AnalPhilosopher

To the Editor:

Re "Cue the Woman in Pink" (editorial, Oct. 28):

The woman in pink (an image from an ad attacking a congresswoman) is a great metaphor for political strategists' efforts to stigmatize opponents.

This, along with poisonous radio and TV talk, leaders who question the patriotism of their opponents, the failure of mainstream journalists to challenge lies and distortions with facts, a passive electorate that naïvely expects to learn about candidates from TV sound bites and staged "debates" and a culture that values simplification of complex problems and prizes candidates' personalities over their abilities, has created a crisis in American democracy, which, as you note, we want to export.

Democracy does not mean that any tactic that produces a vote is justified.

I care a lot who wins the election, but I think it is more important that there be a clear winner and that we begin the process of restoring our fundamental values of fairness, openness and respect for the opinions of others.

Tom Stewart
Altamont, N.Y., Oct. 28, 2004