Re "Obama would sell us out," (Monitor letter, July 12):

John McCain is a white politician. If he wins, I hope it not will be due solely to the fact that he is white and has a military background, a purported qualification that sits well with those too unaware to consider that there may be other prerequisites for the presidency.

I believe the author was a little too swift in passing judgment on our presidential candidates: "[John McCain] loves his country more than political power." In fact, when McCain joined the Senate, passing at a likely chance to be a Navy admiral, Barack Obama worked with a community organization - a church-based one to boot - where he helped less-fortunate Americans get job training, prepare for college, and fought for tenants' rights. While McCain was running for reelection shortly after coming under fire for receiving $100,000 from Charles Keating (a savings and loan crook), Obama led a voter-registration effort that added over 100,000 African Americans to the rolls in Illinois.

Don't let Obama's skin color and speaking ability be your only reasons for voting for him. Don't vote for McCain just because he served our country bravely in war, either. Think carefully about why you support whomever you may support and debate your lunatic friends and coworkers on it. Don't let this year's election be remembered as a series of televised verbal slip-ups followed by feigned outrage and swift retractions. Elevate the discourse.

Ry Amidon
Concord
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