Sounding Off

There are many things I love about my city, but the amount of closed-minded conservatism drives me insane. Our newspaper, The Freeman, fuels this. While most papers have editorials, we also have "sound-offs." Editorials are generally long, thought-out, and held to a bit of a standard. Sound-offs, however, are usually short or obnoxiously long, and don't seem to be held to any sort of standard. People write in about all kind of things (Obama, Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle, and garlic!) and most have been about the evils of socialism lately. So, I decided to bring in a sound-off from the other side and write about all the beneficial socialist programs in the United States government. It's hopefully going to be printed tomorrow (the don't print on Mondays), and here it is!

"The Republican Party and its followers have done nothing but complain about the evils of socialism recently. However, socialism is what drives most of our society. The fire department is a government program; the FDA makes sure our food is clean and our medication is safe; public libraries provide us with free books to read, free movies to watch, and other resources; Social Security assists the elderly and disabled; the city fixes roads, and keeps them clear and safe to drive on in the winter; we have sidewalks to walk on; there are parks and public pools for us to enjoy; children can get an affordable education; we can use the Amtrak or buses to get around; there are ramps for those with physical disabilities; there are regulations on buildings so our houses and shops don't collapse; and that's just the beginning. So, have any of those services benefited you? Thank socialism, and try to be less closed-minded about it!"

Note: It sounds kind of lecture-y? Hm. I guess I'm doing more of the sound-off writing style than my own...except for the correct use of semicolons.