Don't give in

President Bush assumes that U.S. citizens are so afraid of another 9/11 that we are willing to relinquish the checks and balances that are built into our government, and, in some cases, our civil rights. He is wrong! Immediately after Sept. 11, the Bush administration urged U.S. citizens to stay strong. We were told to continue to go to work and not to change our behavior -- to do so would show the terrorists that we were afraid.

Now, the Bush administration is using fear of another 9/11 as a way to justify its actions and persuade us to change ours ("President Fiercely Defends Wiretaps," Dec. 20). I ask you, before Sept. 11, 2001, would we have stood for spying in the United States without proper court approval? If we are to stay strong as the United States, then we must honor the basic civil liberties on which our country was founded. If we don't, then the terrorists have already won.

MICHELE MARGITTAI
South Side

Please allow this still-loyal former Pittsburgher to take exception to your reader's Dec. 20 letter announcing, "I am a Republican, and I have had enough" ("Bush Is Way Out of Bounds With This Spying").

First, I am an American interested in the security of this nation. President Bush's action in authorizing intercept of selected foreign communications to and from this country is designed to ensure Americans' personal safety. Mr. Bush heads one of our three major divisions of government, and he acted on sound legal advice in exercising his authority. He is protecting us, as he is obligated to do, against American traitors dealing with foreign sources determined to harm us and overthrow our republic.

Fortunately, Mr. Bush is not a U.S. senator, interested only in often preening himself publicly by issuing press releases listing in great detail just what he intends to do personally as a committee head. Such publicity-seeking actions should sicken all of us -- as should those citizens who fail to fully understand and appreciate just what our president is doing for all Americans, regardless of political party, in protecting our internal security.

JOHN H. MURPHY
Savannah, Ga.

Now that President Bush has admitted that he illegally ordered the National Security Agency to spy on U.S. citizens ("Bush Defends NSA Spying," Dec. 18), it is time to begin the impeachment process.

This is a nation of laws, not men. We citizens cannot shirk our responsibility to defend the laws and rights of all our citizens. Call your congressman and make your indignation known.

WALFRED RAISANEN
Washington, Pa.

Police state. I lived in Northern Ireland under the police states of the Loyalist Government and the IRA and Protestant terrorists. They all kept notes on their "enemies" and treated their "enemies" accordingly -- either by internment or through knee-capping/murdering.

George W. Bush is creating a similar situation here in the United States.

It is time for the people to reel him in before he declares that, for the safety of the world, he should be a permanent fixture in Washington.

PATRICK J. CORR
West View