'll be taking the nation by storm before your twenty-five!!!

:applause:

[melissinha]

21. Suggestion for response

Congratulations on being published!

If you are looking for some information to respond to the politically blind, I suggest you think about mentioning the religious left, illegal wire tapping, or perhaps the $30,000 each of us owes for this debacle in Iraq.

Good luck, I still can't get published down in Texas... I wonder if the Oklahoman published your letter to get stuff stirred up....

[CrispyQ]

23. That is excellent &

your last line put a smile on my face!

:hi:

:yourock: