Regarding the letter, “Do I have to be on a team, politically?,” published Dec. 21, the intent of the letter is agreeable and admirable, i.e., a political candidate’s character qualifications and goals should be researched first, as a basis for election to political office.

Although, generally speaking, the personal character of the political candidate will reflect the character of the political team they are attached to. Which means the vast majority of aspiring politicians are representing either the Republican or Democratic Party. Each politician will fit the political profile of their respective party’s platform. With such a divided political and moral culture, each political candidate is either on one extreme side or the other in these culture wars. That is, on subjects like abortion, same-sex marriage and gender identity.

A good litmus test for these matters is abortion. Overall, the Democratic Party condones abortion, the Republican Party condemns abortion. That divide pulls voters to one side or the other. Being pro-abortion is indispensable to getting elected on the Democratic ticket. In February of 2020, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders aptly said: “I think being pro-choice is an absolutely essential part of being a Democrat.” How true. A pro-life Democrat politician has zero chance of being elected by those constituents.

But I fear America has descended into moral chaos. The fate of America doesn’t rest on financial, material or even immigration matters, but on culture war battles that have already deformed traditional norms of morality.

Dan Pryor
Gorham