To the Editor:

In response to “Left Spawning Crop of American Dictators” which appeared in the Sept. 4-10 issue of North Country This: I’m a Democrat and I love America and I’m not a leftist, socialist or a radical. I grew up attending church and learned about the Bible and following Jesus’ example. I believe in working hard to earn a living, not cheating or lying to get ahead, taking responsibility for the consequences of my actions and helping those less fortunate. Can I assume we share these same values?

Political correctness isn’t a bad thing when it means considering whether one’s remarks might be hurtful to another person. (I was taught that meant being Christian.) I have never heard of the “enormous swamp mainstream media machine” but I would recommend that since corporations are behind all radio/TV/Facebook entities and are dependent on popular advertising appeal, it would be best to listen to a varied mix of audio media, read written sources as well and make sure that multiple venues confirm that Democrats are actually “lying, embezzling or attacking”. Those words make news. But if someone said those things about you, you’d want people to cross check their validity rather than repeat hearsay.

I wouldn’t worry too much about people calling the president just “Trump”. They did the same thing with Obama. You said “the left already have their billion dollar bank accounts, their mansions and everything they need.” If it’s any comfort, so do the Republicans, Trump and his rich friends. Even so, they chose the slogan “Make America Great Again” implying that it wasn’t. This was confusing for those of us who feel privileged to live in America and couldn’t really understand Trump’s implication that immigrants had ruined our country.

“If us patriots say one little word in disagreement we are put down as the bad guys.” One little word is never a problem; unless it’s an unjustified slur, a distortion, an overgeneralization or a lie. If a person’s statements do prove to be deceptive, then yes, some would judge that behavior as bad.

I consider myself a patriot. But I don’t wave a flag, a gun or phrases like “the left is spawning a group of American dictators.”

Martha Hodges

Colton