Dear Editor,

After reading Joseph Browns outrageously inaccurate column The lefts shameful acts in Issue 11, I felt compelled as a former member of The Vermont Cynic to write in.

Mr. Brown states from the get-go that the Obama administrations recently released pamphlet, New Economic Patriotism, spells out his plans for the term ahead and thats where all reasoning seems to end. Brown immediately follows by saying that the pamphlet is a divisive and derisive attack on Mitt Romney.

I must ask, how can he even begin to take himself as a serious journalist when making a claim like this? In no way does this pamphlet vilify Mitt Romney. The only mention of Romney anywhere in the pamphlet is under the statement on taxes where it says, Romneys plan raises taxes by more than $2,000 on middle-class families with kids, something that happens to be very true.

As aware as I am of Mr. Brown being a columnist and someone who is fully entitled to express whatever opinions he may have, I still found this harder to swallow than most. His rhetoric is unsettling in how reminiscent it is of the election night Karl Rove freak-out that most of us are all too familiar with.

Theres a line called logic and when you cross it for lack of perspective, or even a possible agenda, it leaves the realm of journalism even opinionated journalism and becomes simply offensive to basic human intellect. Thats exactly what this column seems to be.

The only real thing that I can agree on with Mr. Brown is his claim the Obama administration did put out some campaign ads that were less than admirable. Im sure that many of the left-wingers at the time shifted uncomfortably in their seats and maybe even cringed. I know I did.

However, Mr. Brown can not act like its as if the right wing hasnt been claiming that Barack Obama is a Muslim born in Kenya for almost two years now, and that they havent been trying to push him into the self-demeaning act of coming public with his birth certificate.

I know, fire against fire makes the U.S. one big ugly pile of cinders, but dont act like liberals are some sort of despicable freakshow. Theyre all guilty, and unfortunately that is one of the things that comes with modern-day politics. Its awfully sad, but true.

So before Mr. Brown, or any of the oh-so fresh members of the Cynic opinion team go on to express their views, I ask and even plead that, as members of a respectable establishment, use a respectable mindset.

Whether you are liberal, conservative or anywhere in between or even outside of those two please take a moment to utilize your collegiate surroundings and keep your eyes open to all reason. It is an exercise that becomes increasingly crucial for our generation, given that we are maturing in an age when government continues to polarize itself to such dangerous extremes. Its the responsible thing to do.

Sincerely,

Colleen McClintock

Class of 2012