JORDAN: Something to ponder

To Paulette Jordan: I read and then re-read your interview with The Press dated Oct. 14 and have a few comments which you may wish to consider.

From the founding of our nation, America has become both a melting pot and a beacon for a multitude of people, whether from the inhabited continents, or crossing the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska.

That multitude helped settle a rugged land, build a transcontinental railroad, a shipping system that plies the world’s oceans and an agricultural system that not only feeds 300 million-plus people in but also shares our abundant produce with the less fortunate around the globe.

I detect a hint of racism in your comments, painting with a broad brush and singling out “old, rich, white men.”

That is the only plank in your political campaign that I discerned from your Press interview. Concerning being a “real American,” I intend to vote for a qualified American citizen, not an ancestor of generations past. You would do well to consider the veterans from all walks of life who have sacrificed their treasure, and in many cases, their lives, in defense of not only America but also the downtrodden of other nations. Ms. Jordan, were you born in America, or some other “sovereign” nation?

I am not a European American, but simply an American; probably the Heinz ‘57 variety. Yes, I’m an old, not-so-rich white man. I guess you won’t be expecting my vote. I was really hoping to read your detailed stand on important issues facing Idaho rather than the divisive spirit apparent in the interview. Wishing you an enlightened journey in the future.

RAY GODDARD

Emida