Why so hostile? | The Salt Lake Tribune

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"How the Republicans can defy Obama" (Opinion, Jan. 23), by Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, is a perfect example of defiance based on hostile political dogma and indoctrination.

Rubin heard President Barack Obama's inauguration speech as "a liberal's call for big government and a rejection of the idea that serious reform of entitlement programs is required."

But her inflammatory political buzz words incite to anger both Democrats and Republicans: "more government," "higher taxes," "international retreat," "further to the left," "allowing debt, spending and the liberal welfare state," "giant tax hike," "explosion in our debt" and "collectivist vision."

The use of "liberal welfare state" is so far removed from the reality of mainstream American thinking that it should be buried and replaced by a less inflammatory and more open-minded term.

Let's hope that during the next four years, both Democrats and Republicans will produce more centrist ideas and less hostile terminology, freeing us from defying one another until it is the death of our democracy.

Rosemary A. Holt

Salt Lake City