Letter: Sacrifices should be spread evenly

Tuesday, March 23, 2004 | 8:47 a.m.

The president has told the families of our fighting men and women that they must sacrifice, and has given our soldiers kudos for the fine job they're doing in Iraq and elsewhere throughout the world. He makes it seem that the rest of us have nothing to do in the way of sacrifice. We are supposed to believe that home security is now in check, that unemployment is dropping, that business is flourishing and that Social Security and Medicare will someday be OK.

So all we have to do is be patient and all his campaign promises will come true. He is trying to instill in us a false sense of security. But we the people have to be smarter; in spite of his rhetoric, we should also sacrifice for the good of our country. If it doesn't say "Made in America by Americans," don't buy it.

We may have to pay a little more, but we will be putting our people back to work. Stop buying gas guzzlers and oversize vehicles you don't need. The Bush administration is allowing his oil buddies to gouge us. He said he's going to give you a $300 tax rebate, and since then you have probably paid more than $500 extra for gasoline.

Send letters to your congressmen and tell them that you're through paying ludicrous prices for prescription drugs and insurance, and that the people who should be sacrificing are those making more than $250,000 a year and all the large corporations that have been gouging the American public for years. Let them sacrifice for a change.

SHEL BERLATSKY