McCain’s not right, he’s center
To The Editor:
“McCain draws fire at New School graduation” by Lincoln Anderson (news article, May 26 – June 1) was disappointing. College should be a place for open dialogue, tolerance and discussion of different thoughts and ideas. Those on the political left, who practice political correctness to the extreme, are no different from their counterparts — the Moral Majority thought police on the extreme political right. Both groups promote censorship and intolerance to those who may have divergent viewpoints which differ from their own narrow-minded ideological views. Both sides need a refresher course on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment which protects freedom of speech.
How disappointing that the protesters missed the fact that Arizona Sen. John McCain is not your typical stereotypical Republican. He is a profile in courage and an authentic American war hero, having served his country and survived many years of captivity as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He is one of the few in Washington who consistently votes against billions of dollars in wasteful military spending. He is independent of the Washington “inside the Beltway” special interest groups and supports real campaign finance reform. McCain crosses the political aisle to engage in constructive dialogue with Democrats on issues which transcend both ideology and party.
Sen. McCain has a proven track record that appeals beyond the traditional narrow ideological conservative Republican party base. He has consistently been able to attract large numbers of first-time, independent and moderate Democratic voters needed to build a majority coalition necessary for winning and governing. McCain is a credible, mainstream candidate for president in 2008, running as a Republican who intelligent voters would be wise to consider. His voice, just as other leaders should be heard not censured. How fortunate we are to be living in one of the few free societies left on Earth where freedom of speech is usually cherished, not trampled on.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Stop celebrating
To The Editor:
It’s nice to celebrate the opening of the new 7 World Trade Center (Editorial, May 26 – June 1, “Pausing to celebrate 7 W.T.C.”), but don’t forget the insanity of plans to spend half or even a full billion dollars on holes in the ground as a memorial, or the plan to build a half-empty shell whose design looks like it came from a drug hallucination to replace the great Twin Towers. This shell will no doubt last a while, at least until people finally realize what a waste it is. We did not replace the destroyed area of the Pentagon with an empty shell, so why should we do that here? We need to rebuild our Twin Towers, better, stronger, safer then ever.
Ron D. Troy
East Northport, N.Y.
WWW Downtown Express
