Letters to the Editors: Responses to “When a friend votes Romney”
In the Sept. 21 edition of the Voice, Adair Creach laid out her argument on what to do if one’s friend wanted to vote for Romney. I have been a Romney fan since his announcement for candidacy nearly two years ago. As I go to a liberal arts college, there is no shortage of liberal thinking which means my case for a Romney presidency falls often on deaf ears. In the rare case I am able to articulate my case however, I have these arguments to make. 25 million people out of work, a 14.7 percent U-6 (real) unemployment rate and a job participation rate at a 30 year low of only 63.5 percent under Obama.
All of these numbers have barely moved even three years after the official end of the recession, an 800 billion dollar stimulus, two years of Democratic super majority in the legislative branch, an additional 600 billion dollars in stimulus just last year and trillions of dollars in money creation by the Federal Reserve through which time the value of the dollar has actually increased. All of these numbers should indicate magnificent growth, however incomes have only grown two percent, almost equally with the GDP growth of 2.2 percent since the end of the recession in June of 2009 (for comparison three years after Reagan’s recession averaged 4.75 percent growth). The simple argument for Romney, is that he will get things done. He worked with Democrats in Massachusetts, he built one of the most successful private equity companies, Bain Capital, and he ran one of the best Olympics in modern history. Romney is not a scary right wing monster who wants to kill grandma, enslave the poor, and give power to the rich. He is just an awkward rich man who may or may not connect with voters. However in a distressed time as we are now in, we don’t need a president who will connect with the unemployed, we need one who will put the unemployed back to work.
-Ian Murphy ’16
I am writing in response to the viewpoint article written by Adair Creach. While I was reading this article, I actually wondered if it was being serious. It was so incredibly condescending that I at first thought it may have been a joke. The article asserts that if you find out your friend is a Romney supporter, you need to “Follow the steps to guide them along the healing process.” This article treats finding out someone is a Republican/Romney supporter as if it is the same as finding out they are an alcoholic, or are addicted to heroin. Not only this, but the author goes on to say that the person needs your help to “…move through this dark time.” The author assumes that because someone is a Republican, that they are misinformed and need her glorious guidance in order to “heal.” I am sorry, but how dare she be so arrogant as to automatically assume someone who identifies themselves as a Republican needs help? I consider myself Republican, and I have no doubt I am just as informed as her. The difference is that I do not assume someone is misinformed if I find out they are a Democrat. Why is this, you ask? Because I am respectful of others’ opinions, and do not feel that it is my place to ostracize others for their beliefs. The tone of her article would indicate that clearly, she is right about everything politics, and if anybody thinks differently than her then they are misinformed. She ends by saying that you should “Stand up for what you believe, but do so with grace and patience towards others who do not share your views.” I suggest that she begin to follow her own advice, because her article lacks any type of grace or patience towards others who do not share her views. In fact, I hope for her sake that she realizes being demeaning and patronizing to those with views other than herself is a good way to no longer have any friends to “…guide along the healing process.”
-Trevor Roston ’14