Todd Bannor views America from well left of center and assumes everyone right of him is a radical. Mr Bannor is guilty of the same intolerance of which he accuses Sgt. Saginich [With patriots like you, who needs enemies? Viewpoints, Jan. 24]. There is no Republican (right-wing radical) who would ever deny Mr Bannor the opportunity to contribute to the forum of ideas. Mr Bannor has chosen to footnote his argument with name-calling and personal attack, both of which he claims are the tools of the right. Hypocrite!
Note to Mr Bannor: Your side won in November. Lead, follow or get out of the way.
Mr Aiello: Is your position that conservative Republicans are less loyal Americans [Patriots don’t trash the Constitution, they defend it, Viewpoints, Jan. 24]? I fear that you are applying a double standard. I can hit you with a dirty stick, but you are a bad person if you respond. Name-calling from either side is childish and contributes nothing to the exchange of ideas.
Make a contribution of a plan. Good or bad isn’t important–contribute. Snipping and back-stabbing only angers people and shuts down all communications. This failure to come to common ground is feeding into the plan of the terrorists who want our streets to be just as dirty as theirs.
The core of our society is that we can disagree, and we can argue, but we will also fight to the death for our country. Conservative Republicans bleed just as red as those from the left.
Raymond A. Simpson, Oak Park
