Letter: Can an Independent be critical of Progressives?

Posted 2/14/19

Last week a letter to the editor entitled “ Democrats are working together for a better community ” criticized two earlier letters which the author characterizes as divisive due to name …

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Letter: Can an Independent be critical of Progressives?

Posted

Last week a letter to the editor entitled “Democrats are working together for a better community” criticized two earlier letters which the author characterizes as divisive due to name calling and scare tactics. One reading the author’s letter might well think he was referring to his own letter.

The point of my earlier letter, “The Party of JFK is no more,” was that not all Democrats agree with the leftward direction of the progressive Democrat party. I and many others disagree with the presumptive statement,  “the Democratic values that we all share.” It is not clear what these “values” are, nor is it clear who the “we all” are.

Whether one is or is not a Democrat has little if any bearing on the validity of one’s perspective of the progressive Democratic party and their agenda. It would seem that I and the author have a fundamental conflict of visions and beliefs.

This is not a question of being mired in the past simply because that is how it has always been.’ It is a question of holding to values and principles that have stood the test of time — values such as the sanctity of life, religiosity, self-reliance, economic growth, low taxes, a vibrant private sector, strong national defense, legal immigration, and fidelity to the Constitution have all been key parts of the traditional Democratic party.

The progressives oppose many of these traditional values and are leading a shift to the far left politically, economically and socially. This shift puts at risk our unique free enterprise system and our exceptional republican form of government.

The progressive Democratic party is no longer the party of JFK, and that is very unfortunate for Bristol and the United States of America.

Mike Byrnes
Bristol

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.