Leo R. Sandy

To the editor,

While I was watching Obama’s State of the Union address, I couldn’t help notice the contrast between Democrats and Republicans in the audience. On the Democratic side, there were many people of color; there were women, and there was diversity of age. On that side, people wore a variety of color in their clothing from bright to dark colors. There also seemed to be more joy and exuberance among the Democrats.

The Republican side looked like a group photo of the painting, American Gothic. That side seemed to have many old, white men who looked dour, joyless and stoic, and all wearing dark colored suits.

Of course, the Democrats would tend to be more upbeat given that the president is a member of their party. However, it seemed like more than this. The Republicans had an oppositional air about them that causes me to question their commitment to the progress of this country. As regressives, they have been very effective in moving the Democrats so far to the right that nothing can be accomplished.

The Democrats must take a stand and do what it is right rather than what appeases Republicans. Obama has tried to reach across the aisle and has only gotten his hand bitten. It reminds me of a story about a man who found an injured snake in the road and nursed it back to health. Then one day the snake bit the man. In shock, the man asked the snake how he could bite him after what the man had done for him. The snake replied that the man knew he was a snake when he took him in. Enough said.

Leo R. Sandy

New Hampton