Reasons to be proud of our government

As an amateur weather person, I was thrilled to see the expertise of the National Weather Service in predicting the track of hurricane Irene over the last week. Our efficient NWS gave several days of warning to state and local governments, so they could warn their citizens to evacuate coastal areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready with relief resources and coordinated private and public efforts. I am proud of the U.S. government.

The U.S. government, since the FDR administration, has provided tremendously good services to the American people. The national government made possible the 30-year mortgage, caused the workplace to be safer, made the air and water cleaner, improved our health care system, brought us a national retirement system, invented the Internet (the U.S. Army), explored our solar system, guaranteed civil rights for all citizens, constructed an interstate highway system, secures integrity of the stock market and the financial system and helps the poor.

It is a great national government that I am proud of and will not surrender it to those who wish to destroy it.

Tom Teune

Wheaton