To the Editor:

“The Big Money Behind State Laws” (editorial, Feb. 13) was disappointing, criticizing legislation that is widely supported in Virginia and throughout America:

¶The health care industry supported the “individual mandate” in President Obama’s new health care law, but a bipartisan majority in Virginia believes that it is unconstitutional. The Virginia Health Care Freedom Act, which says that no person in the state can be forced to purchase health insurance, was supported by the Democratic House leader and passed overwhelmingly.

¶Sixty-nine percent of voters support requiring identification at polling places to prevent fraud. A liberal Supreme Court justice, John Paul Stevens, recognized the fairness of such requirements when he wrote the court’s opinion upholding them.

¶Most people assume that they can use deadly force to defend their homes and families from intruders. The Virginia House twice passed bipartisan bills safeguarding this right by 3-to-1 margins. Apparently, The Times believes that this is an extreme position.

I understand that not everyone agrees on public policy, and I respect the opinions of those who oppose the above policies. But The Times shows just how far out of touch with Americans it really is.