Dear editor, I would like to comment on Joe Turner’s Your Turn commentary published on Dec. 18, titled “Democrats are sissies.”

He begins by stating that he differentiates between traditional and modern Democrats — of course, the examples of the latter being Kennedy, who he mentions was a philanderer; followed by Clinton, again, a philanderer (yawn); Kerry, a liar and a coward; and, of course, Gore, “the current incarnation of Joseph McCarthy.” I can’t even begin to read Mr. Turner’s mind and wonder why he makes this comparison, so I will just have to assume that he means to expose Gore as a liar-liar-pants-on-fire type of fellow for his pesky research and dedication to the threat of global warming. Sadly, his letter continues to highlight other Democratic leaders, namely Pelosi, Feinstein, Boxer and Murtha (a true-blue war hero) as he colors them as sissies, whiners, selfish unlikable louts and cut-and-runners. This is rich when you consider the president’s current approval numbers for how he is handling the war with Iraq, which is at 28 percent and dropping. Perhaps the author believes that tough guys can actually bring about democratic systems with brawn. However, I have always believed that although bullies and ruffians may think they are righteous, in the end, they cannot dominate. People who engage their brains and make every effort to use diplomacy are the authentic leaders. From a member of the remaining 72 percent of Americans who are fed up with our current administration and wish to bring our troops home, I salute his determination to stick with the president to the cold, deadly and bitter end. Most alarming of all, the writer insists there were indeed weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, although I personally have read or heard about a thousand times now that this is not the case. I’m quite curious about where he gets this information and why he urges us to “ask the Kurds or the Iranians.” How do you suppose we go about this, and will I need to bring along my tin-foil hat? Mr. Turner then tries to legitimize this war by quoting Trotsky: “You might not be interested in war but war is interested in you.” Well, right back at you, sir, with a quote by that fiend Kennedy you have such contempt for: “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.”

Julie Cortland DeSoto / Napa