To The Editor:

Whoever wins the election takes office at a time of danger to the nation both foreign and domestic. The fall of Wall Street is just beginning a ripple that will increase unemployment, foreclosures and possibly cause a credit card meltdown. America is in for tough times the likes of which afflicted our grandparents.

Terrorists continue to hope for opportunities to bring death and destruction to our shores. As reported by governmental agencies worldwide their numbers have increased. Afghanistan is in turmoil which is spilling over into nuclear Pakistan. Today we have a growing number of enemies wishing to do us harm than on September 11.

America needs to heal its wounds. Our divisions have so polarized the nation that rationale discourse seems to be an affront. Sides accuse each other of heinous insults bordering upon questioning the patriotism of our own citizens.

We the people subsidize and authorize these virulent attacks. By claiming only our side has the moral and ethical high ground we assure political warfare. In the absence of civil discourse and willingness to compromise we surrender the liberties that we celebrate on the 4th of July.

Administrations have come and gone, [each] promising working with its opponents. History proves that verbiage rarely portrays reality. Whoever our next president is, let us pray that good words become good deeds. If not, in four years the state of the Union will be as precarious as it is today. Edward Horn Baldwin, New York