Letters to the Editor
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The Political Courage of Two Candidates
We don't hear nearly enough these days about political courage: the willingness to speak out consistently in favor of truth and justice even when it means being ignored, marginalized, and ridiculed, and, worst of all, denied or voted out of office. While I am glad that John Edwards has become enlightened on the need for a radical readjustment of priorities in the federal government, his record while in the Senate shows that at that time he supported many of the Bush Administrations more heinous abuses of government power, including the "Patriot Act" and the unprovoked aggression against Iraq.
Two current candidates for the presidency have spoken out repeatedly and consistently against the herd-like stampede of Congress to accommodate Bush/Cheney/Rove in their programs of infringing human liberties and monopolizing political and economic power in the hands of the already rich and powerful. These candidates need to be recognized for understanding the fear-mongering, corrosive Bushite policies for what they were from the very beginning and speaking out against them for the good of all Americans and people around the world. They have a vision of a nation motivated by hope and respect, not cowering in fear of terrorist attack, but being willing to objectively examine the root causes of terrorism and adopting proactive policies that promote peaceful interactions rather than participating in an accelerating spiral of fear and violence.
There are two bumper stickers on my car in equal support of these outstanding Congressmen in their quest for the Presidency: Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich.