Regarding Mr. Yatarola's article, ("Are you a fascist?," Feb. 8): I find myself personally quite offended by some of the generalizations offered in his extreme argument that the modern left is a borderline fascist movement. In particular, his assertion that "abortion on demand is what's most important to most of the far left" is, to me, pigeonholing and generalizing to the extreme.
I am not writing with a fistful of my own mud to sling back at Mr. Yatarola. Instead, I offer an alternate view of the left. In my view, American liberals, spearheaded by the Democratic Party, hold first and foremost the ideal of tolerance and respect. We believe that all individuals are important and that the differences between us are critical to the preservation of our great society. I share Mr. Yatarola's annoyance with the constant invocation of Nazism and fascism - but I find it equally ridiculous from every quarter. To be honest, what frustrates me even more is the constant reference to abortion in every political stance and debate.
Can't we move beyond these generalizations? Let's respect the life of all people by not putting them into little boxes and misconstruing their priorities. I'm sorry Mr. Yatarola's observations have led him to this extreme conclusion, but the reality is much more reasonable. And to answer the question, no, I'm not a fascist. I'm a liberal.
Greg Engle
senior
Stanford Hall
Feb. 12
