Letters: Muelhoefer's letter provided thoughtful endorsement

Al Muelhoefer's letter ("Retired military officer supports Barack Obama," Oct. 28), is my candidate for the most thoughtful — and thought-provoking — in memory. It reflects a person who has learned from his life while living it, questioned his conclusions and weighed his observations and circumstances against an ethical base. He has rejected the bigotry and hate-debate too prevalent in both our society and the political arena, expressing his observations with a thoughtful maturity I appreciate but have yet to achieve.

One of his standards of truth weighs the effects on future generations of his vote, his actions — and those policies of the government, which ostensibly acts for us. After all, what standard other than the fate of future generations is more relevant to one's decisions? We've seen the results of the "I got mine and to hell with everyone else" policies.

While I, too, have found that living my life has often caused me to challenge and adjust many of my conclusions — never more so than in the last 10 years — I could only read about and research certain matters, e.g. war, about which I could never have — nor ever want — any realistic experience such as Mr. Muelhoefer has known. I only know that I value life too much to lightly ask others to risk theirs.

It wasn't hard to draw some of my conclusions after eight years of having my face rubbed in the mess of the disastrous administration we have endured and must continue to suffer for years to come, but I had little realistic knowledge upon which to base some of the conclusions that Mr. Muelhoefer learned first-hand.

In his endorsement of Barack Obama, Mr. Muelhoefer shows us the courage of his convictions and the hard won knowledge gleaned from a lifetime of very real experience. I honor his letter and the person it reflects. I hope he doesn't mind my emailing The Triplicate's link to his letter to everyone in my address book, simply because he has said it all better and more convincingly than any of my previous attempts could have done.

Sybil Saxelby

Smith River