YOUR 2 CENTS

A recent contributor to this paper described the act of voting as a "privilege." This I find very disturbing, since it is by no means the only time I have encountered the use of the word "privilege" in this context. Voting is a "right," and we had better not allow ourselves to be persuaded otherwise. It is also a right that we need to exercise wisely or this beloved country is going to slide down the slippery slope even more rapidly than it is presently doing.

-- R. Adrian Davies, Richmond

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Why does ABC News keep saying "his house" when it talks about its session with the president? ABC News is talking about our house -- the White House. The president has an apartment there and has an office where he works, but he does not own it any more than I do. However, maybe I missed an item in the election in November. Could he be our Imperial Czar -- since he has more czars than Russia did?

-- Fred Martin, Mechanicsville

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Some who are against a national nonprofit health insurance pool option, funded via premiums from members -- and who also are totally against a single-payer program -- use as a reason that insurance companies could not compete with such a less-costly option. Say what? They also say such an option would take away members' right to choose doctors and their prescribed, needed procedures and some meds. Ever heard of HMOs? -- Tom Little, Glen Allen

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To all of those people who have been unable to view television due to the changeover to digital: You haven' t missed anything. The clarity of the picture does not improve the subject matter one bit on my set.

-- Charles Dawson, Midlothian

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The D.C. intelligentsia is engaged in the overthrow of the U.S. Constitution. The executive branch is seizing unauthorized power with its czar brigade, the legislative branch refuses to pass laws that protect and defend our borders and troops, and the judicial branch allows a bankruptcy that ignores first-in-line-by-law bondholders' rights. The American people are fiddling while Rome burns.

-- Dianne Flynn, Glen Allen

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I cannot find in the U.S. Constitution where it gives the president the authority to bail out business, hire or fire CEOs of businesses, appoint czars, or change bankruptcy laws. I am equally concerned that members of Congress, including our Virginia senators, have more loyalty to their political party than the Constitution. They do not represent me. Replace them all!

-- Gil Duke, Bumpass

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So Fiat is going to save Chrysler with its motorized roller skates. I have to wonder how well Fiat cars meet the hundreds of federal motor vehicles safety standards as administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, down to the requirements for hood latches? How long will it take and how good will be the first cobbled-together vehicles? And how many more billions of dollars will be confiscated from us taxpayers to pay for it?

-- David Stiles, Richmond

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Bill Clinton' endorsement of Terry McAuliffe turned out to be the kiss of death. If Creigh Deeds could get Clinton to endorse his opponent, Bob McDonnell, he would win hands down.

-- Mike Gilletto, Henrico

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Iran counted 40 million handwritten paper ballots in a matter of hours and Minnesota still can't count 3 million votes since November. Who's the Third World country now?

-- Jim Seay, Henrico

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Is the murder of Pvt. Andy Long, U.S. Army, going to be tried as a hate crime?

-- Mary V. Griffin, Richmond