DEAR EDITOR: With a national election day closing in fast, I and hopefully clear-thinking others are fervently hoping that leaders and spokesmen on both sides of the aisle have audiences other than their “choirs.” To clarify, I mean listening to others than their own personal prejudiced media sources. The left wing portion of the media has been trying to smear Mitt Romney. The right wing extremists are complaining that Mr. Romney is too liberal.

My take is that many of us believe that the independents are our only hope of rescuing our beloved country, which hundreds of thousands of Americans and our allies have suffered and/or died for.

As “independents,” they cherish their right not to be herded into a group. Let’s hope they also care about not having a president who bows and scrapes before our enemies, aids and abets them with billions of foreign aid, does nothing for our native American tribes despite their legitimate needs, and constantly tells lies (what would George Washington say to that?) about all manner of serious issues.

Every day, as the current government continues to gush money that this country cannot afford, we are getting deeper and deeper into serious trouble.

Sensible people know they cannot spend more than they can afford; sensible people with severe debt problems have to come to understand they will have to take serious personal cutbacks in their budgets to get out of the hole they have dug for themselves.

A wise old lady advised me years ago, “Sooner or later, ya pays for ya pretties.”

Americans have sacrificed. If it takes biting the bullet once again for a higher purpose (like the good of us all), we can do it again with the right leadership!

Melissa B. Anderson Marietta