To the editor:
I hope that all my Republican friends and young Republicans are not voting Republican in this election merely because they always have or because their parents vote that way.
If you look at history, you will find that the Republican Party’s values have changed over these many years. Teddy Roosevelt was the first president who tried to get a health plan passed. The Grand Old Party, as it was called, was a very compassionate party. Not any more. Our Republicans in Washington constantly cut programs that hurt the poor, disabled, elderly and the young — children’s lunch programs and meals on wheels are just a few examples. Medicare will be a voucher system if Mr. Romney should be elected in the November election. Yes, it needs improvement — but a voucher system?
This has happened because the Republican Party has been infiltrated by the tea party. Tea party legislators in New Hampshire have caused all the cuts to the mentally ill, Medicaid and children’s services, just to mention a few. These are all people who, through no choice of their own, can’t help themselves. They don’t have any “boot straps” to pull up. Life has dealt them these misfortunes. Does a person really choose to live in poverty if they could do better? I think not!
Please do your own home work. Get the facts about the issues and I firmly believe that you will vote for President Obama. His vision is about the future of our country, not going back to my generation. We polluted the waters with oil spills and toxins. Our corporations didn’t invest in clean energy but have constantly polluted our air and it goes on and on.
Rachel Carson wrote the book “Silent Spring” in 1962. We didn’t listen. Carl Sagan, the scientist, repeatedly told us what would happen if we didn’t care for our planet. Al Gore told us about climate change but we still aren’t listening.
This election is about going forward and correcting our mistakes. It took us a long time to get in this mess and we need to work together to get out of it. I think President Obama can help get us there.
Catherine Panciocco
Salem
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