HOYT GOODSON, Waynesboro

October 17, 2000

I once voted for a republican.

I did so because I knew the person. I convinced myself I was voting for the candidate and not the party. Afterward I felt that I had sinned. Sinned against all the young, uneducated women trying to support themselves and their children on minimum wage. Knowing the Republican Party never wants to raise their wages made me feel guilty.

These women need help with child care and health care, and my vote told them that I was casting a vote within a party that was only interested in making a token effort to help them with their problems. These women need a decent public education system so their children won't have to depend on minimum wage jobs. Knowing that the Republican Party wants to take taxpayers' money and use it to support private schools instead of improving the public school system made me feel even worse.

I felt that I had let down retired people who have to depend on their Social Security; for I believe the Republicans want to put their Social Security money in a stock market that is out of control, where only the brokerage firms will be guaranteed a profit at the expense of the taxpayers.

If you vote for an individual, regardless of the reason, outside of the party whose platform you support and whose ideas you believe in, you will be voting against your principles.

I felt that I had committed the unpardonable sin of supporting the views of The Chronicle, Rush Limbaugh and talk-show host Austin Rhodes.

DAVE

From : Ddsdd47@aol.com
Subject : Silence is Golden

I watched the final debate with my conservative friend.
I didn't say a word thru the whole thing.
( my opinions seemed to polarize us )

I noticed him giving these very puzzled looks after smirk "answered" the questions.
Afterwards he looked at me and said :

"I have a problem.
You know I'm a conservative.
But how am I going to get that bush bumper sticker off my car?
I can't vote for that fucking idiot"

If everyone would only listen.

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