By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Your Views: Leaders should adhere to policies they force on us
Placeholder Image
Letters policy
Send e-mail to letters@gainesvilletimes.com (no attached files, please, which can contain viruses); fax to 770-532-0457; or mail to The Times, P.O. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503. Include full name, hometown and phone number for confirmation. They should be limited to one topic on issues of public interest and may be edited for content and length (limit of 500 words). Letters forwarded from other sources or those involving personal, business or legal disputes, poetry, expressions of faith or memorial tributes may be rejected. You may be limited to one letter per month, two on a single topic. Submitted items may be published in print, electronic or other forms. Letters, columns and cartoons express the opinions of the authors and not of The Times editorial board.

I disagree with the direction that the current administration and Congress is taking this country. Having that opinion, some will label me either a racist, un-American or blinded by lies and fear mongering. I am neither of those, nor am I a Democrat or Republican. I am a God-fearing, flag-waving American.

I do not understand the racist label. I suppose it is because of President Barack Obama’s heritage. I do not disagree because of the color of his skin; I disagree because I believe his policies are wrong for this nation.

And not only the president’s policies, but a majority of those elected to office in Washington. This is not a political party thing, because the blame is shared equally between both major parties.

Those elected to serve in office need to understand what the word "serve" means. It means the work done by a person or group that benefits another. Our elected officials are working to benefit themselves more than anyone else.

Our executive and legislative branches consist of American citizens. These people are not royalty and must follow and include themselves in the laws and policies they make. Just like desegregation, they need to be riding the same bus and using the same restrooms as the rest of us.

The America of yesterday is gone. It has been replaced by billion-dollar earmarks for the study of pig excrement and smelts (whatever that is). No longer can you rely on your congressman to vote for things that are beneficial to those he represents. Now he is voting for the lobbyist that is filling his re-election coffers with cash. Have you noticed that the first order of business when they take office is to start working on the re-election campaign?

One group is yelling to spend more to fix the problem, while the other side wants to cut taxes to fix things. My dear Washington elitist, the problem does not lie with budget and tax cuts, or tax hikes and earmarks. The solution is to apply one simple question: If this was your personal financial account, would you do it this way?

When you work on a bill or vote on an issue that comes before you, imagine that it is your money and not the hard-earned dollars of a faceless citizen. Take some fiscal responsibility with our money. Think about what is right for your constituents, not what will get you re-elected on your never ending campaign trail.

The president, senators and representatives have been tasked to lead this nation. It does not matter what political party you adhere to.

They may not have gotten your vote, but they still should answer to their constituents. Write to them and tell them to stop running for re-election and start serving the American people.

David Bruce
Gainesville

Neither party has leaders who can guide our country
It appears we who went to Washington and marched on 9/12 have made an impression on the left, as well as the right. It shows what we, as concerned Americans who love this country and can see the direction this administration is trying to take it, can do if we get off our duff and do the right thing.

However, we see the left is worried about the election next year as they try to hush the opposition and criticize us by calling us names for opposing their health care plan that would have kept us under their thumb. Of course, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and others on the left see it as OK to call those of us who oppose them as Bush liars, Nazis, Hitler, brown shirts, and "astroturf." They are trying to intimidate us for calling Barack Obama a liar, which he is and has, that they see this as discriminatory.

Here I am: Try and intimidate me.

I, for one, see this administration as a puppet in the White House directed by the Democratic party and run by George Soros and a few other big-money bigots who either do not have the common sense to see what they are doing to this country, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, or they simply do not care. All this is about is control over us and this country and ultimately socialism.

According to Pelosi, Reid and most on the left, any opposition to Obama is solely discriminatory. You can call me a racist if you want, because I am not here to win any popularity contest. However, those black men I served with in the Navy and the Army will tell you differently.

Well, I have news for them: the Republican Party does not have the guts to oppose what the left is trying to shove down our throat and let the people know where they stand.

The right was hush-mouthed about the Obamacare bill until we citizens decided we had enough and were not going to take it any more. I sincerely do not believe the Republicans have anyone who has the know-how to lay out a plan for straightening out the mess we are in.

All we have in Washington on both sides are a bunch of contemptible imbeciles who, when they get there, think they run the country and deserve that office, and do not have to answer to anyone.

Come election time next year, I will not vote for a single incumbent, and if there is anyone else out there who gives a whit about this country, they will do the same. We can show those bureaucrats in Washington who runs this country.

Paul S. Barnes
Flowery Branch