Letter: John Birch Society responds to Anderson column

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February 9, 2010

Anonymous The Salem News Tue Feb 09, 2010, 05:30 AM EST

To the editor:

In her Saturday, Feb. 6 column ("Brown win has liberals seeing red, feeling blue"), Barbara Anderson claims John Birch Society's founder, Robert Welch, called President Eisenhower a communist, and also denies that the late Ray Shamie was a member of our organization.

Mr. Welch never called Eisenhower a communist. In his well-documented book, "The Politician," Mr. Welch concluded that Eisenhower was either "stupid, a willing opportunist or a conscious instrument of the communist conspiracy." The average American today has never heard of "Operation Keelhaul" and Eisenhower's role in that monstrous atrocity and countless other actions documented in Welch's book.

The late Ray Shamie was indeed a member of the John Birch Society. Unfortunately, he took the politically correct route and denied his membership. Too bad. If he had stuck to his principles, he could have taken the Republican Party away from the limousine liberals who have been running the Massachusetts Republican Party for many years.

Readers who would like information on the John Birch Society may contact me at 857-498-1309 or by e-mail at shurtleffhal@aol.com.

Hal Shurtleff

Coordinator, The John Birch Society

West Roxbury

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