May 14-20, 2003

Were talking about four more years of Bush-appointed judges deciding cases brought by John Ashcrofts Justice Department. . . .

STAR WARS SEQUEL

The idea of missile defense systems was ridiculous when Reagan proposed it. The notion is even more dumb-ass podunk now with Bush raising its specter again ["Missile Defense: The Northwest Front," May 7]. I guess Republicans are just nostalgic and miss the days of the Cold War.

The only way we will ever be safe from nuclear destruction is if all of these weapons are destroyed. But we all know the United States will never give up the "right" to subconsciously rule the world with the metaphorical gun we've held to its head since we dropped the bomb on Japan.

Eric Jarvis

Seattle

PARROT OF DOOM

For an "alternative" paper, Seattle Weekly sure does a great USA Today impersonation. Case in point: Knute Berger's Mossback column ["ACLU, Meet the NRA," May 7], which parrots Big Media's conventional political wisdom almost word for word. Let's see: A presidential poll taken nine months before the start of the presidential campaign (and a year-plus before anyone besides political junkies is paying any attention) shows President Bush far ahead of all challengers. Conclusion: Our fearless leader is untouchable, and his would-be opponents are doomed in '04.

I wouldn't mind this sailing with the prevailing winds of opinion, except for Berger's touching faith that we can slow the erosion of civil liberties without changing the current regime. We're talking about four more years of Bush-appointed judges deciding cases brought by John Ashcroft's Justice Department and pursued by god knows what combination of Nixon-style domestic intelligence agencies. These judges will also decide the constitutionality of any new laws (on abortion, flag burning, school prayer, maybe sodomy) the current Republican Congress dreams up to please the hard-right Republican base. Much as I'd like to count Bob Barr and Charlton Heston as allies for civil liberties, I'm afraid such an alliance is much more likely to preserve the right to own guns than the other freedoms those guns are supposed to defend.

Mark Horowitz

Seattle

DEAN LEADS

I'm writing in response to Knute Berger's Mossback column on May 7 ["ACLU, Meet the NRA"]. In it, he dismisses Howard Dean as a "New England outsider." And he states that we need leaders with the willingness to speak truth to power.

Howard Dean may be an outsider, but his grassroots support is spreading like wildfire thanks to the Internet. He's not unlike another former governor from a small state who came from behind to win the presidential election in 1992, even though he was running against an incumbent president who had also "won" a war against Saddam Hussein. Dean has a strong following among the same young, urban voters that got Clinton elected.

Dean is not afraid to say what he really thinks and do what is right, rather than what is politically expedient. He is not afraid to speak out against the war and Bush's disastrous environmental policies, and as a doctor, he has a real answer to the health care problems that are plaguing this country. He values the rights of all Americans and will bring responsible government back to the White House.

Sandy Campbell

Seattle

DEAN LOVES GUNS, TOO

Knute Berger says the Democrats, to have a prayer, must stop their habit of surrendering before a shot is fired, yet he advocates planning for inevitable loss in 2004 [Mossback, "ACLU, Meet the NRA," May 7]. Is he not surrendering before a shot is fired?

One candidate on Berger's list has the ability to overcome the perceived weaknesses he sees in the field of Democratic presidential contendersHoward Dean. When people learn of him (and they will), they hear his message and know they've found a leader. The other candidates, worthy though they may be, do not have this pivotal quality. Dean inspires people.

Berger mentions NRA liberals. While labeled an ultraliberal by conservatives, Dean has an "A" rating from the NRA. Combine this type of inspiration with an ability to really cross party lines to achieve goalssomething George W. Bush has failed to do in any wayand Berger has the bulwark presidency he seeks.

Ray Minchew

Redmond

POLICE STATE PATRIOTS

Geov Parrish's article "Paranoia Seminar" [May 7] is very disappointing. The problem is, half of his article critiques his comrades and fellow activists, instead of using the space to critique the U.S. National Security State.

Parrish posits that the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit (LEIU) "might be very ordinary . . . or sinister or both, and there's no way to tell." Well, there are ways to know about the LEIU. For example, one of the keynote speakers they originally invited was John Ashcroft (who has since been removed from the speakers list), the mouthpiece and figurehead for the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act is straight-up fascismlegalized. It is probably the most sweeping and significant government power grab in our lifetimeand it's inextricably tied to the LEIU.

The LEIU networks law enforcement agencies across the United Stateswithout any formal accountability. Parrish calls for "transparency"; I call for abolition. Nothing short of cutting the heads off of these institutions will make us safe.