I want to express my complete agreement with Dennis Kaiser’s letter Dec. 4 regarding the Dec. 1 column of Kim McGahey. I totally support having a politically conservative column in the Summit Daily News that expresses ideas from that sector of the political spectrum. That’s what democracy and free speech are all about.

But what we do not need in these very trying, grieving and economically critical times is a very public voice spewing out poison, hateful innuendo, falsehoods and disrespect. We need respectful, responsible, decent discussion from all sectors of the political spectrum in an attempt to work our way through these critical times.

I’m perfectly fine with McGahey continuing his column if he simply cleans up his act; if he dispenses with the venom, the hate, the name-calling and the ego-boosting attempted wit that characterize his writing; if he could just put an idea out there and discuss it rationally and intelligently.

I’ve been following McGahey’s public pronouncements for a number of years. I’m not optimistic that he can do this. But he, Liddick and those like them, to some extent, hold the future of the Republican Party in their hands. More broadly, they also hold the future of our country, of democracy and of decency and integrity in their words.