To the editor:

While Ebenezer Scrooge encountered four ghosts in his Christmas reformation, I was recently visited by the ghost of George Orwell. To my surprise, George was well-versed on contemporary events in America and offered this helpful guide to interpreting the confusing news coming out of Washington.

With the wry grin that he was known for, he told me, “Since I wrote ‘1984,’ I know just how to interpret the current administration’s jargon. Here’s what to look for when they say …”

“We are trying to reduce crime by illegal immigrants in big (namely Democratic-run) cities” means “We will unleash hordes of untrained thugs to terrorize and even shoot dead anyone who does not submit to us.”

“We are trying to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into America” means “We are attacking a sovereign country to steal its oil reserves.”

“We need to make America safer from Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic” means “We will take over a country under the control of a fellow member of NATO, despite the political, economic and social consequences.”

“We agree to obey an act of Congress which compels the release of documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein” means “Oh, yeah, make us!”

“We want to extend good health care to all Americans” means “If you can’t afford vastly increased insurance costs, then too bad for you.”

Then, with a grin, he vanished. Keep what he told me in mind when you vote.

Jeff Southard,

Lawrence