Sunday, June 29, 2008

Email Response to my Senator Obama essay

I appreciate comments on my articles even, negative ones. Below is a negative email on my Obama piece and my response.

From: Ted Loosli Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 2:06 PMTo: Loren LambertSubject: Sen. Obama
June 26, 2008

Dear Mr.Lambert,
It strikes me as strange that a man who makes his living convincing people to his way of thinking would began his tirade by insulting his listener because of decisions reached. .Perhaps your purpose was not to persuade but only to intimidate while venting rather than winning people over to the candidate with which you are obviously impressed.
Let me respond by telling you some of the things that I am impressed by. Senator Obama is in the biggest fight of his political career and needs votes. That is achieved through telling voters what they want to hear, "Change". People are unhappy with government, period. They don’t like being governed and being charged for the privilege. They don’t trust politicians! Of course they want change but those that believe the new kid on the block can come in and affect meaningful change are those that are naive in my opinion. Within the span of my memory every one elected has done it with a promise of change.

Politicians with integrity come into office with high hopes and perhaps unrealistic expectations of their influence in Washington. The "good old boys" in both parties soon shoot them down and show they must play the game the way it's now played or they get ignored. I’m sure Senator Obama has learned this lesson, judging by his voting record, and simply wants to hold the office of the president for the greater potential influence he can have to further his agenda, whatever that might prove to be. However, the president needs the support of the congress before he can do anything meaningful he proposes so we are back to the back scratching in the "good old boys" network..

The fact that Senator Obama feels so strongly antiAmerican about something that prevents him from wearing a symbol of his love for our country on his lapel which thousands have died to preserve, his refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag while in front of a crowd hoping for a better America shows me his heart lies elsewhere than the betterment of the country he proposes to "change, yes we can". His public support for using public campaign money until he actually must make that choice then "changes his mind" to better his chance for election is also worrisome. I doubt this mind change would have occurred if John McCain had proven himself capable of matching the funds of Obama's contributors generosity.

Though John McCain is a lessor risk and in the political arena of choices we have these days, I think I’ll write in Mitt Romney on my ballot.
Regards,
Edward Loosli

Dear Ed:

In the same way I found it pathetic that people would not vote for Mitt Romney because he was LDS, I find the suggestion that just because someone is a Muslim (or attended a Muslim service when the person was a child--as if he made the choice to be there), has a Muslim name, etc. to be unpatriotic--offensive, defamatory and idiotic. It is demagoguery at its worst. If any one turns their ears off because of Obama's middle name, etc. they deserve no respect. Ann Coulter is a hideously shameful sham dressed up in a fashion models body and people that tolerate her kind of divisive, rude pap merely want to console their small mindedness.

Your suggestion that "Senator Obama feels so strongly anti-American," because he doesn't "[wear the] symbol of his love for our country on his lapel" is a very superficial way and I might add fatuous way of judging the heart of a man. I find this especially interesting from a person who claims to champion the rights of the underdog and downtrodden. If it were not for the work of the people you appear to revile, like Senator Obama, you and other deserving Americans would not have the luxury of sitting home, composing and then disseminating your defamatory sermons. I suppose you would not vote for a Jehovah's Witness because they do not participate in the pledge of allegiance and you would have supported the ancient Babylonians who burned those who would not "wear the flag of the state on their lapels" so to speak.

President Bush and his likeminded republicans have done so much harm to our reputation as a great nation, to our people, to our environment and to our world that the many times Pres. Bush speaks the name of "God" or places his hand over his heart to show allegiance to our great symbol is a hollow meaningless gesture from a empty shell of a man both intellectually and spiritually.

Among many other things, I served in the military because I believe as a member of this great nation it was my duty. I honestly pay my taxes because I believe as a member of this great nation it is my duty. I do not wear a flag lapel pin (although I would--never even crossed my mind one way or another that people like you were going around making this judgment--but I now know I want to get into the flag lapel business) but I am as patriotic as any American and I do not look for superficial conventions to prove my or others patriotism.

To finish, I tell you that I respect and admire John McCain. He is a great American and if he is elected he will be far superior to our current President and I would never stoop to behave like
Ann Coulter and take cheap shots at him.

Sincerely Loren M. Lambert

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Give Me Medical Care or Give the Medical Industrial Complex Death

My brother-in-law confronted me on my support of Obama's health care plan. He represents a very conservative position. I represent a more radical solution. We both agree the American health care delivery system is a mess. He offered no solutions aside from suggesting that we abolish health insurance altogether--about as likely to happen without radical reform as abolishing apple pie. I, like him, have spent my time calmly walking in the ever tightening and comfortable circles of conservatism, but no more. The sad fact is that their comes a time when the few have amassed so much power and are so drunk with it that nothing short of revolution will pry it from their greedy hands. Such is the case with the medical industrial complex. We need a revolution. While I hope its not of the bloody French variety, it must nevertheless come, as bold, far reaching and forward looking as our own revolution was in 1776. Obama gives more promise of bringing that revolution to pass then McCain whose tiptoeing into the fray will invariably lead either to more of the same or a more stark change when it is too late for compromise.

Loren M. Lambert Copyright June 22, 2008