Republicans and their defenders display 'the height of hypocrisy'

Editor:

This country is great because her citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of speech. But with that should come some responsibility from those who enable that freedom to be used to misinform. The Columbia News-Times did such a disservice when publishing Floyd Brown's letter in the Sunday Oct. 22 edition.

Brown, using the most outlandish of right-wing scare tactics, did more than imply that a Democrat-controlled House and/or Senate would mean pro-homosexual, pro-man/boy love agendas on the horizon. Does Brown need to be reminded that it was the Republican Party who swept under the rug the Congressman Mark Foley actions for nearly three years? Talk about pro-man/boy love, and pro-homosexual!

Brown goes on to imply that a Democrat-controlled House and/or Senate would begin either impeaching President Bush or pulling out of Iraq immediately. Frankly, if a sitting president knowingly lies to send our hard-working men and women into battle based on deception, he should be impeached; our service members' lives are far too valuable to be used as chess pieces for personal vindications.

I say that "if" it is found that a sitting president is guilty of such acts. Let's be honest; the Republican party can't be trusted to investigate their own, so what makes anybody with half a brain believe they have objectively done so?

We're talking about the same people who want evangelicals' support at the ballot box, pushing anti-gay marriage agendas on state ballots across the country in 2004, all the while keeping their Florida congressman out of the glare of media scrutiny for 1. Being gay, and 2. targeting young (and sometimes under-age) pages. This is the height of hypocrisy. Those who think the Republican party is out to pursue anti-gay measures need to realize that even the Republicans in office quietly condone homosexuality. They are, after all, educated individuals who pander to the ideals of those less-knowledgeable in such affairs in order to get elected and re-elected.

Brown's assertion that an immediate Iraqi withdrawal would occur if Democrats win control in Washington is another short-sighted fear tactic right of the Karl Rove playbook. Most Democratic leaders have been on the record in saying that the United States can't just leave immediately, but that a change from the bull-headed "stay the course" mentality has to come about. ... Even the White House realizes "stay the course" means more blood-shed. Why do you think President Bush is meeting with military leaders to discuss alternatives?

Brown believes that an immediate withdrawal from Iraq would mean that nation would be "engulfed" by Iranian and Iraqi extremists. Brown should know that the nation already is engulfed by these people, along with terrorists-in-training. Our invasion and subsequent oversight of Iraq has given Islamic extremists both the propaganda tools and the theater to which recruit and train terrorists.

Finally, Brown (as have right-wing radio and TV pundits) charges that Democrats speak of new directions without laying out specifics. It should be noted that the Democrats' goal is to win the election, not tip their hand to the GOP or hand over better ideas so that they can use them and claim them for their own. If we can "stay the course" through the bloodiest month in the Iraq War, then what's the rush in having the Democrats tell the Republicans what their plans are? At least they go into their conflict with a plan. I can assure you it isn't "stay the course."

Ron Roberts

Alexandria, La.

(Ron Roberts is a former Grovetown resident.)