Letter to the editor in sj-r.com:
“The two most controlling and evil men in America today are Grover Norquist of the Americans for Tax Reform and Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association. They are both more powerful and influential than the president of the United States and the majority and minority leaders of the U.S. House and Senate.
As a result of the great influence of these two non-elected leaders, our lawmakers find it impossible to enact any laws that would bring about reasonable and sensible tax policies and gun policies in this country. Unfortunately, our elected leaders are more concerned about their next election fight with their opponents than they are about confronting these two men and their minority agendas.
I’ve been interested in politics and government for 70-plus years, and I’ve never seen this degree of polarization in our governmental process. Unfortunately, I don’t see any changes in the foreseeable future that would solve our many problems and restore sanity to our political system as long as these two men and others like them hold such unchecked and unchallenged power and authority.
— Carl Volkmann, Springfield