Lifelong 82-yr-old KS Repub has had it, now a liberal, dripping venom

[Stevepol]

I don't usually read the Active Aging newspaper that comes my way every couple weeks, but maybe I should be paying more attention. Strange things are happening in the country these days.

I happened to see a letter in the paper that might be of interest to Dems. Here it is. The Pearson referred to is the ed. of the letter who, unbeknownst to me, has apparently been writing editorials critical of El Bushco.

IN PRAISE OF PEARSON.

I never miss Charles Pearson's column. What this country needs is some leadership, but with the present regime, it's risky to speak out. I see that Mr. Pearson has had some backlash.

I am 82. I registered as a Republican when I was 21. I have never changed my party, but now I'm a rhino, Democrat, Liberal, dripping with venom. I have three dictionaries -- I'm proud to be a liberal if that's what it is. I am Methodist and have been since I was 12 years old, but now the so-called Christian right thinks I'm an evil person. I'm tired of educated people, even PhD ministers, calling names.

I think the tide is beginning to turn, but fear it is too late. Our country is bankrupt, as you so aptly put in November 2005, there is little to be thankful for.

I clip your columns, as I do the paper, and now I am filing your columns with them. I don't know what good it will do, but hope down the line it might pay off.

I just wanted you to know how much your column means to me.

Harriette Leisch
Wichita

NOTE: I'm unaware of the term "rhino" as used here. Anybody able to enlighten?

[dsc]

1. my guess would be Republican in name only

[UnityDem]

2. Rhino probably equals RINO

RINO - Republican in name only
similar to DINO - Democrat in name only

[Catch22Dem]

4. Just to piggy-back on what you said

That's what the acronym stands for, which basically means a registered member of one party but consistently votes the opposite of the party platform. :D

[kitp]

3. hard-nosed

That's what I thought it meant

[Lux]

5. Life-long 82-yr-old Republican

I too love Charlie Pearson. He, as I am, is a life-long liberal Democrat. (Notice, I had to use the qualifier "liberal.") He gets a lot of grief from conservatives responding to his column, but he just keeps on keepin' on. He's the thing I look forward to the most about Active Aging, which is a helpful publication in many ways.

Lux

[Stevepol]

8. Welcome to DU Lux. You must be a Wichitan as well.

I didn't realize that Pearson was a Dem because I've never bothered to read his editorials. I'll be reading him from now on I think.

By the way, I'm interested in the voting machine stuff, contribute now and then to the discussion of it at DU. I've been sending material to Bill Gale, our election commissioner. Called him about the new ES&S machines we've got now (Ivotronic) to count our votes and related matters. I send him articles from John Gideon's daily newsletter covering the troubles of the elections people as a result of these machine vendors, who I think are overall pretty unscrupulous. Also, slip in comments about what I believe about the situation as well, so he'll know where I stand, but actually I'd like to help him find his way and stay afloat amid all the HAVA requirements and the state certified machine vendors who couldn't care less about the public interest.

My big point, which I may send to Pearson as a letter, is that we don't have a democracy now because of these voting machines. You can't have a democracy when the vote is counted in secret by extreme partisans of one side using trade secret, proprietary software, which has been shown again and again to be extremely vulnerable to hacks or malicious programming, where the results either can't be audited or are almost never audited. By definition that's not a democracy, can't be a democracy. Because the people aren't in control anymore, we keep "electing" (the machines deciding actually) people the majority didn't vote for, in other words we get bad officials who are in effect not accountable to anybody.

Nice to realize somebody else from the area is lurking.

[newyawker99]

9. Hi Lux!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[opihimoimoi]

6. Granny is a TOUGH RHINO with a HUGE SPIKE/HORN ready to RAM IT UP

THEM BUSHITES BEHINDS..

GRANNY is PISSED OFF

[AX10]

7. kick