Opinion

Letters: The Rush to cross over ... LETTERS

The Rush to cross over ...

Refuse to 'rig'

Recently, Rush Limbaugh put out a call to Republican Texas voters to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary for Hillary Clinton . His reasoning behind this was to "rig" the election so as to have the weakest candidate run against the Republican machine in the general election this fall.

The saddest part is that caller after caller to his show has called to say they've done exactly that — voted early for Clinton in the Texas primary so as to rig the election. The actions by Limbaugh and his listeners are simply appalling. The Founding Fathers of Texas and America would be disgusted by this behavior and rhetoric. Limbaugh has the right to say whatever he pleases on air, but we do not have to condone or participate in his immoral and un-American sentiments.

I, for one, will be voting the way our system intends me to — for the candidate I feel will best lead the nation's economy, foreign policy and domestic agenda. I encourage all Texans to do the right thing with their vote as well.

KELLY HAYNES

Cypress

His deciding vote

Barack Obama 's fate will probably be decided today in the Texas primary by Republicans like me. It is my intention to vote for Hillary Clinton, hoping she will win Texas and Ohio.

If this happens, she could still be the nominee for her party, and John McCain would beat her like a drum come November. If Obama wins, McCain is probably not going to win in November, therefore we get stuck with a president who has no foreign policy experience and very little experience in matters dealing with the economy. Remember, "change" can be good or bad.

DARRELL MURPHY

Livingston

Why sacrifice races?

Rush Limbaugh is nuts to urge Texas Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton in the primary. There are many critical contested races in the Republican primary. In Harris County alone, those races are for U.S. House District 22, the Harris County district attorney, Precinct 4 constable, county judges, courts and state representation, among others.

Does Limbaugh expect Texas Republicans to drop the ball on the Republican primary so he can throw his little snit? Limbaugh should stick to his Florida politics and leave Texas politics to those of us who live here.

WILLIAM D. CLIFTON

Tomball

Our fantasy election

I live in The Woodlands, population 85,000 and about 80 percent Republican. I, along with others I know, voted early and noticed that the room was divided between Republican booths and Democratic booths. You can choose to declare or not declare, and have your voter registration card stamped or not stamped Republican, Democrat or independent. I chose Republican and was directed to a specific row of Republican machines. I was the only one in that row, while the Democratic row was full.

Many of my friends voted in the Democratic primary, saying it would be more fun watching the results on TV and having the pundits try to figure it out.

Now, instead of fantasy football, we have fantasy election. This is kind of fun.

M.K. (MICK) MCLELLAN

The Woodlands

A history lesson?

The only tme I ever voted Republican was to vote for George Bush Sr. in the primary in an attempt to prevent Ronald Reagan from being nominated and elected. Unfortunately, it did not work.

MAX HEFFLER

Houston

Mortified by muskrat skinning

I would like to mention how totally disgusted, mortified and horrified I was reading the article in regards to the muskrat skinning at the 2008 Miss Outdoors beauty pageant. (Please see "Love for muskrat skinning evident at beauty pageant / Girls hope to cast light on a talent that some say is in decline," Page A10, Sunday.)

To think this practice is going on and accepted in the United States was nothing short of shocking. Are these people some kind of sick or what? Is this practice just as bad, if not worse, then dog fighting?

Thank you for printing this article in the Chronicle. Hopefully, we can begin a public outcry and put a stop to this brutal act.

JEANNETTE McKILLOP

Houston

A challenge to a 'dumb' debate

I laughed at Jim Borgman's Sunday Outlook cartoon regarding a Barack Obama speech to Texas voters so much that I would like to challenge him to a debate.

I'll take either side on any subject and verbally reduce him to a quivering mass of protoplasm. I will even "dumb it down" a little, so he can understand the degree of his humiliation.

BILL MILLER

Navasota

Let's be heroes in opium trade

Our troops will die in Afghanistan with our public never understanding that many of the deaths could easily be prevented if we would change our policy on heroin. In the process we would strike a cost-free blow to the terrorists.

Repeated stories describe the huge role of opium poppies, by far the most important crop to millions of starving farmers, in economically ravaged Afghanistan. (Please see "Thriving drug operation fuels Taliban resurgence / Bloodshed rises in an insurgency largely funded by Afghan opium," Page A3, Saturday.) The illegal profits help fund independent war lords, al-Qaida and the Taliban. They fuel the growing insurgency and threaten the glimmer of democracy there. Our allies are already pulling their troops out of danger, and we will have to put more of ours in.

We apparently would rather kill our troops and fund terrorists than let a few registered heroin addicts get their drugs from a licensed clinic instead of from drug dealers. The system has begun in Europe and has worked well in our own history. Based on that record, the system would also reduce use, slash crime and keep heroin out of our schools.

The opium poppies can be bought dirt cheap by the Afghan central government. (We would guarantee to and purchase the crop from them.) This would make them and us heroes to the Afghan people, undercut the terrorist insurgency and save our troops.

But prepare for the bodies; no politician has had the guts to even publicly mention the alternative.

JERRY EPSTEIN

co-founder, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Houston