Above board politicians should have nothing to fear

EDITOR: Politicians leading countries should never fear, or stifle, criticism – If they are leading the country in an exemplary manner. If they have done nothing wrong, have nothing to hide, they should be confident facing their critics, confident in having clear consciences and sound policies, because they know there will be nothing in the way they lead that can be criticized.{{more}}

However, when opposition and criticism, by anyone in a country, is censored, even punished, then that government is no longer democratic in the true sense of the word. It is bordering on a dictatorship and is not what the voters believed they were electing into office.

Does our government have something to hide; something of which they are not proud or a policy they know will not be popular with the electorate? If not, and if they can stand up and say what they are doing is above board and only for the good of this country as a whole, then let them drop all charges of sedition, let them stop reading private email, let them open the media and allow the publication or broadcasting of important information the public should know, let them stop the stream of misleading information being circulated by government sources, let them stop victimization in the workplace, let them not avoid meeting with citizens’ committees, and let them stop treating the people of this country – the voters – with contempt. They can then face their opposition without fear and assure the voting public it made a wise choice at the polls last December.

Susan M. Toy