Vote your best instincts, not the party-line

To the Editor:

It is a mystery to me that intelligent, goodhearted, traditional Republicans can accept what those weird radicals are doing to their party. If I were still the Republican I was pre-Nixon, I would renounce the party I was born into, and once again become an Independent, later migrating into the Democratic party as the Republicans increasingly became a club for the extremely wealthy. I don't qualify for membership.

Limiting Social Security or eliminating it is an offensive violation of a good-faith contract. Their books show funds (which came out of our paychecks) to last another 27 years. There is plenty of time to research modifications that are non-threatening to our concept of caring for our seniors. Isn't that what civilized nations do?

Our newly improved health care legislation, which helps so many desperate families, and which will provide even greater revenue to the insuring companies, has been attacked as socialistic. Ridiculous! But that is a weak slam, as all the socialist countries have better plans than we do, and achieve better results in all categories of health than we do. For example, the USA is ranked 47th in the world in life expectancy at present. It would be cruel and selfish to abolish the modest gains that have been made.

I can't believe the good folks in the Republican party really want to eliminate the department of energy at the very time our hunger for all types of energy is burgeoning and demand a national approach to keep our nation running.

Or eliminating the education department, which is needed to give support and to set standards if we are to have a prayer of regaining our former first place, of which we were once so justifiably proud. The UN has measured levels, and we are below some Third World countries. Certainly traditional Republicans are smart enough to see the folly of not regaining the very competencies needed for America's future prosperity.

We can't afford a two-year stalemate. A Republican congress, if that should happen, wont be able to overturn the inevitable presidential vetoes. For the USA to stand impotently frozen immobile in a world racing at a fast pace toward the future is a very depressing prospect.

This letter is just to remind you that you are better than the party that brought you to the dance. You aren't obliged to stick with a once-great party that no longer represents your finer instincts. If your party abandons you and your ideals, it's OK to abandon them. You'll have less heartburn of your conscience.

Richard C. Bartlett
Cotuit, MA