What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness, but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country..." - RFK

These words by Bobby Kennedy stand in stark contrast to the current vitriol spewed by the right wing, or the "independent libertarians" as they like to be called now. Their followers simply joust whatever windmills their leaders instruct them to and swallow every lie, as if it were gospel.

The quest for a conservative bogeyman includes gays, the poor, unions, immigrants, any fact-based media and the EPA...yes, even the EPA.

If the Republicans are in power, then any question against Republican leaders is met with charges of treason, yet when Democrats are elected it becomes a God-given duty to question and tear down the government using any means necessary. Some quotes by "independents" and tea party members can include "Second Amendment remedies," "bullets over ballots" ... "the end of the country" ... "secession from the union."

Republican debates have had the audience cheering a "let him die" statement when asked about people without health insurance and booing a gay soldier. Is it any wonder young people look upon Christianity and the church with confusion and disdain when this has become the faith and mantra of the "Christian right." We have 50 million uninsured in this country and the GOP has no plan to remedy that. They don't support Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security or even their own plan of subsidies for private health insurance.

The answer is, "Deal with it," "Go to the emergency room" or "We don't really have a problem with health care in this country."

In every modern society when a person has a health crisis they ask their doctor for the best way to start treatment; in America the patient has to ask their profit-driven insurance company what options are covered... that's your real death panel.

When it comes to the right, where is the New Testament? Would Christ actually let the sick die? Did he not say love thy neighbor?"

If you vote for the Republican party whose sole purpose is to protect the rich and vilify the poor, I promise you there is no white horse waiting to parade you around heaven for supporting a hate-filled agenda.

If Fox News said that Moses was a union thug then Republicans and Tea Partiers would be screaming for the Israelites' immediate return to the Egyptian "job creators" with golden calf in hand.

The Republican god is greed, their gospel is from Ayn Rand, and their church is Fox News; they are the modern day equivalent of the Pharisees.

I ask you to remember the quote by Bobby Kennedy, and my advice is to try living the New Testament instead of distorting it... but then again that would require some independent thought.

CHAD SOLSVIK

Coeur d'Alene