Letter to the Editor: Socialism Is Not Always Something to Be Frightened Of

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Since contributing my last letter to the editor entitled “Wake Up America” I have enjoyed reading responses from fellow citizens from all segments of the political spectrum. Being able to voice an opinion is a fundamental right of a democratic society. Differing viewpoints, publicly voiced, help us all to better understand the situation the country is in today. God Bless America! 

To get information from a single source puts us in the position of being at risk of having our viewpoints steered by propaganda machines. Once we join the Democratic or Republican team we are at risk of only getting our news from our team’s network. To understand what agenda each network has helps us to filter out propaganda from news. Just as no two people are alike in all ways, not all members of political parties hold the same views on any given issue, nor should they.  

Many people cringe at the mention of the word socialism. As a retired veteran, I value the socialized healthcare the VA provides and would be in a financial fix without it. Social Security provides me with the majority of my retirement income — I may be one of the poor souls you see begging on street corners without it. Medicare provides my wife with most of her medical expenses. Things all citizens enjoy and rely on like Interstate Highways, Public Schools, Public Health protection, the Police and the Military that protects us are paid for with our taxes and may be considered benefits of Socialism.

To be frightened by a word describing how a society takes care of itself is not based in reality. 

The assumption that a person is a member of one political party or another because he or she detests the behavior of our president is not based on logic or reason.



 

Doug Findley

Randle