Dear Editor,
June 3, 1994
Those who publish voting records of their congressmen are not
"hatemongers," as they were called by Rep. Karen Shepherd. They do so out of
love of truth and sound principles as well as love of their fellowmen and even respect for
their leaders.
According to an AP story released Friday (Daily Herald, June 3,
p. B-4), Shepherd berated the "ultraconservative," "right-wing
extremists" as being "hatemongers" who "fog the air." (I wonder
if her conservative index rating of zero C scale of 0 to 100 C has anything to do
with it?)
Is publishing and reviewing a voting record of an elected official
extremism? God forbid!
The late Ezra Taft Benson addressed this very issue nearly thirty years
ago C and many times before and since. Consider this sampling of quotes from a landmark
address he gave called "Stand Up for Freedom."
"...Anyone who tries to equate this love of constitutional
principles as meaning hatred of our national leaders is using Goebbels-styled deception.
History has already demonstrated that conservative opposition to national leaders was not
`hate' but an attempt to do them a favor."
He then proceeded to cite several examples of attempts to help avert
national blunders by supplying government leaders with documented cautions, and concluded,
"This kind of resistance to a national leader is rooted in love and respect, not
hate."
Continuing, he said, "Let those who call for unity and the
elimination of hate be sure they are not merely trying to silence the friends of
freedom."
In speaking of those who criticized him for speaking out, he said,
"They don't want people to hear the message. It embarrasses them. The things that are
destroying the Constitution are the things they have been voting for. ...After you inform
yourself you might begin to study the...voting record. And this study would show you how
much the liberals are giving aid and comfort to the enemy and how much the liberals are
actually leading America toward socialism itself."
Dear Karen, please don't to take this as an attack on you personally,
but as an opportunity to illustrate a principle C for your benefit as well as the benefit
of others. As Calvin Coolidge and Alfred E. Smith put it, "Unless the people, through
unified action, arise and take charge of their Government, they will find that their
Government has taken charge of them."
That is why there is a TRIM bulletin. That is why there is a John Birch
Society. And no, that is not a dirty word C except, usually, in the eyes of those who
would point a finger of scorn from their perch in the large and spacious building of
politics based on the arm of flesh. (I say that not to condemn all who have ever mocked,
but to invite the honest-hearted to reconsider.)
Sincerely,
