The Vintage & Handmade Market No high ground
Your Sept. 9 editorial ended with “let’s all take the high ground.” I wish that were possible. I wish we could devote all of our efforts to arriving at the best possible solutions for our country.
Unfortunately, statements and actions by Republicans and conservatives have made it impossible to take the high ground. No Democrat ever yelled out “you lie” during eight years of abusive rule by George Bush and gang. Democrats believed the lies of the Republican administration and supported the war in Iraq. They could not conceive of the president of the United States lying to them about going to war.
I view the Republicans and conservatives as reactionaries. They can’t deal with change. They do not want to give up power. They adhere to “trickle down economics,” which means they will throw the worker bees some scraps whenever they see fit. They repeatedly refer to the Constitution, “freedom” and religion without providing logical explanations for their proposals. In their minds, the end justifies the means, and the “means” may include manipulation of the Constitution, suspension of people’s freedom and abuse of religion.
Recent claims by Republicans and conservatives regarding health-insurance reform substantiates my claims. Thus far, they have associated health reform with “death panels” and “socialism” without presenting any reasonable alternatives. They are unable to solve problems because they are pre-occupied with destroying Barack Obama, and they are unable to embrace new ideas. These people stand in the way of the United States moving forward and progressing in regard to health insurance and other issues.
Ronald Harris,
Scripps Ranch
CityBeat: just like Hannity
About your Sept. 30 editorial on ACORN: So you really think the left and right in government are different. Or are you just trying to sell an already free newspaper?
When the day comes that you really want a clue and you are willing to stop plagiarizing Hannity’s bash-speak while injecting your words, then here’s what to do: Google “predicted, foresaw, forewarned, anticipated, etc. the economic collapse, economic bubble.” See what these people say in common.
Then there are also a couple of blogs that were watching the housing bubble—Piggington and Doctor Housing Bubble.
What does this have to do with ACORN? Nothing. But you might wake up to what your own prejudice didn’t allow you to see. And that is that there were Repubs and Dems that were trying to watch out for the small guy and prevent an economic implosion (one that hurt many a poor man).
Why don’t you learn to give credit where credit is due and name those on both sides of the aisle that tried to warn us? Or is that less fun than acting like a left-wing version of Hannity?
Matt Dick,
College Area
Dems pedaling backwards
About “ACORN: It’s about power, stupid” [“Editorial,” Sept. 30]: As pointed out in the editorial, ACORN should have taken more care to be squeaky clean. But given that they are spread thin and can’t afford tip-top help, incidents are inevitable. But what really struck me was how quickly the Dems backpedaled; the Dems just don’t seem to get it that backpedaling is only blood in the water for the GOP and the right. If the shoe were on the other foot, the GOP would have said, “So what?” They might have even increased ACORN’s funding instead of cutting, as the Dems did.
And the phony outrage from the GOP and the right is laughable to anyone who has an iota of a clue; for instance, the allegations thrown about by the likes of the county Board of Supervisors and Darrell Issa (all six are Republicans) are predominantly lies, speculation, innuendo and charges already debunked. Listening to those clowns, you’d think that ACORN was on par with the corruption of an Abramoff or Cunningham scandal. It’s not in the same league, much less the same ballpark. Regrettably, Issa probably doesn’t read CityBeat—the criticism in the editorial might have made him cry like he did when he dropped out of the gubernatorial race.
Dan Jacobs,
Mira Mesa
