Lynn Rudmin Chong

To the editor,

At Monday’s meeting of governors, former Governor Sununu spoke about New Hampshire’s people able “to influence the policies that affect our lives.” He talked taxes, but I had to think how Judd Gregg (the only missing living governor on Monday) proves the contrary. Senator Gregg won’t meet with his public to discuss an exit strategy for the Iraq war.

With other peace activists I was arrested for not leaving Senator Gregg’s office on June 2, when we delivered a fourth letter requesting a public meeting so people may ask questions about Iraq and hear in-depth answers that Gregg‘s form letters don’t supply. I doubt anyone from, say, Verizon, has to be arrested in his office to get a request noticed. It is a public meeting our first, second, and third letters requested. The first letter had over 200 constituent signatures and was hand-delivered to his Washington office.

Governor Sununu offered other advice: “build consensus by maintaining personal contacts.” Former Governor Gregg was absent Monday “not to miss a vote in Washington.” Yet in 1992 when ten souls (I was one) ran in the U.S. Senate primary as Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and somewhere between a dozen and fifteen citizen forums were arranged statewide, who missed every one? Judd Gregg. At every long table set up with ten chairs and name cards, Judd Gregg’s seat remained empty. He evades personal contacts with ordinary people, his everyday constituents.

Our country now solidly polls “bring the troops home.” Senator Gregg hears it from not just one source — New Hampshire letter writers — when the polls show people everywhere are weary of this prolonged war that supposedly ended May, 2003.

What ethereal air does Senator Gregg breathe? It certainly isn’t the same air as our U.S. service people and the suffering Iraqi citizens breathe if they luckily make it through another day of war, unsure of how this will end for them. Will Senator Gregg ever meet with his public on this vital issue? The war will continue with no push to end it. What is he afraid of?

Lynn Rudmin Chong

Sanbornton