Recently, a letter to the editor contained an error, and your readers need to be advised accordingly.

The United States of America was conceived by our Founding Fathers as a republic, not, as the letter writer implied, a democracy. If he had listened to or recited the Pledge of Allegiance, he would have known that it includes this phrase -- "and to the republic for which it stands.

If the writer is truly looking for a disconnect between the people and Washington politicians, perhaps he should look no further than our federal deficit.

We, the people, have overwhelmingly expressed in polling that the country has a spending problem, yet recently President Barack Obama and Rep. Nancy Pelosi pronounced that we have no spending problem. Now there is the real disconnect.

Joe Sabbatino

Hilton Head Island