Oliver North’s Nomination

* In Column Right on June 9, Cal Thomas argues that Republicans who criticize Oliver North “dare not speak” their motive, namely that “weak men fear strong men.” He calls us spineless for not supporting North’s traditional values.

The appalling truth is, too many Republicans have been spineless for remaining silent and not exposing the extent of North’s amorality. For it is well documented that North is a narcotics trafficker! In 1990, North was banished for life by our neighbor, Costa Rica, which declared him persona non grata --the most severe non-criminal penalty a government can impose. This was for overseeing an airlift which smuggled cocaine from Costa Rica into the United States. Even though he didn’t keep the profits himself, using them instead to get arms for the Contras, North did this at the very time President Reagan and Vice President Bush were leading our nation’s “War on Drugs”!

North’s deviant behavior in smuggling crack cocaine into our country can never be labeled traditional values, not even by Pat Robertson and the religious right!

J. THOMAS UNGERLEIDER

Presidential Appointee (under Nixon)

to the National Commission on Marijuana

and Drug Abuse

Los Angeles

* Thomas in praise of Ollie North as a champion of “traditional values” is highly amusing. I suggest to Thomas that truth is one of the most fundamental of traditional values. The record (congressional and otherwise) shows that Ollie has been none too fastidious in implementing this one.

If Thomas thinks we need a strong man to lead us out of our “decadent culture,” one who puts ideology in first place, I can remember a couple of 20th-Century dictators who would have met his criteria more than adequately.

W. E. MITCHELL

Placentia

* I agree and sympathize with those who have written concerned about the North nomination in Virginia (letters, June 12). My concern relates to an area rarely mentioned in regard to North--the deaths of numerous civilians in Nicaragua.

During the Contra attacks, civilians were raped, tortured and killed--unarmed and noncombatant men, women and children who used to live in the countryside.

Numerous U.S. citizens documented many of these attacks and submitted reports to the U.S. Congress. The lies by those involved in Iran-Contra had dreadful consequences for the people whose families cannot be brought back. The country of Nicaragua continues to suffer the devastating consequences of differing with U.S. political interests.

LYNNE HALPIN

Regional Grass Roots Coordinator

Witness for Peace

Los Angeles

* The Grand Old Party senior leadership--Dr. Gridlock, Bob Dole; Professor Negative, Newt Gingrich; Saint of Smokers, Jesse Helms; Dan “Under Par” Quayle; Clarence “The Best Man for the Job” (President Bush’s direct quote) Thomas, plus the entire cast of sordid Republican characters--welcomes a bright new associate into their most worthy old fold. Comes now the Great Deceiver, Ollie P. North, Sir.

HAL JEPSEN

Carlsbad

* Doesn’t GOP Senate minority leader Bob Dole realize that by backing Oliver North he has neutralized the “character” issue?

VARLEY SMITH

Pasadena

* Ollie North is a genuine American hero. We need him in the Senate.

Big deal, North lied to that yuppy Billionaire Liars Club, the Senate. He broke the law to do what was right. That’s true morality.

We don’t need a bunch of Stepford people blindly following laws that are wrong. We need people who will stand up for righteous principles, even when they thereby face personal insults from the likes of Sen. John Warner (R-Va.).

No despots in history have ever done their dirty deeds unless it was under the color of some law or other. The soldiers who followed the law in World War II Germany killed a lot of people. They were lawful, but they didn’t do what was right.

North does what is right.

H. MILLARD

Costa Mesa

* Oliver North lying to Congress falls into the same category as someone stealing a truckload of beer from Al Capone.

JULIAN F. GOLD

Laguna Niguel

* With the nomination of convicted felon Oliver North for senator by the Virginian Republican Party, the nomination of radio shock jock Howard Stern for governor by the New York Libertarian Party begins to look like an act of wise statesmanship.

Is North’s campaign slogan going to be: “Throw the rascal in?”

DAVID L. PLEGER

Los Angeles