As for me, I just can't comprehend religious people, particularly some of my Catholic friends, voting to give Obama another four years?

I believe religious leaders throughout the country years ago made a monumental mistake of equating social welfare programs with abortion. Although religious entities still have their own programs for the poor, they decided to let Uncle Sam do most of it. Seems to me, churches excused parishioners voting for Democrat pro-choice politicians by implying our government had all these wonderful programs to help the poor. How in the world can any program in our government be just as important as the lives of the unborn? On top of out-of-control abortions, there's infanticide, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and embryonic stem cell research, all of which are life and death matters.

Most that fall into the so-called poverty category have cable TV, a roof over their heads, food on the table and cell phones. Some have cars and own their own homes. By international standards, our poor are rich.

Many of these social programs are enticing the poor to stay poor rather than becoming self reliant and working their way out of poverty. Readers should know about a college professor (Brooks) who did a comprehensive study and found conservatives (mostly Republican) give far more to charity than liberals. That the Republican Party will eliminate programs for the poor is a myth. However, if this country doesn't look at our nanny state expenditures, which is on an unsustainable path, there won't be any money for the poor anyway or anybody else. As it is, it's borrowed money. Obama has no plan to reduce social programs. Romney and Ryan have a plan to save programs for the poor, but better still, put some of the poor to work so they can be self-reliant.

On a second front, it appears to me, on a national level, a majority of teachers vote Democrat because Democrats are big on unions, including those for teachers. "Education" ranked third among groups in 2008 contributing the most to Obama.

At this point in my letter, I need to point out I taught high school for four years at Ellis, three years as a counselor for graduates at Arizona State University, and then 35 years as student aid director and counselor at a junior college with more than 20,000 students near ASU called Mesa Community College.

That said, I must confess I grew up as a Democrat and voted Democrat most of my professional career.

That all ended when I had the time, after raising a family and working many long hours, to study the issues. I respectfully submit that teachers who vote Democrat are on the wrong side of the track. Please note I said "respectfully."

If conservatives outnumber liberals two to one, it is safe to say a majority of parents are conservative. I have a question. Why should parents with one set of values have their kids taught by teachers with another set of values? Study after study proves throwing money at our public schools is not the answer.

I submit we have a president supported by a party that believes in abortion on demand, is in many ways anti-Christian, scoffs at our Constitution, and in many ways anti-American. Obama liberalism is ruining this country on every front. I just mentioned two of them.

America is at a crossroads. Vote your conscience Tuesday. How can one's conscience, looking at Christian and traditional American values, permit one to vote either way? Sorry, can't be done.

Les Knoll

Victoria and Gilbert, Ariz.