(Regarding article, “Obama in ’95: Reagan committed ‘dirty deeds,’” Jan. 17.) Are you guys incapable of living in anything other than absolutes? People are complex. We have strengths and weaknesses. Obama’s recognizing both in Ronald Reagan is the exercise of reason, not the altering of his views.

The sorry state our nation finds itself in is, in part, due to those of the press, politics and the pulpit selling us absolutism.

And, in regard to Sam Youngman and Aaron Blake’s article I can only say, “There you go again.”

In the article Youngman and Blake state, “... Obama made waves by praising the late President Ronald Reagan, but in 1995 the future Illinois senator had a markedly different view of the Republican hero [Reagan]...” which suggests Obama is either flip-flopping or pandering. Either way you’re doing a disservice to the candidate.

I loved Reagan though I didn’t agree with him on virtually anything. Still, it is unarguable that he did exactly what Obama said. He changed the trajectory of America. He was what first and foremost we needed in a president. He was a leader. After the malaise administration of Jimmy Carter America was in desperate need of a leader.

We’re in that place again. Obama gets it. A slew of citizens in Iowa and New Hampshire and, very likely, the rest of the country get it. How is it you don’t? Are you so busy looking for the headline that you manage to miss the story?

Santa Monica, Calif.

Tax advantages

From John Eckert

After reading Brent Budowsky’s column on stimulating the economy (“The economic crisis,” Jan. 22), I must address his point on a one-time profits tax on oil companies. I agree with the idea on the tax but feel that the money should go equally to small businesses as a rebate on employment taxes in order to hire new workers and a one-time tax rebate to those who make under $60,000 a year as a way to increase spending.

Unlike President Bush’s tax rebate of a few years ago where it was paid back when you filed your taxes, this should be a real rebate. This group is more likely to spend their rebate and will hopefully fuel a quicker recovery.

Ludlow, Mass.

Root of destruction

From Jared Harold

As I got my sample ballot for the upcoming election, I couldn’t help but notice that half of it I could not read because it was in a foreign language (Spanish). Why was this done? I asked myself, since the last time I said the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States it had the words “One Nation” and “Indivisible.” What a root of destruction we sow by promoting diversity instead of inclusion. …

Naples, Fla.