Letter to the Editor:
Voters should look at both sides of political spectrum
Published March 9, 2010
Political candidates usually have to pay for the amount of free advertising that Roy Blunt got in Friday's Maneater. While, as another letter-to-the-editor writer pointed out last week, columnist Clay Carter does suffer from a repeated lack of evidence to back up emotional appeals, I do sincerely respect Mr. Carter's interest and involvement in the political process.
As a constituent of the 7th U.S. Congressional district, I am well aware of the negative impact that Rep. Blunt has had on Southwest Missouri. I am also aware that the only interests Mr. Blunt has represented well in his tenure as a representative have been corporate lobbyists and theological conservatives. In fact, you can easily research Blunt's donor history online -- right now, two of the top donors are Monsanto and Peabody Energy. I would rather Mr. Blunt represent my interests than those of Monsanto in the U.S. Senate.
But rather than disparage Mr. Blunt or Mr. Carter's taking the time to contribute, I would rather focus on the positive. I am proud to say that I will be voting for Robin Carnahan this November, a supporter of reproductive health, affordable healthcare, and, as Secretary of State, the constant improvement of free and fair elections for individuals on both sides of the political spectrum. While Ms. Carnahan is not a perfect candidate, I hope to play a role in her continually improving leadership for Missourians and feel that she is the candidate most open to change and student concerns.
I encourage voters on both sides of the political spectrum to not accept either Clay or my words as the final say on this issue, but to look up nonpartisan information sources and make an informed decision before this election day.
4:23 p.m., March 9, 2010
Brandon said:
Or you could vote for the Libertarian candidate. ;) Or a truly sensible independent or other third-party candidate. Research ALL options, not just those fed to you by the gatekeeping media or the establishment parties who don't like competition. Like, did you know that there's actually a third candidate running with the Green Party for Missouri Senator this November who's actually not too bad? Yes, she's a Green, so she's a little far to the left, but she does have some ok conservative and small-gov't stances, too. I forget her first name, but I think her last name is Pitts. Now THAT's what I call "researching all sides". The D's and R's think doing that is just looking at theirs and the other party's stances. They fail to see that this silly dichotomy is dangerous to America and shuts out many other important points of view. Americans don't have to just be "prochoice" or "prolife". You CAN be in the middle or have more of a middle-ground approach. Americans don't have to support war hawkishness but also be a leftist peacenik.