A recent letter “Bring jobs back,” written in support of U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th District) strikes a deep chord with me, and I wish we could all have a national dialogue on this important subject. However, we had nationwide town halls last year and scripted brown-shirts were listening only to the voices in their own heads and shouted down other Americans who tried to share their opinions. Is it even possible for people with deeply felt convictions to be civil anymore?

Since jobs are important to everyone, we need to be clear. When such people speak about billions in “misspent, ineffective stimulus” are they speaking about the teachers’ jobs saved, the public safety employees still serving all of us because of Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or bridges and roads that are safer and provided employment? Wolf voted against these.

I absolutely agree that the Department of Commerce must develop strategies to bring back outsourced overseas jobs and set targets for manufacturing-sector job creation. Why on earth would proponents of small government think a law is necessary to do this?

Alas, there are jobs that will never come back. When companies closed the mills in North Carolina, they sold the looms to China for pennies on the dollar. Looking to the future, Obama’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act awarded Loudoun $2.2 million to help “develop clean energy jobs through community projects that save energy.” National grants total $3.2 billion.

I heard on more than one occasion conservative “experts” say that extending unemployment benefits “disincentivized” out-of-work people from looking for jobs. What? What are their children going to eat? Politicians’ words?

Please check the Wolf’s vote on this issue.

It is vital that we work together for solutions. Temper tantrums and scurrilous signs are a way of venting but do not serve hurting people.

Vicki F. Gallant

Hamilton