This letter is in regard to the Feb. 11 letter criticizing the Feb. 6 letter from Harry Coles Jr. I reread the letter that Mr. Coles wrote and would like to say that I as well as millions of other disgruntled Americans agree with his ideas. The Feb. 11 letter that stated Mr. Coles should keep his opinions to himself is an assertion that is just as asinine as the political pundits that have inundated the news with the non-news in this longest presidential election season since George Washington.

The author of this Feb. 11 letter seems to be a product of the propaganda machine that has been keeping the voting public divided since the '80s. The misnomer "conservative" that misguided people love to spout when referring to the Republican Party is just as ridiculous as the term "liberal" for those who run under the moniker of "Democrat." Mr. Cole's letter had no misinterpreted facts. The statement about over 900 lies told by the Bush administration came from an Associated Press report. Also his claim that he would vote for Barack Obama is nothing more than a choice between the lesser of the evils. I heard this line by many people once before, in 2000 and 2004, and look how that worked out.

I have referenced a line from Teddy Roosevelt in a previous letter to this paper that stated, "He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right."

Mr. Roosevelt should know. He was president himself. Also the letter on Feb. 11 said that Mr. Coles should keep his opinions to himself. This is the opinion section of the newspaper! The author of that letter must be a fan of enforcing action on Orwellian thought crimes and a firm supporter of fascist movements that prohibit free speech.

Before I am attacked for this letter, I would like to say I am not a fan of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton and from the numerous letters I have sent to this paper, one could determine I loathe the Bush administration. Any time a politician uses religion as a tactic to win votes, and then goes against all rational thought to create a war based on false pretenses, I have the utmost disdain for him and those who support his ideology.

Also the Feb. 11 letter stated, "If there must be a comparison of leaders, it should be Saddam, Hitler and Lincoln, who killed innocent people by the decisions they made." The problem with this statement is simple: It was their decision to force their armies to do their bidding. Meaning they are responsible for this loss of life, yet Lincoln was president in a time that war was inevitable, when the issues of states' rights led to the secession of the Southern states. The war this country is fighting now was not in any way inevitable. Policing the world is not the United States' responsibility, right or duty. What a president should remember is he is the president of this country, and with that simple idea, he should strengthen this land from within and not by sending young men and women halfway around the world to fight wars that make rich old men wealthier.

-- Jason Etheredge, Springfield

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