GOP Identity

Re “The GOP’s Identity Crisis,” Dec. 30: The media have allowed liberals to paint conservatives as harsh people who are intolerant, when in truth most hard-core liberals are rabidly so, and do not give conservatives any respect.

Conservatives believe in smaller government, lower taxes and a strong national defense. Modern liberals call for unity and an end to divisiveness, all the while bashing any conservatives who disagree with their socialist agenda.

It is a shame that the media allow this to happen, by skirting the issues in favor of spin and sound bites.

ART PEDROZA JR.

Vice Chairman, Republican

National Hispanic Assembly

Orange County Chapter, Santa Ana

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There is a dichotomy in the Republican Party. On the one hand, we have at the executive level such outstanding, progressive governors as Christine Todd Whitman, George Pataki, Tommy Thompson, John Engler and George W. Bush.

On the other hand, at the legislative level, federal and state, we have a core of ultraconservative legislators trying to force on the American people by legislative fiat their fundamentalist views. They do not comprehend the tremendous changes in our country over the past few decades. The U.S. is now a multiethnic, multiracial, multi-religious country. The views of the ultraconservatives and the Christian Coalition are not acceptable in a pluralistic society.

People want reasonable gun control; they do not want, whatever their views on abortion, the government interfering with a woman’s choice, creationism as a subject in public schools, nor school prayers. If Republican legislators do not realize this they will spend the next century as a minority party.

JAMES GILL UPDEGRAFF III

Sacramento

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“Liberal” and “conservative” have each had their respective times when they were either lauded as codes signifying the “proper” way to think for the period, or spat out venomously as an expletive. Neither, however, will be making a positive comeback in the near future standing alone.

The new ideal is “fiscal conservative, social liberal, not quite libertarian.” Roughly translated: “At this time I have a great job, a hot car, a new condo. I like to smoke dope, chase women/men and watch adult-type movies; and I want the government to keep its grabby mitts off all of it. But, I would like them to keep regulating the bank that holds my mortgage.”

Where do we go from here?

EARL EAGER ALBERT

Temple City