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Letters To The Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 16, 2008

Writers Make Little Sense

In the June 13 letters section, you printed three letters from Clinton supporters who cannot seem to get over the fact that she lost the nomination. There are several points that I believe are worth mentioning in regard to those opinions.

First, they do not seem to understand how the nomination process works. The 1st Amendment guarantees the right of political parties to set their own rules and choose their own candidates through free association. In the first three Articles of the Constitution there is no mention of political parties whatsoever. Florida and Michigan broke the rules as they were set out.

Second, they say they will now vote for McCain as a result. That tells me that the issues are not important to them. The difference between Clinton and Obama over those issues was minor at best. To me, they do not care how many more of our soldiers will die in Iraq.

Third, some Clinton supporters say they will not vote in the election at all. Now that shows how important they place civic responsibility in their lives. Not voting - that's setting a good example for the young people in this nation.

LES HETTINGER

Lakeland

Shame On Them

Regarding letters from Bobby McGill and Bob Kaiser (June 13):

Their choices of "fishing" and "driving half-way" on Nov. 4 are absolutely amazing, disgustingly amazing. Thousands and thousands of service men, women and civilians have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives so that these gentlemen have the right to vote and one of them chooses fishing because he didn't get his way, and one, who has always voted, chooses to drive half-way because he is mad at the bureaucracy.

If everyone who didn't get their way and who are mad at the bureaucracy didn't vote, most likely no votes would ever be cast. In which kindergarten playground do these two gentlemen spend their time?

How ludicrous are their decisions. The voters in this country have a clear choice between two candidates, and because of their "pettiness," both choose to dishonor the memory of so many people.

All I can say is "shame on them" for their stupidity.

NATHAN PEARLMAN

Lutz

They Don't Need Enemies

While living in Australia for several years, I learned many Aussie idioms, as they have a penchant for using some very funny and inventive visual metaphors.

One that comes to mind when reading recent news items and letters to the editor about Clinton supporters withholding votes for Obama is "spitting the dummy!" This refers to babies, when throwing a tantrum, allowing their pacifiers (dummies) to drop from their mouths.

With friends like these dummy-spitters - and actions by their own DNC - Democrats don't need any more enemies.

BOB LAROSE

Tampa

Same Goes For GOP

I appeal to all conservative Republican voters in Florida not to vote this presidential election. Republicans, at the federal, state and local levels have abandoned their core principals and have left us out there to dry. The lines between both parties are blurred.

Take domestic oil drilling as an example. If elected Republicans can't support us, then why support them? I firmly believe that the only way we can revive the party is to hand them a loud wake-up call. Adversary nations are drilling off of our shores, but our governor and two U.S. senators are against this. Does anyone really believe drilling will ruin our beaches or interrupt our military's training exercises? We need to send a strong message.

RICHARD DiMAIO

Tampa

Ruling Favors Bad Guys

Regarding "Supreme Court Says Detainees Can Seek 'Relief' " (front page, June 13):

Considering the Supreme Court ruling which now allows the thugs at Club Gitmo access to American courts and attorneys, I hope each of us considers the danger of a Democrat in the White House at the same time we have a Democrat-led Congress.

The bad guys who were captured in a foreign land, fighting our soldiers without the benefit of a country or a flag to fight for, have the same rights as you and me!

As long as attorneys control membership in Congress, the Supreme Court, all other courts and local politics, who do you think will benefit from future rulings on anything? There are reasons attorneys have been one of the least respected professions on Earth for many years.

MARK NEWMAN

Lutz

Represent The People

We are rapidly approaching the peak of world oil production. We should be exploiting every method of increasing energy production that we can while simultaneously reducing demand to the extent possible. We should be drilling everywhere we can in America. We should be increasing the use of nuclear and coal technologies, exploring alternative energy and creating a well-funded "Manhattan project" on energy. We should also be embarking on a massive conservation program which includes dramatically increasing CAFE standards, reducing the speed limit and implementing mass transit on a large scale.

I and most other Americans do not understand the sheer idiocy of our elected leaders. Why is there such a reluctance to recognize our looming energy problems and work together to solve them? Is it really so hard to put a bill together that satisfies constituencies of both parties? That's how things get done, by compromising and working together.

I ask our leaders to do what they were elected to do: represent the people, not special interests and their agendas.

JASON McINTYRE

Tampa

No Better Overseas

Regarding "Foreign Aid Could Rescue Domestic Air Travel" (Other Views, June 13):

Has Terrence Guay been reading the newspaper lately? If you look at European airlines, they are in no better shape than ours. Fuel prices are higher in Europe than here.

Take a look at Alitalia. They are running on fumes. The only airlines that are making any money are the ones subsidized by the oil-rich nations.

WILLIAM McGUIRE

Valrico

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