Letters to the Editor

The Dishonoring of America

Dismay that our country seems to have lost its' way
The status quo in the healthcare system is clearly a recipe for disaster

This letter comes out of dismay that our country seems to have lost its' way. It is about what the healthcare issue is revealing about the state of our nation. As an idealistic young man I flew 35 missions against the Nazis. Our squadron took tremendous losses, but we were all convinced we were saving American democracy. Now, all these years later, I can only deplore what is happening to our nation's character.

Don't these extremists realize their behavior is similar to that of the Brown Shirts?

The status quo in the healthcare system is clearly a recipe for disaster. Refuting the misinformation that causes some to oppose correcting the inequities would be easy, but that would be a whole new letter. This one is about the tactics of opponents, the Limbaugh/Beck rabble.

Orchestrated shouters stifle true debate at town hall meetings. They have been furnished with "how-to" memos by the old SwiftBoaters. There are deliberate lies about Death Panels. False fears about choice of doctors and insurers are stoked by politicians who know better. Some opponents deliberately encourage hatred. Who but a fanatic would paint a Hitler mustache on a picture of President Obama? Appallingly, there have been death threats. Gun incidents have occurred in New Hampshire, Arizona, and Tennessee. Swastikas have been painted on offices of proponents. Don't these extremists realize their behavior is similar to that of the Brown Shirts who thought the excesses of Christalnatch were OK? November, 1938 Germany and 2009 America --- beyond belief! We once thought the Allied victory would relegate Nazism to the history books.

How could America descend to such depths? Why aren't we all concerned for the well-being of all our fellow citizens? Can't we work together to restore this nation's traditional glory?

Richard C. Bartlett, Cotuit.