John Braun’s letter (“Reject entitlements,” Sept. 12) sets up a straw man, then attacks that straw man with a specious argument. The straw man: Democrats favor entitlements so people will become dependent and continue to elect Democrats. It’s important to note that prior to the so-called entitlement program called Social Security, the No. 1 cause of death of the elderly in this country was starvation.

Yes, people who pay into Social Security are “entitled” to receive benefits from the program when they retire. It’s unfortunate there are times when people need to be protected from themselves, and Social Security has done an outstanding job of doing just that. As long as the Republicans are not allowed to privatize (read: destroy) it, it’ll continue to do so for many years to come.

And, by the way, Mr. Braun: You’re no more “self-reliant” than anyone else. We all depend on each other, and your myopic, Democrats-hate-me-because-I’m-successful attitude epitomizes the selfishness that has been a major contributor to the ongoing descent of this country into fascism.