I have to agree with the tea party advocate who wrote complaining that his movement, and sometimes the Republicans in general, have been recently linked to the word "terrorist" ("Why the name calling?" Aug. 10). I know from personal experience this is wildly inaccurate. As a resident of New York City on 9/11, I watched in horror as real terrorists attacked my own city and killed nearly 3,000 of my neighbors, including the father of one of my youngest daughter's 10th grade classmates.
Despite that horror, as a city, we picked ourselves up and stood up unbeaten and unbowed by the worst terrorists can do.
Because the truth is simple terrorists will never stop America.
That's why the tea party, and the Republican Party, don't deserve to be linked with that awful "terrorist" label. Because somehow, they have brought this country to its knees in ways no mere terrorists could — starting with eight years of a bumbling president who lied us into a financially ruinous and unnecessary war, and then mutely watched the country tip into financial ruin. And then continuing through the tea party's selfish intransigence that helped set the markets into their current freefall.
These people have damaged this country in ways all the terrorists in the world could not dream of. The markets are imploding, millions are out of work with no hope, our economy is gravely wounded, retirees like me are watching their savings evaporate. And those actually responsible are trying to point their dirty fingers at the president to try and blame him. Shame.
I can't even think of any word in the English language that could adequately describe the horror these people represent. But let's just agree "terrorist" is way, way too mild.
David Johnson, Baltimore
