Race has little to do with it

Race has little to do with it

EDITOR:

Regarding the Sept. 16 article, “Democrats accuse locals of being racist toward Obama,” I can’t believe that Thomas Letson and Robert Hagan are elected representatives of the people of Ohio. For them to claim that we will not vote for Barack Obama because of his race is an embarrassment and insult to the people of the Valley.

I am among the so-called “swing voters” as I am undecided at this point which candidate deserves my vote. Based on the comments of Reps. Letson and Hagan, if I or any other swing voter chooses to vote for John McCain we are racist because, as Letson stated, “There are 1,000 reasons to vote for Obama and one reason why you won’t — race.”

Sure there are people who will vote for or against a candidate based strictly on race, but I believe most of us have moved beyond that and will cast our votes based on issues, personal beliefs and values. Reps. Letson and Hagan are painting a segment of society, the swing voters who end up not voting for Obama, with a broad brush. That’s like saying all politicians and elected officials are dishonest criminals. We’ve had more than our fair share in that category, but they still only make up a small percentage of all people in elected positions.

CRAIG WAGNER

New Middletown

Vote your best interests

EDITOR:

I am a Barack Obama supporter, and if Hillary Clinton had won, I would be voting my wallet (which means my interest) like I did with Obama, and support her. Although I am a Republican, I have found nothing in common with my party since the 1980s. In fact, from my study of political history, I have found that my party has been hostile, xenophobic and hypocritical since Nixon, and it is often African Americans who are the victims of their ire, particularly the brothers and sisters of the Civil Rights movement. Lately, there have been a couple of things on my mind that either make you go “duh” or “hmmm” during this political season.

To start, when did “earmarks” and “pork barrel” projects become bad words or evil acts? In our Republic (representative democracy), we elect people who, we hope, will keep us safe and put our tax dollars to good use, especially in local projects here at home. Why should we just send our tax revenues to Washington and expect nothing in return? When you think about it, this country was built on and prospered through the collective work, finance and struggle of our citizens. Meanwhile, a number of innovative ideas came to being as a part of our collective efforts: from the New Deal that got Americans working again to build this country up — after Republican actions led to the worst national depression in history — to the Apollo project that got us not only into space, but also to the moon, which opened the door to new inventions and the expansion of science.

The representatives who do not seek earmarks and pork barrel projects to send back home for the people who sent her or him there have fools for clients. Although John McCain claims that he has never asked Congress for a dime in earmarks, he is not opposed to sending federal money (your tax dollars) to private corporations, particularly the ones that finance his campaigns. Just recently, I read an article about his actions helping some of his buddies not only get U.S. government lands very cheaply adjacent to the Air Force base in Arizona, but also McCain fought for legislation to make the USAF pay them our tax dollars just to be neighbors.

Lastly, I wanted to reflect on this silly idea that African Americans are lining up behind Sen. Obama simply because he is black. What I find ironic is that the ones that make this claim publicly are also black. What I find offensive about their assertion is that they portray the black community as some sort of sheep, willing to be led to anything by anybody or we in the black community do not think. Shame on them; we know what we need, want and desire. We know what our interest are and we act, as any other racial or ethnic community, to fulfill that interest. I actually think that many of the so-called conservative black pundits are jealous of Obama now and have been jealous of Rev. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and others who help to either advance or defend the masses of black folks still treated as non-citizens.

CLYDE BERT WILLIAMS

Austintown

There is a better choice

EDITOR:

Barack Obama said on the Aug. 31 broadcast of 60 Minutes: “I intend to win this race so that I can work on behalf of all families in America. If I can get healthcare for every American; If I can make sure that the economy is providing jobs that pay a decent wage; If I can solve this energy problem so that we are more secure; If I can make an education system work for every child that’s going to be good for everybody.”

This all sounds nice doesn’t it? It’s supposed to. But the problem is that the president of the United States is not tasked with these responsibilities. As our Founding Fathers warned, “there is a natural inclination in mankind to Kingly Government.” So every presidential election promises fly about “taking care of” and “providing for” the citizens.

After more than a century of our governing representatives ignoring the U.S. Constitution, our problems have become so immense that we as a citizenry are desperate for exactly what we were warned against.

With its solid political and economic principles, the Constitution can solve nearly every problem facing America today. Unconstitutional intervention by the federal government in healthcare, the economy, energy and education is destroying a nation that was once the most prosperous in history.

In Ohio, there is a better choice than the lesser of two evils. Constitution Party nominee Chuck Baldwin recognizes the authority of the U.S. Constitution and the limited powers he has under Article II, Section 2. He’s not asking you to trust him, but rather to trust the rule of law.

GALE PALMER

McDonald

Fewer homicides is bad?

EDITOR:

As I watched coverage of Senator Joe Biden’s visit to the Valley, I became interested that Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams would address the crowd. I was curious to hear what the self-described “independent” leader of Youngstown had to say about the presidential election.

I was shocked that as Williams spoke, he unfairly lashed out at Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate. Williams ripped the Alaska Governor’s past experience being the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Apparently, according to Williams, Palin did such a bad job leading the city of Wasilla that only two homicides were reported in 13 years.

Surprisingly, the crowd in Youngstown cheered behind the mayor as he made his point.

Growing up in an urban setting in Warren and attending Youngstown State, I wonder why Williams makes a low homicide rate a terrible thing? Is he trying to say that she is out of touch with the people of the Mahoning Valley because of that statistic? The fact that Palin can keep crime down in her city makes her more in sync with the citizens of Warren and Youngstown. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place where only two murders took place in 13 years?

Youngstown is consistently rated as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Instead of blasting Palin for doing her job, and keeping her city safe, Williams should have met with her when she came to the area. If he did that, he could have asked how she kept homicide rates down.

JOHN BROWN

Warren