Cincinnati

I researched the last century to investigate why many portray the Republican Party as the party of war.

Under President Richard Nixon, 21,194 American soldiers were killed in Vietnam during 1969-74. Under President George H.W. Bush, 383 died in the Gulf War in 1991. Under President George W. Bush, 4,371 died in Iraq during 2003-09, and 947 soldiers died during 2001-09 in Afghanistan.

Under President Woodrow Wilson, 116,516 soldiers died in World War I during 1917-18. Under President Franklin Roosevelt, 405,399 died in WWII during 1941-45. Under President Harry Truman, 54,246 died in Korea during 1950-53. Under President John F. Kennedy, 191 died in Vietnam during 1961-63. Under President Lyndon Johnson, 48,399 died in Vietnam during 1964-69. Under President Barack Obama, 124 died in Iraq during 2001-09, and 1,749 soldiers died from 2009-16 in Afghanistan.

That totals 626,761 soldiers killed under Democrats and 26,895 killed under Republican presidents. This is not to say Democrats started any wars – this is to say the Republican Party is not the party of war. Many people will remember how Nixon struggled to get America out of the Vietnam War.

America was attacked twice – Hawaii and New York. Anyone who says a Democratic president would have reacted less disastrously to 9/11 displays the height of political flimflam.

Randy McKnight, Clifton