Letter to the editor of the Hood River News

For the past five and one-half years, Gordon Smith has been the only Senator from Oregon to vote in favor of war at every opportunity. He voted in favor of launching an unprovoked attack against Iraq and rose to denounce those who were in favor of peace many times. He is a typical chickenhawk--he avoided military service during his generation's war in Vietnam and spoke loudly and often and with a powerful vote to send the younger generation to kill and die in the next stupid, illegal war.

Now he claims to be opposed to this ongoing war and occupation, but he only cast one possibly meaningful vote against it. Gordon Smith's actions have been so negative and immoral that I've joined ministers, legal secretaries, professional ecologists and others in taking the drastic step of getting arrested just trying to visit his office. We didn't yell, nor did we interrupt or anything threatening or violent, but his office will not even make an appointment to talk about peace. In short, he is making false claims about his stance on this war and I hope we Oregonians will hold him accountable in November.

Yours truly, Tom H. Hastings, Portland

If anyone else wishes to offer an opinion to the Hood River News, the link to send a letter to the editor (which must be sent in via their website):
http://www.hoodrivernews.com/HRNToEditor.shtml

If we can reach beyond Portland and let other Oregonians know that Smith has dissembled and obfuscated on his war votes at every turn, perhaps his voters will want to see change enough to vote him out. If we want peace, we cannot stand another six years of Gordon Smith in such a powerful political position. Letters to editors are a way to reach his people to let them know how he has betrayed them.