Debatable Opinions; Letters to the Editor

Not long ago, I wrote, “Not many hot stories are broken via letters to the editor.”  Now a letter in Boulder, Colorado’s Daily Camera makes an attempt to prove me wrong.

I don’t believe the man read my column and is responding to me personally.  However, the news that he’s breaking is right in the title of his letter.  It’s called “God didn’t use computers”.

Considering my non-theistic belief system, I wouldn’t presume to argue the point of the title.  I will say, however, that I’ve not read anything that would lead me to know whether or not God ever used a computer.

In his latest ad, Barrack Obama notes that John McCain doesn’t know how to use a computer and doesn’t know how to send an email.

Angered by this Obama revelation, the writer reinforces his argument by pointing out other people of great stature who didn’t use computers.  Among these people are “Moses, King David, Solomon and St. Paul”.

The writer even coins a word to describe the kind of horrible “prejudice” that Obama uses in the ad.  The word the writer uses is "anti-cursive-ite".  Clever, indeed.

The writer continues his educational treatise by informing us that God wrote The Ten Commandments on stone slabs and Jesus wrote in the dirt with his finger.

The writer almost touches on the entire Obama message.

In the ad, Obama points out those things which McCain admits to not having a great deal of knowledge.  Indeed, the message does reference computers and email.  Did the message have to reference computers and emails?  Probably not.  What the writer may not understand, though, is that John McCain most likely doesn’t mind the inclusion of irrelevance in the ad.  John McCain, after all, knows what kinds of ads it takes to win this election.

What the writer doesn’t touch on is one issue McCain has admitted not knowing very well and that issue is the economy.

The other issue that McCain may not have admitted to being unfamiliar with, but his words seem to prove that he, indeed, does not know much about, is the plight of the middle and lower classes in The FUSA.  When McCain was asked to define rich during the Saddleback forum in August, he jokingly asked, “What about $5 million?” 

It was easy to tell that McCain was joking when he followed his statement up with, “No, but seriously, I don’t think you can, I don’t think seriously that the point is I’m trying to make, seriously, and I’m sure that comment will be distorted but the point is…that we want to keep people’s taxes low, and increase revenues. … So, it doesn’t matter really what my definition of rich is because I don’t want to raise anybody’s taxes. I really don’t.” 

Asked about his definition of rich, Obama had answered “$150,000”. 

To joke about tax breaks for the rich while the banks that are still in business are foreclosing on the homes of middle and lower class homeowners could very well be seen as insensitive. 

McCain was correct in assuming that his comment would be “distorted” as many of those who don’t support him have accused him of being serious about when one moves from middle class to rich.

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