My LTTE to the Orlando Sentinel regarding the right wing thugs in Tampa..

We'll see if they publish.. odds aren't good though I have gotten to Op-Eds and one LTTE published since 2004.

> To the Editors of the Sentinel:
>
> What happened in Tampa yesterday was simply unacceptable and un-American!
>
> It is NOT ok to go to public meetings and shout people down and push
> and shove them and even throw fists when you disagree with their point
> of view.
>
> The right wing crazies in this country seem to feel that everyone else
> is entitled their right wing opinion and they are now engaging in
> hooligan tactics to force the rest of us to acquiesce to their bizarre
> ideology. They just can’t get over the fact that they lost the last
> two elections big and that America has finally rejected their selfish
> politics of greed.
>
> Since they can’t win in a fair debate, they have resorted to a classic
> right wing tactic: shouting and pushing and shoving and violence to
> shut down that debate.
>
> They are using a superficial television media that loves sound bites
> and exciting YouTube video clips to convince politicians that this is
> what the American people actually believe through a series of staged
> phony Astroturf protests and by crashing meetings like the one held by
> Representative Kathy Castor yesterday.
>
> In case you missed it, these are the same guys who brought you the
> phony “yuppie riots” at the Broward County Supervisor of Elections
> office in 2000 when it became apparent that actually allowing the
> Supervisors to count the votes might mean a President Al Gore instead
> of a President Bush.
>
> Instead of showing these clips, the media ought to be investigating
> the thugs and exposing their hidden financial backers who are trying
> to hijack the healthcare debate.
>
> Instead of tolerating this kind of behavior at public meetings, the
> cops ought to be arresting the thugs who trample on the free speech
> rights of the rest of us through their violence and obnoxious
> outbursts – disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, assault and
> trespass charges ought to be filed against anyone who does this at a
> public meeting.
>
> We simply cannot tolerate this right wing thuggery in Tampa, Orlando,
> or anywhere else!
>
> Respectfully,

Edited to add K&R.

Hopefully it will be just one among many citizens speaking out against the tactics of fear, greed and hatred.

Good luck and get ready for harassing phone calls. My friends that wrote LTTEs always got lots of hate calls. That's how you know you've done a good job!