To the Editor:

I am responding to Ralph Thayer’s letter (“Talk About Socialism,” 8/5). In the first sentence, Mr. Thayer questions, “What is so alarming about attaching the word Socialist to the end of Democrat that makes the result worse than the original?” One only needs to review the Democratic Socialists of America national political platform for answers to that statement. They are as follows:

• Public ownership or democratic control of major industries and essential services

August 12, 2026