Neither party has monopoly on the truth

8/17/2004

Liberal Democrats are a lovable but quirky lot. They like to accuse President Bush of lying about weapons of mass destruction in order to go to war with Iraq, but if you mention that President Johnson did the same thing over the Gulf of Tonkin, a sickly smile comes over their faces and they hastily switch the conversation to low-carb diets and the menace of obesity.

Woodrow Wilson got us into World War I on the false information that there were no munitions on board the Lusitania. Years later, it was shown that there were. But if you draw the comparison with George Bush relying on false information about WMDs, the average liberal Democrat will stamp his/her foot with a petulant cry, But that s different!

How is it different, other than the political identification of Mr. Wilson and Mr. Bush?

Now and then, your liberal Democratic friend will fire back with Nixon lied! Of course he did. So did John Kennedy who, a few days after his inauguration, admitted that he had fibbed about the celebrated missile gap. And then there is Bill Clinton, who brought lying to such a pinnacle that he got disbarred for it.

The latest darling of the liberal left is the under-groomed and over-egoed Michael Moore, whose aggressions upon truth would, if practiced by a man upon a woman, lead to an indictment for rape.

As I say, my liberal Democrat friends are lovable. I will cheerfully drink beer with them, debate life s great issues (Ohio State vs. Michigan) with them, and play chess (where all the pieces are out on the board in plain sight) with them.

Let s just not pretend that their political party has a monopoly on truth.

ROBERT G. MORRIS

Manchester Boulevard

I read a recent letter to The Blade and couldn t believe that anyone would go to such extremes to justify abortion.

A shirt put out by Planned Parenthood stated I had an abortion ? Isn t it bad enough we destroy our unborn? Do they have to brag about it, too?

What s next? I euthanized my grandfather? I robbed a bank? I killed my neighbor s dog?

Why can t we just admit that we are human and that we make mistakes and accept God s forgiveness? Wouldn t those exploited into an abortion by society s pressure at least have a better chance of healing and feeling forgiven?

STEVE CHERRY

Oregon

It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I am amused by all the people whose letters have appeared in this column who are upset by the inaccuracies in Michael Moore s movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. The movie may have been inaccurate, but it certainly was entertaining. The segment on the hair styling lesson by Paul Wolfowitz was worth the price of admission.

Mr. Moore was following the example of that master of the art of political satire, Rush Limbaugh. I listen to Rush enough to know that he mixes fact, fiction, and interpretation in a way which is entertaining, emotion-arousing, and inaccurate, all to promote his conservative agenda. Mr. Limbaugh is basically an entertainer who uses the politicians of the Democratic Party as his foil. He does it three hours a day, five days a week, on the radio. Mr. Moore s slander in a two-hour movie doesn t begin to compare with the slander Mr. Limbaugh accomplishes each week.

The problems arise when people believe that these political satirists are telling the truth. They are not trying to inform us of the truth. As good story-tellers they are trying to entertain us, and in the process to promote their political agenda. It is only the naive or politically obsessed people who need to prove that these satirists are abusing the truth in telling their fables. Or, as another aphorism puts it, You can fool some of the people all of the time.

CHARLES H. KAMP

Ridgeville Corners, Ohio

If it were a man being outspoken and telling it like it is, he d be great material for a CEO for some big company. Because it s a woman (Teresa Heinz Kerry) speaking her mind, she s out of control. Who is kidding whom?

Grow up, get a life, and get out and vote for the candidate you feel will steer this country in the right direction and not because his wife has the intestinal fortitude to tell the press what everybody else has wanted to say for years and didn t have the guts.

SHARON HOWARD

Tappan Avenue

George W. Bush, I have seen your latest commercial. I am not impressed. John Kerry spoke for 50 minutes with his acceptance speech, maintaining direct eye contact with his audience, not once looking at any written notes. Mr. Bush, on the other hand, can t even speak for three minutes without looking at his pre-written notes.

And his new commercial states that we have to do this, we have to do that. My question to him is, what is he going to do to get us out of the mess he got us into?

John Kerry has stated legitimate tasks that he is going to do to get America on the right track again. God willing, it is not too late!

I think the only ethical thing Mr. Bush can do is make payment to Al Gore for using the residence the American people elected him to occupy.

Mr. Bush is gone. Less than three months remain on his contract.

I just hope the American electorate realizes the four years of lies and deception told to them, and will vote for the only logical choice for president and vice president, John Kerry and John Edwards.

Under their leadership Amer ica will once again prevail, and I can fly my flag proudly. It has been carefully folded in my closet for the last four years.

SUSAN NOVACK

Berwick Avenue

As a resident of North Toledo in the Galena Street area since 1961, I, too, have seen many changes and have fond memories of Edith s Sweet Shop, North End Variety Store, and a wonderful browsing shop called Treasure Mart.

Let us not forget that Galena Street now runs to Central. What a blessing after years of detouring via New York Street or Lagrange. The ponds are home to beautiful geese who raise their young in the spring and parade them for passersby.

The Galena area is populated by many families that are third generation or more. There is a core that continues to be not only observant of unsafe, unhealthy, or unlawful situations, but is very vocal about bringing these issues to a satisfactory conclusion.

North River Development Corp. is rock-solid behind us to help in any way it can. Councilman Michael Ashford is always available to listen and follow up on any issue that needs a city department s involvement.

I am pleased to be on the Galena Revitalization Committee and see firsthand the hard work that is going into the assessment of each structure and contacts that have been made to owners and many plans on the table for soon and future changes.

This area has not been forgotten. Drive by every so often on your way to or from Greenbelt and see how we are doing.

The Blade s article began with the word Progress. We ll build on that.

No, it s not the same North End, but we hope that it will turn out to be an area that these terrific neighborhood people can enjoy, continue to take care of, and feel pride in.

NANCIE MEACHAM

North Michigan Street

If the American people really do make presidential choices based on the economic condition of the country, then President Bush should be easily defeated this November. July s job creation numbers of 43,000 jobs, the lowest figure in eight months, coupled with June s lackluster 80,000 job numbers, is far short of the administration s 250,000 new jobs per month projection. With numbers like these, and if the administration really does feel that the country is indeed turning the corner economically, one might wonder which way?

Paul Rickman, Jr.

Sylvania