By Alex P. Laslow

Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 5 (November 1988)

Two letters to the editor featured in the November 1st issue of The Burlington Free Press labeled Bernie Sanders a socialist “reformist” who will use “infiltrative tactics” to threaten democracy.

The letter, written by George Boucher of Essex Junction, opens on this note: “Mayor Bernard Sanders, the pro-communist liberal running for Congress. . . . ”

Wait a minute. Can someone be a communist and a liberal simultaneously? No. It’s a contradiction of terms, folks. Face it: the name-calling techniques that Bush has used on Dukakis have unfortunately filtered down to his supporters.

The other letter, from Anthony Dupre of Baltimore, declared very patriotically: “I love Vermont and democracy. If I wanted socialism, I would move to the USSR. . .”

Wait just another minute. The first part about loving your state and form of government is fine, but let’s think about the second part for a minute. The last time I checked, the Soviet Union had a Communist government. It appears that Mr. Dupre has forgotten all about the ‘Red Scare” and about Mr. Joe McCarthy. Listen up, everybody. Socialism is NOT communism, and the “USSR” isn’t socialist. By redefining socialism, these two gentlemen have unfairly labelled Bernie Sanders and have made ‘Bernie’ a dirty word. They have mimicked what Bush has done with the word “liberal.” They have slightly twisted the meaning of socialism and stuck it in our faces.

What eludes me is why some people don’t want to see change for the better. To them, everything’s going just swell, they’re the ones who already own cars, houses, have jobs, so why rock the boat? Here’s my message for these gentlemen who have tried to influence us with their wrong definition of terms:

“I think you’re pro-McCarthyist conservatives. I love Vermont and socialism and if I wanted to practice propaganda and pointless name-calling, I’d shack up with George in Kennebunkport.”