Reckless behavior

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” ends a letter to the Courier (10/10) by Robert Gleason (Chairman of the PA Republican Party). “We will continue our party’s history of good government.” I wonder; has Mr. Gleason looked at the news this week? Even Former Republican Governor of Michigan William Milliken recently said about McCain: “”He is not the man I endorsed, I’m disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues.” The problem is that the issues implicate eight years of irresponsible government on behalf of the Republicans by deregulating the financial markets which has brought the world’s financial system to its knees. Both McCain and Palin, by admission, know little about economics, they are behind in the polls, so they have decided to play the rest of their campaign out in the shadows promoting fear and anger with lies that are meant to divide Americans and incite violence against their opposition: Obama and all the names they call Democrats, from liberals and socialists to terrorists. But are we not better than this? Are we not proud of our tolerance, our freedom and democracy? Is that not the American example to the rest of the world? So how can we silently stand by while McCain and Palin spout false accusations of terrorism, inciting the kind of rage that leads to an open threat to the life of Obama? This is not only disturbing it is inexcusably reckless behavior by two people who, right now, need to show their ability to lead this country and not divide it. There is the danger that when violence is added to the financial meltdown we could see our society breaking down very rapidly. It happened in Germany in the thirties and has happened around the world many times since then. We cannot let it happen again. Not here, not ever. So, if McCain and Palin will not act like responsible adults and George Bush keeps refusing to show leadership then it is up to you and me to come together and show the politicians, the media and the rest of the world that we stand strong together in our differences and will never be divided by manipulation. Barbara de Vries Milford