Democrat needs to get facts right

Philip Balestrieri Albemarle County
Published: June 19, 2008

In “Democrats promote U.S. values” (The Daily Progress, June 13), the letter writer makes some rather amazing statements.

Among his list of “real heroes” are James Madison and Abraham Lincoln. One could not have chosen two individuals of more radically different political philosophies. One believed in states’ rights while the other believed that the states were creatures of the central government.

In his list of government services for which he is happy to pay his money, he lists police, roads, mail, the military and adds “and stuff like that.” There is a great deal involved in “stuff like that” which has nothing to do with the delegated powers of the general government under the Constitution and which one may well regard as destructive of our freedom. And paying for it through forced taxation is something I regard as a definite evil.

Regarding the statement that one can purchase “submachine guns and assault rifles through the mail without background checks”: One cannot buy firearms through the mail or without a background check. As for submachine guns, one requires a class III license that involves extensive background checks, supporting material and the signature of the chief law enforcement officer where you live. If you doubt me, try it.

As regards to political corruption and false family values, one would think that a party that offered us Bill Clinton as president for eight years (the impeached one who had difficulty with the meaning of “is”), and contains such individuals as Barney Frank and Teddy Kennedy, would be rather hesitant to mention either “corruption” or “family values.”

The suggestion that Sen. Barack Obama is an example of someone likely to “exemplify and promote moral values” is ludicrous.

His true moral values can be appreciated from the church that he and his family attended for 20 years, where the then-minister espoused aggressively racist attitudes against whites and regards our country as a fit object of ridicule and hatred.

Unfortunately, we will have to go elsewhere for both moral values and facts.