I need to comment on the letter by Thomas F. Shields in the March 14 edition (“Paper got it wrong on who shut down government”).

It must have been a challenge for him to state so many errors of judgment in such few words. If that was his goal, he certainly succeeded.

With the exception of Fox News, most journalists and, indeed, many conservatives agree that the Republicans deserve the burden of the blame for the government shutdown. The argument can be made, though, that this assigning of blame has little value, given the general level of dysfunction in Washington.

The third paragraph, in which he criticizes those who place “political aims above the welfare of the entire country,” is the most ironic and self-defeating. Mr. Shields’ entire letter is a very good example of this act.

Finally, his statement that government “had been functioning normally prior to Obamacare” is inaccurate and misleading.

Illness is not conservative or liberal. Our health care system has been functioning increasingly poorly for many years, according to World Health Organization statistics.

Obamacare is an attempt to improve health care in our country and does not deserve to be repealed or politicized.

David Scotton

Cape Elizabeth

 

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