This letter is in response to Shauna Stephenson’s Dec. 2 article, “After voting for U.S.A. Patriot Act, Kerry now accuses government of its misuse.”

For me, the Patriot Act is one of the biggest issues of this campaign. Having a clean environment, a strong economy and health care for all matters little in a country where the government has no regard for my basic civil liberties.

Reading about the speech John Kerry gave at Iowa State yesterday just energizes me!

The Bush administration has been a master at using fear to control. They used the natural fear we had after Sept. 11 to get this Patriot Act passed (even the name suggested what fate would meet anyone who opposed its passage).

They have used our fear to attempt to control us; they have exploited our pain regarding Sept. 11, and they have hidden behind the excuse that “we are at war” to stifle every criticism of their abusive actions.

The Bush administration has been a true horror for those of us who put our freedom first. John Kerry is right — John Ashcroft must go! Four more years of this, and who knows where we will be?

We must stand with John Kerry and fight for the thing we cherish most as Americans — our freedom. This is why the next election is so crucial. Because without our constitutional rights, our civil liberties or our very freedom, nothing else matters.

Sandra Dearie

Metairie, La.