&letterheadDemocrats have ideals

TO THE EDITOR: A week ago, the Democratic Party held a convention that was a celebration of America. The more than 80,000 Americans that filled a football stadium reflected our diversity, but their message was all about unity. Unity, hope, family, achievement, and the strength these shared American values give us. And there was plenty of American music too: rock, pop, country and soul, right off the top of the charts. It was a convention about love of country. In a word, the Democratic convention was about patriotism.

Patriotism is not about four nights of mostly angry older white men wrapping themselves in the flag and chanting U.S.A., as we witnessed more recently at the Republican convention. Change is not about embracing the policies of arguably the most incompetent presidential administration in our history. And responsiveness to issues important to families is not about choosing a vice-presidential candidate, who happens to be a woman, just to appease the extreme right-wing of your party.

Every four years our Constitution provides us the opportunity to change the direction of our nation. But before we can have the change we need, we must not be afraid to hope again.

The Democratic Party has the ideas, the energy, and the leadership that can re-establish American pre-eminence in the world economy and foreign relations. Reject the cynics, the fear mongers, and those who profit from the status quo, and vote Democratic this year.

Kathryn Devlin

Queensbury

&letterheadChanging not conservative

TO THE EDITOR: I think the Republicans have forgotten the definition of conservative. Today's (neocon) Republicans are far from conservative. In fact many have changed their views from the early 1990s to now. An example would be Fred Thompson. He clearly went from a woman's right to choose to pro-life. That is not conservative. Changing isn't conservative.

Stuart Friedman

Plattsburgh

&letterheadCream didn't rise

TO THE EDITOR: Election 2008 is upon us, and what are our choices?

One candidate says he will "bring us all together" yet managed to divide his own party into bitter, waning factions during the primary season, and it took the loser of the primary to "unite" her party. His vice presidential choice said during the primaries that this candidate is "not ready" to be president. The candidate promises "change" but refuses to discuss what that "change" will be.

The other guy running for president has health concerns and would be the oldest person ever elected to a first term and has stated our economy is "sound."(?) He was a "hero" 40 years ago but has been a part of the corrupt Washington establishment for a quarter century.