By JACKSON DREILING

In light of recent events surrounding the 2008 presidential race, I am writing to you in hopes that we, as citizens of this great nation, will live out the true meaning of its creed -- that all are created equal.

The race has become a dead horse -- at a time when it should be anything but. The Democratic primary is going down to the wire; for all Americans, this should be a time of great interest. However, the presidential race has become marred by non-issues: religious and business affiliations, "sniper fire," beer money, lapel pins.

Time and time again I hear people becoming disgusted with the state of the race. For most Americans, whether a candidate wears an American flag lapel pin or who they are married to be not of paramount concern.

For most Americans, what is important is whether a candidate is focused on giving them economic relief -- helping to fill up their gas tank, helping to put food on the table, helping to ensure that they retain their shelter, helping to provide access to affordable health care. And that is just what Americans are concerned about at home. Not to mention that we are fighting a global war, our allies have become scarcer, and we are held hostage by foreign oil because we, as the greatest nation on earth, do not have an energy policy.

These are the issues that Americans are concerned with and that the candidates have tried to focus on. However, it seems that every media outlet in the country is focused on the non-issues. It seems as if they are attempting to distract us.

Where are the journalists? My father often reminds me that there is no such thing as news today. It is easy to understand his position, after growing up with the likes of Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow -- newsmen.

The most recent debate aired on ABC was conducted by two men that, in many eyes, could never be considered newsmen -- not after 45 minutes of excessive questions regarding the non-issues that the majority of Americans don't care about.

If the media insists on continuing to push these wastes of time stories, I pray that they treat all candidates with the same respect and scrutiny. Sen. Barack Obama's association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has filled newscasts for some time, even after Obama's call to unity more than a month ago.

However, Sen. John McCain's associations with the "spiritual advisers" of his campaign have only been whispered; and, certainly not challenged. Pastor John Hagee has called the Roman Catholic Church a "whore" and denounced it as a "false religion" to be swallowed up by the antichrist. Pastor Rod Parsley has called for the entire eradication of the Muslim faith, as well as repeatedly attacked the homosexual community.

Both of these men, McCain calls spiritual advisers to his campaign -- the same title the Rev. Wright once had in the Obama campaign. Yet, neither of these men has been brought to light in the media, nor have their ties to the McCain campaign been challenged. Why?

My fellow Americans, regardless of the reason, you are too intelligent to be led astray by the mainstream media. I urge you, as Obama does, to move beyond our divisions and embrace personal responsibility to bring this nation back to greatness.

Think for yourselves and believe in your ability to bring about change to this nation, to this world. This is the spirit that our nation was founded on.

This is patriotism.

Jackson Dreiling, Boulder, Colo., is the grandson of Hays native Norbert Dreiling, referred to as the father of Democratic politics in Kansas and manager of Gov. Bob Docking's four successful campaigns.