By Staff
Smith needs to "even out" his views
I can not sit back and let Tray Smith's Opinion in the Atmore Advance's Aug. 17, 2008 edition go without a response to his totally ridiculous notion of questioning Barack Obama's patriotism. If anything we should be questioning Tray Smith's patriotism since he apparently does not believe that our wonderful nation was founded upon a variety of opinions and beliefs.
Tray points out that McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy. He failed to let the readers know that McCain graduated nearly last in his class. His position was number 894 out of 899 classmen. Not a position that is anywhere admirable in anyone's opinion. Tray also failed to mention that McCain's father and grandfather were graduates of the Naval Academy and were four-star admirals. Undoubtedly these gentlemen paved the way for McCain's easy entry into the Academy. I doubt without the help of his father and grandfather his scholastic endeavors would have won him admission into the Academy.
Tray also fails to mention that McCain has a history of running around on his previous wife. He was having an extramarital affairs while his first wife was suffering from a crippling automobile accident that left her permanently injured. Sounds like he has the same moral values of Edwards. Is this someone we want to run our nation?
Tray also has the audacity to equate patriotism with a simple little metal flag pin. If this small gesture represents the total patriotic value of a candidate then things are really pitiful in our nation. Since when does the fact that someone does or does not wear a flag pin represent his or her true patriotic values. I sure hope that Tray's patriotism is not based upon whether or not he wears a flag pin. And for Tray to question the values of Obama's wife just because she proclaimed that she became proud of her country for the first time in her life when her husband's campaign took flight. I too became proud when Obama's campaign took flight because for the first time in our nation's history we are taking seriously the fact that a person of color may in fact be elected as our nation's leader. Does Tray base his opinion on the color of an person's skin?
Tray was also appalled over the fact that Obama considered himself a world citizen when he visited Germany. I would just like to know what Tray considered himself when he recently visited Jordan and the Mideast. I would certainly think that Tray is a world citizen and he should be proud of that fact, just as Obama was.
Tray stated that those arrogant, condescending and unpatriotic ramblings are examples of the many sentiments Obama has expressed. I think Tray needs to look into a mirror and just listen to his own arrogant, condescending and, may I add, unpatriotic ramblings that he expresses in his Opinions in the Atmore Advance.
I could not be more proud of Tray and the experiences that he continually has the opportunity to take advantage of as a United States and as a World Citizen. I was hoping that his being exposed to other worldly opinions as a result of his travels would somewhat even out his views. I am utterly disappointed that this is not the case. Tray still has a lot of growing up to do and I sincerely hope that Tray's immature opinions do not influence any voters in our area, if so then we are truly in a sad state of affairs. I respect Tray and we continue to agree to disagree. Advance readers should remember that these are only Tray's opinions and not the opinions of main stream America. While I think that McCain is a fine person in spite of his failings, I am not on a campaign to smear him unlike Tray's campaign to smear Obama.
Facts are facts, I certainly would never question McCain's patriotism any more than I would question Obama's. To do otherwise would find ourselves in the same pitiful narrow mindedness that Tray reflected in his opinion in the Aug. 17 edition of this fine newspaper.
Foster Kizer
Atmore