Letter: Without liberals, working folks would have little

Monday, Feb. 16, 2004 | 9:42 a.m.

In other words, seniors, the poor, the blind and disabled, veterans, students, workers, working families with sick or injured members, unemployed workers and many other types of people have benefited from the work of liberals. If Republicans, whom many people think are so great, had been in complete control over the past 70 years, you almost certainly wouldn't have or have had any of those programs to rely on when the capitalist economy failed and other catastrophic events threatened your lives and livelihood.

Now I ask people who scorn, hate and ridicule liberals and kiss up to the very ones who would have denied them these quality-of-life benefits: Just what do you think you would have done without the programs liberals brought about? Well, it is very likely they would have what citizens of Third World countries have today -- very little. I suggest liberal bashers ponder this the next time they hear some right-wing commentator going through his daily ritual of denigrating liberals and Democrats.

As Ma Joad said in "The Grapes Of Wrath": "If you ever need help it will be another poor person who will help you because the rich just don't care."

DANIEL OLIVIER