Dear Editor:

I am suffering from depression due to recent rejection. First, The Selma Times-Journal refused to publish my second letter to Senator Hank Sanders, expressing my disappointment over his ignoring my invitation to debate, in a civil manner, the important issues of the day.

Secondly, upon the suggestion of the STJ leadership, I called Mr. Sanders asking him if he was planning to respond to my challenge. His answer was that he and his advisors had decided that he should not engage in any debate unless his opponent was an elected public official.

When I brought up the subject of what I consider to be our segregated public school system in Selma, Mr. Sanders abruptly ended our phone conversation, saying that he had an appointment in Lowndes County.

Therefore, I feel that it is appropriate to list in this letter some of the questions that I would have asked Senator Sanders if he had agreed to my proposal:

1. Do you agree with building a huge Mosque within two blocks of Ground Zero, where almost 3,000 Americans were murdered on 9/11/01 by Muslim terrorists?

2. Do you agree that pushing through the onerous, non-transparent health care bill by Obama, a bill that a majority of Americans opposed, was the right thing to do?

3. Do you agree that the stimulus bill of almost $800 billion has been a failure in terms of job creation and boosting the economy?

4. Do you believe that our borders should be totally secure, preventing illegal aliens from

entering our country?

5. Do you think that our public schools in Selma, in what I consider to be their current segregated state, are in the best interest of Selma?

6. Do you believe that Obama who has never had a real job and never had to meet a payroll, and based on his performance to date, is qualified to be our president?

7. Do you believe that our war in Afghanistan and our war against international terrorism in general, is a winnable war?

8. Do you believe that same-sex marriage, were it to become a federal law, would be good for our country?

9. Do you feel that it would be good for the country if the Republicans were to gain the majority of the House seats in the November elections?

10. Do you agree that it would help the economy if the Bush tax cuts were to be extended for another year or two?

11. Are you disappointed that the Gitmo terrorist detainee facility is still in operation after Obama promised that he would close it one year after he took office?

12. The initiators and planners of the 9/11/01 attacks have still not been tried, with the government still vacillating over where to hold the trial. Do you agree that the best place to try these killers would be at Gitmo?

Sincerely,

Byrd Looper

Selma