To the editor:
This is regarding Stan Galownia's letter of May 13 concerning the lowering of the middle class ("Middle class is disappearing") - is it political theater to cite or place individuals into class categories to justify hot button political issues? I suggest we refer to our peers as Americans first and then reach out and provide comfort to those in need. Personally I resent the reference to class. Who gave any one the authority to create a class mentality in our nation? I believe in America we can go as far as we desire and government should not dictate our goals, as the current one does, nor limit our efforts in reaching our individual plateaus.
I have never walked in the shoes of the homeless or the unemployed. I do believe our nation is strong enough to grant aid to those in need, but only for the period necessary for them to stand on their own feet.
Several pundits keep referring to the middle class as their point of reference. May I suggest that the middle class is as close to the bottom as it is from the top. Just keep government out of its way. Its values, strong values are the common thread that our friends in Jefferson County can be justly proud of. The mixing bowl from which they sprang is firmly embedded in our mind and beliefs.
We are not disappearing, but are still standing proud as Americans. The political pundits want you to think otherwise.
Carl R. Shaw
Danville, Va.
