'Demonizing' people doesn't help anyone

A number of letters have been published “demonizing” our government. Since government does play an essential role in our society, despising its function or denying its legitimacy is not productive.

Government should be about caring for the nation and its people as it maintains roads, reasonably enforces laws (including those keeping banks and insurance companies working in the public interest), supports a fair economy that allows everyone to participate, makes education publicly available to everyone, addresses public health, safety of the food and water systems, and works with other nations to address global problems and conflicts. We should neither reject the necessity of these functions nor blindly accept status quo. Our nation can, and will, continue to improve as we move ahead.

We can and must all work for different or better outcomes through lobbying, voting, civil protest, or running for public office. We should promote better ideas and better methods and programs to improve conditions in our nation and world. But rhetoric of denigrating people already doing the work does not move us toward a healthy society. 

STEVE WILLEY

Sandpoint