Aid to the Nicaraguan Contras and Covert U.S. Activities

The melodrama unfolding on Capitol Hill should move every responsible citizen to a deep examination of his/her own thoughts and feelings in relation to the revelations, even before final appraisals and judgments can be made. For myself, I am quite willing to leave to the courts the ultimate resolution of questions concerning constitutionality or of possible criminality arising from the investigations still in progress.

What shocks me about the daily disclosures is the arrogance of a small inner circle in the White House. Ill-conceived policies turned our professed foreign policy on its head. Ignoring advice of senior cabinet members, contemptuous of public opinion and of the Congress, these public servants ran an end-run around laws they didn’t like.

Most regrettable, in my view, is the attempt of the principal actors in this affair to seize the high moral ground in terms of patriotism and devotion to democracy.

GEORGE W. BROWN

Newport Beach

(The Times has received 789 letters against North’s actions, 265 in support of him and 310 commenting on additional issues at the hearings.)