Assembly’s Vote on Tom Hayden

State Assemblyman Gil Ferguson’s (R-Newport Beach) recent attack in the legislature on his fellow Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) for Hayden’s past anti-war activities is an outrage. It is an insult to our democratic system of government and to anyone who still respects the spirit of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

It is the duty and the right of the citizens of this country to choose their representatives at the polls. The last thing voters need is some self-righteous demagogue to attempt to circumvent that process for his own political ends.

The right to dissent is critical to our system of government, and Assemblyman Ferguson’s attempt to condemn it with shoot-from-the-hip mud slinging should be viewed as a threat to all Americans. Furthermore, the assemblyman’s antics in the Legislature have been a ridiculous waste of our lawmaker’s time. The Legislature should legislate and leave it to the judicial system to determine if anyone has “aided” the enemy. If Gil Ferguson wants to refight the Vietnam War, let him do it on his own time, and not at the expense of the state’s taxpayers.

JOHN AUSTERMAN

Mission Viejo