McCain-Palin campaign inciting hateful rhetoric

Does anyone notice that the negative strategies the McCain-Palin campaign is currently pursuing in recent weeks to incite its supporters — one based on hate, ignorance, and prejudice — are frighteningly similar to the type of rhetoric used by politicians during the 1950s and 1960s to keep America segregated on the basis of race?

Can American politicians and citizens really be so indifferent to concepts of decency, respect, and honor to let people in the crowd yell "terrorist" and "kill him" when discussing Barack Obama because of the color of his skin or middle name without a rebuke?

I am shocked and saddened to see how low McCain has let himself stoop in not having the decency to focus his campaign on real issues, rather than hate. I see a man who four years ago was admired by both sides of the aisle and is now willing to compromise his honor and self-respect for the sake of gaining higher office. McCain has aligned himself with a rhetoric I thought vanquished from political  stages that any honorable citizen would want to gather around.

 And I am even more concerned that this nation's partisanship has reached a level that some Republicans refuse to see the transparency of hate and negativity in McCain-Palin's campaign. This kind of rhetoric may have very serious and violent consequences, and it is frightening that Republican constituents are letting it slide for the sake of being loyal to a party line, even if it is currently espousing a doctrine that any patriotic American, cognizant of its rich and diverse history, would be ashamed of. I hope cooler heads prevail and Republicans bring themselves to the higher plane of Lincoln's Party and reject McCain and Palin's messages of hate and division.

PAUL BARAN

Sandpoint