Quote is taken out of context

To the editor:

One of the dimmest of the dim bulbs of rightist talk radio, Sean Hannity claims over and over again that he does not take Michelle Obama's notorious statement -- "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country" -- out of context. Oh, yes, he does take it out of context. Or, rather, because of the way he does it, perhaps it would be better to say that he takes context out of it.

The full sentence reads: "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country." The word "really" is an intensive: an adjective or adverb which serves to intensify the meaning of the word which it modifies. Her inclusion of the word means that there have been other occasions for pride of country before, but that the particular one which occasioned that particular statement of hers was one of Barack Obama's electoral triumphs, I believe it was -- and it stands out in her mind.

Of course, to include the word would not fit Hannity's agenda to, as he says, "stop Obama." When Hannity omits that word, he is fudging the truth. He cannot claim ignorance, because he repeatedly plays the sound bite on his program. Sadly, it only vindicates my low opinion of him and his ilk.

DONN S. MILLER, Tamms, Ill.