LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (01/07/01)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Stop advancing one party's agenda

Dear Editor:

I am writing this letter in reference to Dr. Myron Kuropas' column (December 24, 2000), "Stay on message, Mr. Bush!" I find such partisan rhetoric completely inappropriate for a community publication such as The Weekly. I was under the impression that The Weekly concerned itself with matters relating to the Ukrainian community in the United States and Canada. It is troubling to see that Dr. Kuropas is allowed to vent his political frustrations by using a respected community institution. If he feels an uncontrollable need to attack the politics of Jesse Jackson he should call Rush Limbaugh and leave us alone.

I suppose Dr. Kuropas and his ardent supporters will argue that the politics of the American far right are of direct relevance and importance to the Ukrainian community. I strongly disagree with that and do not think The Weekly should be the venue for airing one's partisan grievances, be they Republican or Democrat. Furthermore, Dr. Kuropas directed his comments to George W. Bush, who I am sure is a regular reader of The Weekly and an integral member of the Ukrainian American community.

We must not forget that our community comprises Republicans, Democrats and independents. No matter how strongly we feel about our political views we should use restraint and common sense in choosing proper venues to express them. For the integrity of The Weekly and its continued importance for our entire community, I respectfully urge the editorial staff to stop anyone from using The Weekly to advance the agenda of one political party.

Andrew Roman Mac
Bethlehem, Pa.

Wrong message, Dr. Kuropas

Dear Editor:

Even though I have, at various times, fallen in and out of agreement with the opinions expressed in Dr. Myron Kuropas' column, I found his last piece, "Stay on message, Mr. Bush" (December 24, 2000), inordinately difficult to swallow. Not only did he misrepresent the truth, invent some sort of liberal conspiracy apparently bent on nothing short of world domination and ignore the last eight years of American politics, he also managed to slander and vilify just about anyone who does not agree with him.

He makes a variety of strikingly ill-considered claims. Take, for example, his discussion of "liberal leadership in the U.S. Congress." Leaving aside the fact that there is no such thing as a "liberal leadership" in Washington, and that he creates a straw man by branding Democrats as liberals, how can he argue that the Democrats are "not interested in compromise because in their eyes [George W. Bush's] presidency is illegitimate - a fluke blessed by a partisan Supreme Court"?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was it not Rep. Newt Gingrich along with fellow GOP henchmen Tom Delay and Dick Armey who were unwilling to compromise over the budget in 1998, and who then proceeded to shut down Congress? Moreover, Mr. Bush did become president as a result of what's been interpreted by many law professors and specialists as an exraordinarily badly reasoned Supreme Court decision (see The New York Times op-ed article by Anthony Lewis, December 16, 2000).

None of the above, however, was as astonishing to me as his accusation that "hypocrisy among liberal Democrats is ingrained, a part of their very nature." Though, now that he has mentioned it, lets, for a moment, reflect upon just a few of the GOP's run-ins with hypocrisy. Mr. Gingrich, whom Dr. Kuropas portrays as a "victim" of the liberals, and who also led the GOP's moral crusade against President Bill Clinton, was at least twice involved in affairs while still married. Let's not forget Rep. Robert Livingston, who was exposed by Larry Flynt, and Rep. Henry Hyde, whose four-year affair ended his lover's marriage. How easy it has become for the pot to call the kettle black, eh?

Although these are not the only examples of inaccuracy and defamation in Dr. Kuropas' message to President-elect Bush, they are the most blatant. What next Dr. Kuropas? Will you propose that the underhanded liberals forced President George Bush to renege on his campaign promise of "no new taxes"? Oh, my mistake, you've already done so.

Stepan Rurik Vitvitsky
Madison, Wis.

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