To the Readers' Forum:
In response to the letter "GOP Candidates Willing To Kill," I believe the writer is completely misguided. He said that GOP candidates are "more than happy to kill thousands of people in the poor working class by being against affordable healthcare for all," a truly despicable statement.
Killing someone requires a specific act whereby one takes the life of another. To suggest that candidates are "killing" other people by a lack of action, or more specifically, a lack of government action, is disgraceful.
According to the warped logic, if you are not willing to provide other people with their needs, then you are the cause of their demise. That means that you have killed everyone who has died of starvation because you did not provide them with food. You have killed everyone who has died of an illness because you did not provide them with medical care. You have killed everyone who has been murdered because you did not provide them with protection.
Whenever something bad happens to someone, it's always someone else's fault, right?
The letter writer claims that Republicans are all about greed and only care for themselves. Could you explain then, sir, why Republicans always lead the way in charitable giving? Did you ever stop to think that maybe Republicans simply prefer to do their charity in private, rather than rely on a corrupt government to regulate it?
When you quoted "love thy neighbor," did you notice that the Bible leaves that responsibility to people, not government? How much further would you like our country to go in its welfare state quest? Do you honestly believe that taking from one and giving to another will solve the world's problems, that people will magically become motivated to help themselves if the government constantly takes care of them?
Social justice advocates love to push responsibilities onto other people. Rather than use their own resources to go out and privately help those in need, they rely on the government to do it for them by stealing from the rich. It's quite a clever ploy. They get to act self-righteous by advocating for the poor but they don't have to make the individual sacrifices.
It's my belief that attitudes like the letter writer's are ruining America. I'll leave the soul-searching to you.
Rick Hammond
Jamestown