Editor,
Andres Saenz may be entitled to his own opinions, but he is not entitled to make up his own facts. In his Aug. 18 letter, Saenz ignorantly claimed that Iran, Cuba and Venezuela pose a greater threat to the U.S. than Russia.
Russia has the largest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world, while Iran, Cuba and Venezuela do not possess any nuclear weapons. Saenz claims the motto of Iran is "Death to America." Iran's motto is "Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic."
Saenz claims Iran is "actively developing a nuclear weapons program that poses a serious threat to homeland security." According to 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and it has every right to enrich uranium at 3 percent for its nuclear power plants. Our allies such as Israel and Pakistan did not sign the treaty. They have nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
Saenz claimed that after the Sept. 11 attacks, Iranians took to the streets shouting "Death to America," when, in fact, Iranians took to the streets in candlelight vigils in memory of those killed in New York City and Washington.
Saenz goes on to criticize Cuba and China for being communists. Isn't it ironic that President Bush borrowed the money for his wars and tax cuts from China? Saenz claims that withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq could lead to another terrorist attack on American soil. Iraq had nothing to do with the Sept. 11 attacks. The only terrorist who followed us home from the last Iraqi war was Timothy McVeigh.
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Saenz claims Barack Obama doesn't have the military experience to be America's next commander in chief. According to Section 1 of Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, a president must be a natural-born citizen of the United States and at least 35 years old, and he or she must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. It says nothing of the requirement of military experience.
Saenz claims another reason to vote against Obama is because the thought of someone whose middle name is Hussein is disturbing to him. That is like saying Americans should not vote for Sen. John McCain because his middle name is Sidney. Saenz claims that having Hussein Obama in the White House would promote the agenda of radical Islamic terrorist groups. Obama is not a Muslim, not that there is anything wrong with being one.
Have Americans always been so stupid? When I challenged Saenz about his fallacious arguments, he would just change the subject to abortion, gay marriage and radical Christianity. When I asked Saenz about the Bush Doctrine, al-Qaida in Pakistan or the seven-year hunt for the infamous Sept. 11 conspirator Osama bin Laden, he just ignored my question. When has Saenz ever served America in the Armed Forces, like Jeremiah Wright?
Brian Fejer
UNM alumnus
