The Gamut

The following letter appeared in yesterday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Dean was insulting

The June 14 editorial "Dean's Day: Democrats Should Appreciate His Tough Talk" supporting the "tough" talk of Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean is disgusting. His statements were not "tough." They were racist and demeaning. No wonder that the Democratic Party has become the minority.

Here is a news flash: Most people in this country are white and Christian. Is it a surprise that a party that speaks for these people is the majority party?

Also, whites have the lowest unemployment rate of any race. It is insulting to say that this group of people does not work for a living.

Democrats better wake up and realize that they need to respect the wishes of the majority or else they will cease to be a factor in national elections.

There is nothing wrong with being white and Christian, and I certainly will not vote for any candidate who thinks otherwise. If we would just follow the Ten Commandments rather than worrying so much about where they are posted, then we would all be much better off.


JIM DOYLE
North Versailles

What is insulting and racist is the tone of this letter. Dean said nothing insulting to white Christian Republicans unless you find being called a white Christian Republican to be an insult.

Sir, no party should speak for the majority. Parties should speak for America and for their constituents. It seems as though you are saying that the GOP speaks for white Christians and those who would wish to be white and Christian. That, sir, is racist.

Dean spoke the facts. The GOP has a larger white membership than is representative of the population as a whole. This implies that the minorities in this country don't consider them to be inclusive and seek their representation elsewhere. There is nothing racist in that observation.

And what was that oddball ten commandments point all about anyway? Did you realize that you were losing your own internal argument so you punted?