This page was last updated on September 5, 2004.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Nothing shows better how the Bush administration is instilling a sense of fear into its constituency than the letter to the editor from Peter Zwieryznski (‘Think before you vote,’ Aug. 17).

[RWC] There’s no question Mr. Zwieryznski’s letter was over the top, but I don’t know how you blame it on the Bush administration.

“Not only was this poor man terrified that the Democratic Gestapo (his term) will come into his house and take away his hunting rifle, but that they will take his fishing pole as well.”

[RWC] Read the referenced letter by Mr. Zwieryznski and you’ll note at no point does he mention Democrats, or Republicans for that matter.  Why would Mr. Linville believe the letter was about Democrats?

“I’m surprised that he didn’t mention Johnny’s cap pistol and the fly swatter.  (Better he should worry about the mercury levels in the fish he catches with that pole than its confiscation, mercury from polluters that Bush loves to protect.)

[RWC] That’s right, coal-fired power plants didn’t emit mercury pollution until President Bush took office.  Not.  The Bush administration proposal is to reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), oxides of nitrogen (NO_X), and mercury by 70% by 2018.  By comparison, the Clinton administration did nothing about power plant mercury pollution.

If you believe Democrats, this issue must be a real problem for President Bush.  On the one hand, everything he does is geared to favor the oil industry, and on the other everything he does is to favor polluters.  If he is to favor the oil industry, President Bush should impose immediate near-impossible mercury limits so coal-fired power plants would be replaced with oil and/or natural gas power plants.  If he is to favor polluters, he should propose no limits.  This is a facetious analysis, of course.  I presented it only to show the crazy things Democrats want us to believe.

“But this was not all the letter writer feared.  As a result of this harvesting of firearms, he foresaw a world of animals gone wild and spreading disease, of businesses shutting down and lost jobs - because of the Gestapo.”

[RWC] As I wrote above, the subject letter was over the top.  Even so, there was a tiny grain of truth.  Unchecked animal populations can become a problem.  To an extent, we see this already with deer in Pennsylvania.  Lyme disease was uncommon until deer and human populations started getting in close proximity.

“Shame on Bush and the NRA (his puppet-masters), and for the whole zoo of their radio commentators for producing such a fever-pitch of fear in this country, fears based on utter nonsense.”

[RWC] I thought VP Cheney and/or Karl Rove were President Bush’s puppet masters.  Now we know it’s the NRA. <g>

Mr. Linville doesn’t like others selling fear “based on utter nonsense,” but doesn’t mind trying to sell his own nonsense.

© 2004 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.