Letter to the Editor - Southern Style

TimesDaily.com:

Think for yourself

To the editor:

I am tired of supporters of the Bush administration who don't have a clue about what actually takes place in our government. Ambrose Underwood, whose letter was recently published, falls into this category.

Mr. Underwood, wake up. Your rights are being eliminated by this administration. This should be of major concern to any American, whether you have anything to hide or not.

We don't 'hate' Bush, Mr. Underwood. We are American citizens who keep abreast of our government. Our government is accountable for its actions and, as Abraham Lincoln said, '… of the people, by the people and for the people,' not the other way around, as this administration would have you believe.

As supporters of the Constitution, however, we do despise how he and those close to him continue to manipulate our legal system with reckless abandon, devoid of morality and ethics, the very traits advertised to the American voters, that got him elected in the first place. Thank God the Dubai port deal caused a few (those of his own party included) to finally come to the realization that laws and regulations are being totally disregarded by this administration. This is why (letter writer) Matt Osborn compared Bush to a monarch.

Mr. Underwood, you mindlessly recapped Donald Rumsfeld's mendacity about how people who protest the actions of our president cause morale degradation in our troops. What about the morale of the veterans and their families who have returned home, only to have the government ignore their medical and financial needs? Perhaps you didn't know many Iraq veterans are protesting the war, as well as the treatment they are receiving from the president for whom they risked their lives. Were you aware that one in five troops want to heed Bush's call to stay 'as long as they are needed?' Did you also know that 78 percent of active troops are in favor of withdrawal within the year?

I could go on and on about other areas where our government has faltered, and all people like Mr. Underwood will hear is 'blah blah blah,' debunking me as a Bush-hating wacko socialist, as many conservatives take perverse joy in labeling Democrats.

Nevertheless, I am a citizen who recognizes when my government has turned its back on people like you and me. I will continue to speak out so that, hopefully, at least one person might decide to examine for themselves what the government is actually doing and not take mainstream media, redundant speeches and ridiculous administration P.R. stunts at face value.

Thomas * ****

Tuscumbia