I generally enjoy the columns of Leonard Pitts, as he writes with a certain panache. But his Feb. 18 column, "A Palin bid for presidency would be defining moment," about Sarah Palin begs examination as to why liberals are viewed as arrogant elitists.
Pitts argues that Palin "represents the latest iteration of an anti-intellectualism that periodically rises in the American character." From this we must infer that Pitts believes that President Barack Obama is far ahead of the unwashed masses, the citizens too unsophisticated to understand that what he does is for our own good.
The media perpetuates the Obama-genius mythos by not commenting on controversies. How could Obama go to a church with a psychotic pastor and somehow miss his message? Genius. As the leader of his party, how could he allow poisonous backroom deals for Nebraska and Louisiana? Genius. Why contemplate terrorists' trials in New York that will cost millions? Genius. Obama is such a Pollyanna that he loaned $50 billion to General Motors, then had the temerity to make fun of Scott Brown's truck. Real genius.
Sarah Palin will always be portrayed as a naïf off the turnip truck; her Democratic opponents as worldly as King Solomon. Such is the arrogance of Fourth-Estate elitists.
HARRY R. COOKE
Winston-Salem
Plain talk
The writer of the letter "Demonizing Tea Party movement" (Feb. 23) refers to E.J. Dionne's Feb. 13 column, "Brewing: Tea Party's radicalism," as proof that "the left is once more playing the race card." But what Dionne actually says, in a nutshell, is, "The Tea Party brings the racists out of the closet. But not all opposition to President Obama is motivated by racism."
That's not playing the race card; that's plain talk about what is in plain sight.
I sympathize with the letter writer and I do not think that she is a racist, nor is every critic of the president. But considering former Rep. Tom Tancredo's clearly racist speech at the Tea Party convention -- and considering some of the ruder posters and signs carried by some Tea Party participants -- it is undeniable that racists are responding to the Tea Party's calls against Obama. As long as the Tea Party welcomes racists into its midst, it will have to face accusations of racism. For its own good, I hope it will excise the racists from its numbers.
On a similar note, this letter writer refers to "the path set by this president and this Congress." The Tea Party as a whole is undermined by the fact that its complaints are only being registered now, with Obama in office, while it ignored the same situations under the administration of George Bush and portrays them as problems "set" by Obama. That also makes one question its members' sincerity.
WILLIAM B. PERRY
Winston-Salem
Sectarian-prayer meetings
The Forsyth County commissioners have decided that they want their meetings to be sectarian-prayer meetings ("Prayer appeal OK'd," Feb. 23). They plan to use money from local Christians to finance their appeal. If they want to pray in a sectarian manner, then they should tax in a sectarian manner. I suggest that they levy property tax upon all churches that support the appeal.
Also, all individuals who do not pray in the name of Jesus should be exempt from property taxes.
THE REV. DANIEL CHARLES DAVIS
MINISTER, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF WINSTON-SALEM
Winston-Salem
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