Letter to the Editor - Southern Style

I will occassionally highlight letter's to the editor (LTEs) in southern state newspapers that reflect either a progressive voice or a moderate voice who understand this administration is destroying America. I want folks to realize that there are progressive southerners who have a voice and use it. Hopefully more southerners will take a cue and take the lead in reclaiming the south for those who really care about America.

The LTE is from Florence, Alabama's newspaper, The TimesDaily:

What's really wrong

In response to the letter, "Their real agenda," by Kenny Perkins.

First of all, there is no one in the United States that has said we should surrender to Muslim terrorists in the Middle East.

There are more murders in the U.S. each year and there are less in Iraq: A country that is the size of one state in America; if you figure in the murder to population ratio, then you will see the deaths in Iraq are not a good statistical reference.

There is no hatred for American soldiers and the commander in chief? I'll tell you what is happening, though. It's people like Mr. Perkins "who go to work everyday and behave themselves" while the government does things behind our backs that are putting our lives in jeopardy everyday. What is wrong with this country is that people are not willing to question or inform themselves. When people go to work and behave without opening their eyes, people will believe and follow anything, even at the sake of what is really good for our country.

Are we stabilizing Iraq or did we start a war simply to get rid of Muslim terrorists, or did we start a war for profit? Did our Founding Fathers fight against Great Britain's occupation only to be told how our country should be run?

How is it that we can send a fleet of military ships and carriers to the Gulf region in a 24- hour period to fight the war in Iraq? How is it that we can't get food and resources to our own people in our own Gulf region after a disaster? Maybe our government has different priorities from the people of this country.

Maybe it's people like Mr. Perkins, who will watch corporate media, run by corporate politicians from both the Democrat and Republican parties, and these people who choose to support a war based on lies in Iraq and who choose to ignore the truth about Hurricane Katrina and its affects on Americans.

There have been both Democrats and Republicans condemn the government response to Katrina, so your argument of liberal bias doesn't work. This was a failure by the government of the United States, not by a single party.

So, if supporting our president, right or wrong, getting our information from corporate-funded media and corporate-funded politicians is the meaning of patriotism, ask yourself this one question: Do you feel safer with President Bush running this country?

Howard *****

Tuscumbia