Seeing Obama as emperor

Seeing Obama as emperor

EDITOR:

I thought I’d feel some sense of anxiety about the outcome of the presidential election, but I was oddly at peace. My only feeling was that of amusement at the reveling of the Obama supporters. It was amusement of an adult observing a child dance around in triumph when school is canceled after a large snowfall because the adult knows full well that the day will be made up on a sunny day in June when the child won’t be so triumphant.

The day after the election there were a lot of triumphant children dancing in the streets over Barack Obama. He promised to seize their private pension plans, and they danced in the streets. He bragged that he would leave them unemployed by bankrupting the coal industry, and they danced in the streets. He promised to abort their children, and they danced in the streets. He promised to leave them vulnerable by gutting the military, and they danced in the streets. He promised them Marxism, and still they danced in the streets.

It all reminded me of one of my favorite movie lines from the film “Gladiator.” In the scene, the Roman senator, Gracchus, speaks about the oppressive emperor who is lauded by the people of Rome simply because he provides them amusement and entertainment through games in the Coliseum. Gracchus is referencing the emperor and the Roman people but he could just as easily be talking about Obama and his voters when he says: “I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they’ll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they’ll roar. He’ll bring them death — and they will love him for it.”

JOSEPH K. WALTENBAUGH

New Castle, Pa.

Election workers did well

EDITOR:

“A job well done” is an apt description of how the Mahoning County Board of Elections functioned on Election Day, November 4, 2008.

As an observer for Ohio Promises the Vote, I had countless opportunities to view many aspects of the election process during the days prior to as well as on Election Day. Despite a steady stream of new directives from the office of the secretary of state, the MCBOE was able to effectively implement them in a timely manner.

During the early voting period, lines were minimal and problems were promptly addressed and resolved. On Election Day itself, despite a work day approaching 20 hours, the staff continued to be efficient, hard working, and helpful.

Special thanks go to MCBOE Director Tom McCabe and to Deputy Director Joyce Kale-Pesta who set high standards of efficiency and accommodation. Those standards were clearly mirrored in the hundreds of dedicated poll workers who processed our votes, many of whom worked a long 13-hour day for little more than $100.

As Americans, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who help to promote democracy by assisting in our efforts to vote. The Board of Elections is a big operation and their work is worthy of our thanks.

GEORGE D. BEELEN

Canfield

No cause to be ashamed

EDITOR:

Ashamed? What does the writer of Monday’s letter think we would be ashamed of? Electing a president who graduated top of his Harvard class? Or maybe we should be ashamed of electing a brilliant man with an IQ of 130. This man has a vision of a greater America — one where we are all created equal, regardless of economic standing. An America that looks out for its citizens with a more balanced distribution of wealth, in which we can all prosper.

He is no more a socialist than was President Eisenhower who wrote, ”there must be no second-class citizens in this country” and went ahead using the same fiscal beliefs to balance the budget.

Monday’s letter writer should be ashamed of his archaic beliefs and inability to change for the good.

DIANA BURNS

Canfield