In response to the letter from Alison Grotberg, "Thinly masked socialism," a reference to Barack Obama's political position, I have a few questions.

When Grotberg mailed her letter to the Tribune, did she drive on a public road to get it to the U.S. Post Office, or did she have them pick it up at her residence? Or did she e-mail it over the Internet that was started by the U.S. government?

Does she benefit in any way from law enforcement that keeps her safe or firefighters that come to her rescue if her house starts on fire? Does she benefit from a U.S. military that defends this country?

Have she and her family ever taken a vacation at a national or state park? Does she rely on a city sewer system and does she use rural or city supplied water? If she is involved with agriculture, does she or her family receive farm subsidies or CRP payments from the government?

If Grotberg benefits from anything I mentioned, she is relying on socialist programs to survive, to prosper and to enjoy life. If she hates socialism so much, she should move to a third world country with no roads, sewer or water, no law enforcement, and no Internet or postal service and see just how much of a great Republican conservative with "Rough Rider individualism" she can be then.

Furthermore, the GOP pushes its own version of socialism as well. They push religious socialism by trying to use government to force us to live by their religious beliefs and sexual standards they themselves violate, and they also push corporate socialism by taking our tax money and giving it away to corporations who ship our jobs to China and gouge us at the gas pump.

I understand why these right-wingers need to distract us. They and their party have nothing to offer America but endless war, national debt, hate, fear and division, corruption and endless lies. I hope they are as ready as I am for an election likely to be a catastrophe for the Republican party.