To the Editor:
President Obama isn’t a model of civility. When he was a United States senator, his stump speech accused Republicans of social Darwinism. In a speech to the House Democratic Caucus, President Obama suggested that Republicans don’t have a sense of neighborliness or community, and are not willing to help people who are vulnerable.
In fact, Republicans do support some public assistance programs, and private charity as well. As such, President Obama’s comments are just a derisive caricature.
Despite calling for civil debate, Mr. Obama nonetheless resorts to name-calling and demonizing, and does little to denounce fellow party members who do the same. He has praised Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, despite her claims that Republicans are waging war on women and the unemployed and have proposed a budget that is a “death trap” for the elderly.
When my opponents call me names, it’s demonizing and abusive rhetoric; when I call them names, then it’s tough but true.
ALASDAIR DENVIL
Richmond, Va., June 15, 2011
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 