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# Letter: Republican reader responds on sin, Saddam and the 2000 recount
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/041306-story-20060413-3/
- Published: 2006-04-13T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T17:33:53.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Wesley Eskildsen Santa Monica*

I am a Republican. A card carrying member of the Republican National Committee. I had to respond to your recent commentary (SMDP, April 8-9, page 5). To begin: 1\. I don’t hate homosexuals. I do hate homosexuality. I also hate adultery, incest, rape and any other sexual sin. I hate sin. I don’t hate sinners. I understand and I try to forgive. I don’t hate the homeless. I’ve been homeless. I stayed sober, got into a shelter, got a job, got an apartment. I did it. It can be done. It’s not easy. It’s not that difficult either. I don’t hate Hillary Clinton. I disagree with her on almost every issue. I don’t think she is a good senator. I don’t respect her. 2\. Saddam was never a “good guy.” Reagan, Rumsfeld and Wolfowicz did not arm him. He already had plenty of arms. He was a member of the Communist Baath party, supported by the Soviet Union. At least until he gained power and turned on his former friends. He killed all his political rivals. Reagan saw him as an enemy of an enemy (Iran). Oh, and the Supreme Court ruling was simply that you cannot have manual recounts in a few counties — and not all counties — without violating the equal protection clause. Besides, Al Gore couldn’t even win his home state of Tennessee. 3\. Trade with Cuba, China, Turkey, Vietnam, Mexico, Nigeria, Venezuela, Sudan, and any other nation should be decided by treaty. Violations of those treaties should be dealt with individually and appropriately. 4\. The UN is only effective when the U.S. is enforcing its resolutions and even then marginally. They have no checks and balances, no judiciary, no clue. 5\. Abortion is the legal premeditated intentional killing of an unborn human being. Personal drug use has killed Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Keith Moon, Elvis, John Belushi and thousands of others that never got their 15 minutes of fame. 6\. We can never thank our soldiers enough. They deserve more pay, more benefits and more respect. The generals should decide tour length. 7\. Condoms are sold in grocery stores, drug stores and discount stores, even 99 cent stores. If you bring condoms to the schools then tell them not to have sex is like bringing chocolate cake to a Weight Watchers meeting and telling them not to eat it. 8\. The only way to fight terrorism is to show the terrorists you are not afraid, but that you are angry. Then take the fight to them, capture them, and show them terrorism doesn’t work here. 9\. America already has the best health care in the world. It’s not cheap, but it’s the best. If you want free health care, I suggest you enlist in the military or move to Canada. You will still have to pay extra for the best. 10\. Global warming might very well exist, but I don’t see it. If it does exist, how do we know it’s not because of overpopulation, or solar activity? The Kyoto Treaty guarantees nothing. It was a biased treaty that punishes America but allows other nations to continue to pollute. Tobacco is a carcinogen, but is no more deadly than trans fats, heart disease, and lack of exercise or illegal drugs. Evolution has not been proven. Those who “believe” in it may be right. They may be wrong. Creation has not been proven. Those who “believe” in it may be right. They may be wrong. Why not teach both? 11\. The federal government should limit itself to providing for the common defense (military), promoting the general welfare (making life better), and securing the blessings of liberty (guaranteeing certain rights), for ourselves (us), and our posterity (our unborn children). 12\. The public has the right to know the truth, not some disingenuous documentary filmmaker’s opinion. If a senator, congressman, president, or anybody commits a crime, be it perjury, insider trading, sexual harassment, obstruction of justice, or bribery, they should be prosecuted. 13\. Being a drug addict is a moral failing. How you get those drugs may or may not be a crime. No one is above the law. It shouldn’t matter if you are a radio talk show host or Oscar nominated actor. If you do the crime you should do the time. 14\. I support states rights, but I also support federal law. Federal law trumps local law. Medical marijuana is a joke. If you are terminally ill, do you really care about marijuana laws? If you are not terminally ill, you shouldn’t be smoking something that has four times more cancer causing tar than tobacco. Any doctor that prescribes it to someone not terminally ill is in violation of his Hippocratic oath, and should lose his license to practice medicine. 15\. A corporation can’t read? Did you mean the stockholders or the CEO? Which corporation are you referring to? Did I miss a story? 16\. A president committing perjury and lying to a grand jury in order to cover up sexual harassment is an impeachable offense. It is an offense that got him disbarred in his home state, and cost him a lot of money. If Bush lied, why did one of Sadaam Hussein’s former generals tell Sean Hannity the WMD’s are in Syria? How is it Iran is now so close to getting a nuke? Besides, Sadaam Hussein violated the cease-fire over and over and over again. Clinton did nothing. When The World Trade Center was attacked everything changed.

America can not afford to wait for another attack. We do not want another Lusitania, Pearl Harbor or 9-11\. Sept. 11 brought back an old motto, “Don’t tread on me.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 13, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/041306.pdf?ref=smdp.com)