Disagrees with Previous Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:
In a letter to the editor on Nov. 6, the writer stated, “A WWII veterans [sic] park was closed because Republicans voted to close it.” Name the bill number closing the park. Even if it exists, the president must sign it or two-thirds of the Democrat Senate must approve it.
Most people already know the truth behind the closing. The House of Representatives submitted many budget bills, including Ted Cruz’s bill to fully fund the government but postpone the Obama”care” mandate one year. Even Obama sought this delay to protect left-wing congressional seats in 2014 from voter retaliation against their insurance woes. Harry Reid, refusing to negotiate, killed every budget bill in the senate. The result: the partial government shutdown.
Now, the memorials were still open to the public since they operated day to day without government expense. Nevertheless, Obama, always eager to exploit a crisis at our expense, ordered the district to spend money it didn’t have to erect barricades to prevent access to veterans. He went out of his way to punish veterans. Why? It’s his Modus Operendi: make life miserable for the little guy, and blame the enemy for their misfortune. Luckily, this particular attempt to bait and switch those who Time Magazine calls, “low-information voters” backfired. People saw and understood what Obama did to veterans. They were smart enough to know there was no reason for the barricades except to make a spectacle at others’ expense for his own political gain. They assigned blame where it belonged, and, for once, Obama suffered consequences for his actions.
The editorial writer assesses Michele Bachmann and others’ heroic efforts to personally “tear down this wall” alongside veterans, and welcome them, with a four word sentence (actually a non-clause): “The height of hypocrisy.” Really? While Obama was using resources during a shutdown to unnecessarily barricade the city’s landmarks, he reopened the Washington Monument for one day and found the money to erect bleachers and loudspeakers. The reason: there was an illegal immigration rally scheduled. Nancy Pelosi and dozens of other congressional statists were in attendance. Here is the height of hypocrisy.
Other falsehoods regard the writer’s ongoing fantasy that America’s been in decline since the 1980s. He always omits the Carter years, true titleholder of “the worst economy since the Great Depression.” The 80s, in contrast, was a period of vibrant economic growth for all classes. He also said that Reagan raised the debt ceiling 17 times with no opposition. No opposition? How many times did Tip O’Neil and company shut down the government during the Reagan years? The answer is: not once, not twice, but six times. While the debt was immense then, it was peanuts compared to now.
Hyperpartisanship isn’t a virtue. The writer’s letters are so predictable that I could successfully submit a forgery. They typically conclude with a laundry list of Republicans on his enemies list, and having gone unchecked, name calling has returned as a substitute for debate. Is greedmonger even a word? Dear reader, welcome opposing views, but not if those behind them aren’t being intellectually honest. I won’t convince anyone, for example, by calling Obama a “thuggerymonger.” Instead, use facts guided by research, and even if not convinced, decent people will respect your views.