I watched Trump-Palin on last night's news; my thought was, "what is our nation coming to?" Two foul mouthed phonies spouting hate and vitriol, but worse, using "street language" and blowhard lies to appeal to the lowest common denominator in our society!

You don't have to be an historian to know of the language of our founders to realize the uplifting effect of the great use of our language.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" --The words of Thomas Jefferson from The Declaration Of Independence.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" --The words of Abraham Lincoln dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg.

"Now war has come and we must meet it as united Americans regardless of our attitude in the past toward the policy our Government has followed. ... Our country has been attacked by force of arms, and by force of arms we must retaliate. We must now turn every effort to building the greatest and most efficient Army, Navy and Air Force in the world" --FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech following the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

"We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans - born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage - and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world." JFK's inaugural speech, January 20,1961.

It is difficult to comprehend the language of candidates for the world's most important leadership role could sink to "potty mouth" talk. A sailor might blush.

I see it as divisive, vulgar and unworthy of the legacy of those who came before us.

Harry Tenney (Electronic mail, January 21, 2016)