To the editor:

Conservatives and liberals? You recently printed letters that were somewhat critical of Cal Thomas and conservatives in general. As background for my comments, please be advised that I was born in 1924, got my first paying job in 1932, volunteered for the draft in 1943, attended the University of Kansas on the GI Bill and was commissioned in the U.S. Army. I have been shot at by hostile armed enemies of the United States during World War II, the Korean Police Action and the quagmire in Vietnam.

I registered as a Democrat in 1948 in order to vote for Harry S Truman. I really appreciated the patriotism of John F. Kennedy; however, I have watched the Democrats become increasingly liberal since then. They are virtual socialists now; witness Hillary Clinton’s health plan and Bill’s increase in taxes. Every remedy advanced by Democrats nowadays involves either increasing the size of federal government, penalizing private enterprise or running roughshod over our Constitution.

Please note that I am not a liberal. Mr. Cuenca notes that progress happens. So does excrement. The trick is to be able to tell the difference. Cal Thomas seems much better at this than his two critics published in the Aug. 7 Journal-World.

R.G. Henley,

Lawrence