It's not brain surgery

Mr. Green brings up a valid point when saying he would not choose a surgeon based on their religion, position on gay marriage, abortion and political affiliation [“We need to focus on what matters,” Village News, Opinion, 6/14/07].

He is also right in saying that none of these things matter… none of these things matter when choosing a surgeon. The surgeon, unlike the President, has no influence on the morals and values in our country.

We cannot use the same unbiased logic when looking to a Presidential candidate because the elected President represents the United States – its morals, values and goals. We cannot simply use the criteria of “his/her proven ability to govern under the US Constitution,” as Mr. Green recommends. Some of the aforementioned points, such as gay marriage and abortion, are continuously under debate as to whether they are constitutional or not.

I do agree with Mr. Green that the only thing that matters is that the President serve the United States to the best of his/her ability. This means being the representative of the people, including their morals and values. Therefore, we have no choice but to look to the morals and values of the Presidential candidates to choose which one will best represent the United States. This will include looking into every decision and action that he/she will have to make during the presidency.

Amber Briggs