LETTER: Where's the compromise?

Published: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 7:53 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 7:54 p.m.

Do you remember what you thought when you first saw the Berlin Wall on television? Everyone in the free world knew it was built by the Communists to keep East Berliners trapped inside, lest they try to escape to freedom. Anyone with an ounce of common sense knew a form of government that needs a wall to keep its citizens trapped inside could never succeed.

Now, think back to your first thoughts when you saw the poor souls in some states standing in lines blocks long, desperately trying to vote in the last presidential election. These long lines only were occurring in voting districts that were heavily Democratic, and would most assuredly vote that way. Long lines mysteriously were absent in Republican-leaning districts.

It does not take a genius to see a connection between these unfair partisan voting practices in these states and the fact that Republicans were in control of the polling locations. I mean, come on! Isn’t one’s right to vote the most sacred thing in a democracy?

Some time back I wrote in a commentary in The Times that we need to compromise and try to work together. Since then, the Republicans in Alabama have passed bills to help further destroy our children’s public education, and are in the process of doing the same to the poor and indigent on Medicaid.

Their idea of fair is to separate the state into eight regions, give private, for-profit companies $300 million to $500 million each to administer Medicaid services, and any monies left over would be their profit. Yeah, right. So much for compromise. If this bill passes, and you need Medicaid, you better not get sick. I know a lot of Republicans are fair people. Why can’t their leaders be?

I close with a quote from arguably the most famous man in the history of the world: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” I’ll stand with Him.

Thomas W. Hudson



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