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Dear Editor
When I first read about The Big Lie, I had to stop and think for a second. Then I realized that it was in reference to Donald Trump's belief that he actually won the Presidentital Election. This also brought back some memories from long ago.
The first big lie I was introduced to was LBJ and his campaign for president in 1964. I was a Pfc. in the Army at the time, and the Vietnam conflict was a situation of military advisors and protecting the South Vietnamese people. Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate, was the Hawk. He wanted to take the war to the North, instead of just fooling around. LBJ campaigned on a peace platform. He said he planned to pull our troops out of there and bring them home.
The American people, especially the military, didn't want war, so LBJ was elected. Before he was inaugurated, he actually did exactly what Mr. Goldwater planned to do. He sent the B-52s into the north to bomb the Ho Chi Minh trail, where it was thought most of the problems were coming from. The war was ON. Then of course was the Gulf of Tonkin incident -- another big lie.
The next big lie I remember was the implied lie that Jimmy Carter would free us from the Middle East oil. It was implied that with experience as a nuclear officer in the U.S. Navy, he would take us to nuclear power. That didn't happen of course. He allowed OPEC to increase the oil cost and pushed electric vehicles. Only a few of the electric cars sold. When he was defeated by Ronald Reagan, he suspected that there was suspicious activity involved. Another lie.
Then, later there was the administration with, "I didnt' have sex with that woman" and "it depends on what your definition of IS, is." He also enacted the NAFTA agreements. That drove auto manufacturing to Mexico. After that administration the presidential campaigns went to Al Gore and G. W. Bush. Gore stated in one of his talks that he created the internet, or at least participated in it's creation. He also claimed that the polar ice caps would melt and destroy the habitat of the Polar Bear. When G. W. Bush was elected, Gore led the program to count the chads. He believed the election was stolen. More lies.
The next big lie was, "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor and if you like your plan, you can keep your plan." What a crock. Doctors got in line to retire.
It is no wonder that Donald Trump won the election in 2016. I was a Democrat until 2000. Voted for Independents for 20 years, then I realized that I was wasting my vote. I'm a registered Republican now, one of the basket of deplorables. Hillary believed that election was stolen also.
Now we are being lied to every day. Masks will not deter this disease, then wear a mask, then two masks, then get vaccinated and you won't get the disease. When you hear, "most of our patients are the unvaccinated. They are saying that some of the patients ARE vaccinated. That means that the vaccinated CAN get the disease. The craziest thing I've ever heard is that those who don't get vaccinated will lose their jobs. Some of those people saw the ill through the worst of times. The same with the military. Up to now we have had an all volunteer force. What will happen when and if the enlistments stop?
If all these Democrats believed their elections were stolen, what is wrong with any Republican claiming the same? Oh, it must be because they're Republican.
William Lyden
Martins Ferry