LETTERS: Feinstein flip-flops with CIA report

To the editor:

Top members of both the Republican and Democratic parties met with President George W. Bush immediately after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2011. Discussions were held with the leaders of the CIA to determine what actions should be taken to avoid any future attacks against our country. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, one of the attendees, made a statement that we must take whatever actions necessary to avoid any such attacks in the future.

In my opinion, this was a signal to the CIA to do exactly what it did, which was to subject terror suspects to its enhanced interrogation methods. As we all know, or should know, very positive information was derived from these interrogations. Yet now, the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party surfaces through the actions taken by Sen. Feinstein in her demanding the full disclosure of what actions the CIA took in exacting information from terrorists.

We have not been subjected to another serious attack on the homeland since 9/11. The Democratic Party, through Sen. Feinstein, is attempting to be the goody-two-shoes party in the eyes of the American public, by demeaning the actions of the CIA. Such an effort could have serious consequences, by way of acts against our country. Is this what we want?

CLARENCE LANZRATH

LAS VEGAS

Context for comment

To the editor:

I recently posted the following comment on the Review-Journal website in response to a letter to the editor written by Arthur Rossman (“Obey police to avoid bad outcomes,” Dec. 17 Review-Journal). “Good advice, Mr. Rossman. Comply with the police without question and you won’t die. I seem to recall that similar advice served the Jews pretty well in Nazi Germany. It won’t be long before we reach the ‘Final Solution.’”

This comment was apparently reviewed and deleted. Considering all the hate and name-calling spewed on the website on a daily basis, I didn’t understand why my comment was deleted. The point was not to be racist or anti-Semitic. It was to point out the similarities between what is happening now in the United States and what was happening in the 1930s in Germany.

The treatment of blacks by the police in the U.S. is reminiscent of the persecution of Jews by the Gestapo before the exterminations began. The Jews complied with Gestapo orders without question, which eventually led to the “Final Solution.”

This is not meant to compare our police with the Gestapo, nor imply that so-called police brutality has reached the level of brutality in Nazi Germany. It is only meant to underscore the centuries-long attitude in America that blacks are not equal to whites, the same attitude shown in Nazi Germany, with Jews not equal to Aryans. This, along with recent national discussions about enhanced interrogation, should cause all Americans to question whether our country’s moral compass is really any better than that of any other country.

RICHARD PRATT

LAS VEGAS

Conservative hypocrisy

To the editor:

I found Mark R. Craven’s comments in his letter to be hypocritical (“Freedom is just ducky,” Dec. 18 Review-Journal). In his response to a letter from Dave Hawley (“Ruffled feathers,” Dec. 8 Review-Journal), in which Mr. Hawley wanted “Mallard Fillmore” removed from the comics page, Mr. Craven argues that liberals want to ban things they do not agree with. If that is true, how does Mr. Craven explain the attempts by conservatives to ban same-sex marriage or a woman’s right to choose?

As far as “Mallard Fillmore” goes, I too do not care for that droll right-wing diatribe. It isn’t funny and has no business in the comics section. I recall a few years ago when readers voted to remove the so-called comic, only to see it reappear front and center. I do my best to ignore it every morning. But in keeping with conservative ideology, the Review-Journal keeps shoving it in my face.

I would like to offer a compromise: Move “Mallard Fillmore” to the editorial page, where it will fit right in with all of the other conservative propaganda the Review-Journal is so fond of espousing.

ROBERT J. MCKEE

NORTH LAS VEGAS