Palin’s Wild West rhetoric should be blamed Re: “Obama showed grace and wisdom in Tucson,” Editorial, Jan. 12
President Obama gave a pleasant, appropriate speech at the memorial service for the Tucson shooting victims. But I’m not sure his message is what I wanted to hear.
You cannot have “unity” when folks in high places are dedicated to destroying the unity Barack Obama desires. The incessantly militant, incendiary, Wild West rhetoric awash in today’s political discourse is dangerous. The anger in America should be recognized. Now is not the time to publicly place cross hairs over any political opponent. The image is all too clear.
Visual metaphors are powerful. Even though Sarah Palin had nothing to do with the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., she will forever be linked because of her target map. Gov. Palin’s “Wild West” brand plays well and has proven to be highly marketable. Her coterie is growing — listen to sound bites from Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and other Palin wannabes.
President Obama was correct to hector us to “talk to each other in ways that heal.” But he also “railed against the ‘instinct to point blame.’ ” There I beg to differ!
Rosalind Ellis
Baltimore
Media omitted in too-graphic cartoon
Re: “Never let a good carnage go to waste,” editorial cartoon, Jan. 11
The drawing on the Jan. 11 editorial page was very offensive. I understand the point, but it was quite graphic.
I also noticed that the media was missing in the drawing. If the cartoonist’s point was to send a convincing message, why was it omitted?
Tony Person
Washington
City surplus isn’t mentioned in tax hike sales pitch
Alexandria Vice Mayor Kerry Donley has spent considerable effort over the past several months selling another tax increase to our already overtaxed citizens and businesses, but it doesn’t appear to be selling very well. Once the political hyperbole is stripped away, everyone understands exactly what he is saying:
» Other local governments imposed new taxes, so we should too.
» We’ll use these new piggyback taxes to float bonds and get “more bang for the buck.”
» The bonds will pay for (insert your dream transportation project here).
» New taxes are the only tool left in the city’s toolbox.
» Affected business will receive tax relief.
» We must act NOW!
The fact that Donley left out of his sales pitch is that after the City Council’s last tax increase, Alexandria actually has a budget surplus. It will be a sad, but predictable, spectacle to watch Donley and the rest of the council make these millions of dollars disappear overnight.
Bud Miller
Alexandria
