“Comrade Skutnik?” Give me a break, Mr. Johnson (“Skutnik trying to break U.S. unity,” Dec. 11). Are you so brainwashed by propaganda that you are still a part of McCarthyism from the 1950’s? In times of pressing difficulties for our nation we should bond together as a people, however we can still question things that are clearly just wrong. All Mr. Skutnik is trying to do is defend the United States Constitution, and that is never wrong.

The Constitution protects the rights of man, and protects the rights of all men from incarceration without due process. It protects white Americans, black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and yes, even Middle Eastern Americans. This country is founded on and raised on the backs of immigrants from every part of the world. Yet for some reason, sometimes when this country goes to war, it decides to attack the same ethnic group that we are having problems with overseas. We made mistakes in the past; why should we continue to make more?

Conspirators and terrorists should be detained and tried in our courts as long as there is evidence against them. However, the government is handing out orders to police departments around the country to get people of Middle Eastern decent to come answer random questions. We have no right to single out a group of people. Why didn’t the government ask all white people to answer some questions after the Oklahoma City bombing? Because all white people aren’t terrorists, and that goes the same with Middle Easterners.

I will not agree with the masses if the masses agree with Ashcroft. Unity doesn’t equal right.

Just because President Bush and Ashcroft say so doesn’t make it right. We are the best country in the world, and all Skutnik is trying to do is make it better. Democracy is a great form of government because it allows people to form their own ideas without being forced to conform to the masses for the sake of unity. If Johnson is calling defenders of the Constitution commies, call me Comrade.

Aaron Weiner

Junior

Finance