To the editor:

A recent letter to the editor urging voters to fear Democrats because the Democratic Party is supposedly becoming a “Communist/Socialist front” is a good example of political rhetoric outrunning the facts.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a socialist organization, and it advocates positions many Americans would consider radical. But the DSA is not the Democratic Party, and its existence does not make every Democratic candidate a socialist waiting to be “snuck in” behind the curtain.

That is a remarkably convenient argument: take the most controversial positions of a separate organization, attach them to an entire political party and then tell voters they must vote Republican to save the Republic.

If the author wants to make the case against Democratic candidates, there is a much simpler approach: identify the candidate, identify the policy and explain why it is wrong. Voters are capable of making that judgment without being frightened by labels and guilt by association.

The letter correctly says voters should examine candidates carefully and vote. I agree. But protecting our democracy also requires honesty in how we debate our political differences. Criticize candidates for what they actually believe and propose — not for positions they have never endorsed.

By all means, vote. Just make sure fear isn’t doing the voting for you.

Steven Schrader

Crestwood